THEATRE THRESHOLD: CODE OF CONDUCT Theatre Threshold was founded on three core principles: Professional Model, Educational Experience, and a Safe Work Environment. Therefore, we hold our Advisory Board, our Annual Staff, and our numerous Participants accountable for upholding these values. Professional Model: Theatre Threshold models its structure, process, and policies off of professional theatre companies. We therefore expect that everyone working in Threshold rise to the behavioral expectations that professionalism demands, as follows: Code of Professionalism: 1. I will honor the commitments I have made and be present at every rehearsal, meeting, and performance that my job requires. 2. I will always be on time: in the room, present, and ready to work by my scheduled call time to any rehearsal, meeting, or performance. 3. I will clearly state any conflicts in advance, in writing, and will be in touch when emergencies or extenuating circumstances arise. 4. My job is an important part of a whole, and I will play my part to the best of my ability regardless of how small the role. 5. I will approach the project as a collaborative effort and will forego the gratification of ego for the needs of the project. 6. I will be respectful and tolerant of others. 7. I will dress appropriately for the work being done. 8. I will respect the theatre, rehearsal rooms, and dressing rooms, and help keep them clean. 9. I am here to work, and I will never work under the influence of drugs or alcohol. I will also never bring drugs or alcohol into the workplace. 10. I will maintain open and efficient communication with all appropriate people: I will check and respond to emails every day, and even if I have nothing to report or need more time, I will send a response acknowledging receipt of the message and giving a rough amount of time needed to craft a response. Educational Experience: Theatre Threshold is a training program for all aspects of theatre. The staff and participants are learning and everyone should strive to enhance and respect that learning process: Code of Education: 1. I will support and mentor others as I can.
2. I will respect the educational process of others. 3. I will only provide constructive criticism when appropriate and will not engage in accusatory gossip, slander, or mean spirited feedback. 4. I will respect my own educational process, reflecting on feedback when it is given and asking for guidance when I need it. 5. I will respect both the success and failures of myself and others and strive to learn something new from every situation. Safe Work Environment: Theatre Threshold must put safety first. It is important for all members of Threshold to understand and respect the serious nature of safety. Why? 1. It is ethical. Putting your peers in dangerous situations is not appropriate behavior for anyone at any time. 2. We are liable. We are financially and publicly held accountable for negligent or poor choices the (same as every other theatre company) and we want our students to be aware of the legal risks they take with their art. 3. It is professional. Part of being a theatre professional is considering safety implications that your decisions have on both theatre makers and audiences. However, safety extends beyond what is dangerous to your body, which is why we have three codes: physical safety, emotional safety, and harassment prevention. Code of Physical Safety: 1. I will NEVER work alone. 2. I will be knowledgeable about all safe evacuation routes, and University safety policies. 3. I will not engage in roughhousing, practical jokes, or horseplay. 4. I will use common sense in decision making. If something sounds dangerous, it probably is. 5. I will not use equipment on which I have not been trained. 6. I will never block hallways or doorways with tables, carts, set pieces, or other obstructions. 7. I will wear closed toed shoes at all times. If my rehearsal or performance requires me to be barefoot, I will make sure the stage or room is swept first. I will put my shoes back on immediately after the rehearsal or performance is done. 8. I will know the location of the nearest first aid kit. 9. If there is a non emergency accidents, I will fill out an Incident Report located in the Green Room and place it under the Production office, Room 238. My Stage Manager will inform the Threshold Production Manager and include the incident in their rehearsal or performance report. Code of Emotional Safety:
1. I will respect the rehearsal, meeting, and other collaborative moments as safe spaces. This means I will listen thoughtfully to others opinions, and I will not degrade them for the opinions or stories they share. I will also keep these moments confidential. 2. I have the right to be informed at the time of casting if my part will require nudity, sexual situations, or other potentially uncomfortable material. If nudity or overtly sexual behavior is added to the production after the rehearsal process has begun, I will be consulted in the decision to add it and have the right to decline without risk of losing my part. 3. I will always ask permission of my acting partner before engaging in any kind of act that may be sexual in nature. 4. I have the right to stop any situation or decline to participate in any exercise in which I do not feel comfortable without any persecution or retaliation from others. When appropriate, I will be open to a private discussion with the director, or another member of the reporting chain (see below), regarding my concerns or limits related to the situation or exercise. 5. I have the right to know the purpose of any acting exercise in which I am asked to engage and have the right to refuse to participate if I feel uncomfortable about it without any persecution or retaliation from others. 6. If I am being required to perform nude or engage in sexual or uncomfortable acts, I may request closed rehearsals as needed and limit the number of others present during these rehearsals. a. If I, as a director, require a nude or sexually explicit performance from one or more cast members, I will ensure the first two rehearsals of said performance are closed from non essential participants. 7. I will always have the stage manager present at all rehearsals and will never ask a performer to rehearse privately or in a private residence. 8. I will schedule all meetings in a public place that is mutually acceptable to all people involved. Code of Harassment Prevention: The university defines harassment as: unwelcome and/or offensive conduct on the basis of any protected status, which include race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, physical disability, mental disability, or medical condition. (Click HERE for more info) Many of us in the Theatre Arts Department consider ourselves to have a very welcoming, accepting and tolerant culture. Unfortunately, this thinking tends to make us vulnerable to accidental harassment. This policy is a set of guidelines to help all of us become more aware of our actions and be more considerate of how they affect others. 1. When in a public gathering space, like the green room, avoid telling jokes that are group targeted.. (ie. race, color, religion, sex, appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, etc).
2. If you are working on a production with someone new, get to know them. Ask them about themselves and if they have any sensitivities. 3. If you are unsure by what name someone would prefer to be called, or by what pronouns they identify, politely ask. Show a genuine interest in wanting to be respectful. 4. If you are directing a piece and would like to have your performers engage in an acting exercise that is either sexual or physically intimate/close in nature, give them at least a 24 hour warning. Explain who will be involved, what the benefit the exercise will have to the process, what safety precautions are in place to protect them, and invite performers to privately come forward and address any hesitations or concerns. Tact and respect are key. 5. If you are involved in a piece that requires discussion about group targeted issues (race, religion, sex, etc ) you may want to seek mentorship on how to discuss or mediate discussions about that topic. 6. If a person asks not to participate in an acting exercise or decides to withdraw their consent during an acting exercise, do not degrade them, pressure them, or make them feel bad. If you have concerns about their reason for not participating, speak to the Artistic Director or Faculty Advisor assigned to your show. Reporting and Protection from Retaliation: Any participant, staff member or Advisory Board member has the right and responsibility to report violations to this code of conduct. ANYONE REPORTING A VIOLATION HAS A RIGHT TO ANONYMITY AND PROTECTION AGAINST RETALIATION. If the violation is severe or the reporter only feels comfortable talking to a select person or persons, any staff or advisory board member may be reported to. However, for most situations, there is a process of reporting we would like people to follow: Reporting Process: 1. If someone notices a violation at the production level, please speak with the Director first about fixing the problem. 2. If the Director is the violator or needs to do the reporting, please speak with either the Production Manager or the Artistic Director assigned to the show. If you don't know who that is, check the mentor team assignments on the online callboard. 3. If a person is having an issue with a Threshold staff member, they should report it to the Faculty Advisor assigned to their show. If you don't know who that is, check the mentor team assignments on the online callboard. 4. If the Faculty Advisor is in violation of the code of conduct, then the reporter should seek out another member of the Advisory Board and the Managing Director on advice on how to proceed. 5. If the situation escalates beyond this, please reference the discrimination or general grievance procedures outlined in the University Student Catalogue.
Disciplinary Action: Violations to the Code of Conduct will be taken very seriously because the Code is in place to ensure our commitment to the three principles of Theatre Threshold. All disciplinary action will be determined by the Advisory Board Member supervising the area of the infraction, however, below are the common consequences and processes one should expect. Direct Consequences: Violations to this code may result in: 1. Not being allowed to work on future Threshold productions 2. Reducing the amount of equipment you have access to work with 3. Being removed from your current production 4. Having your current production canceled 5. Your behavior being taken into consideration when deciding Mainstage opportunities 6. Your behavior being taken into account when hiring Threshold staff or Student Reps (Also know that fraudulent reporting or misuse of this code will also be taken very seriously and may result in similar consequences.) Indirect Consequences: Violations to this code can 1. When you need a recommendation, what will people say about your work ethic or tolerance? 2. When you are out in the field and the connections you made at school are your best chance at getting jobs, who will hire you? Who will help you? 3. If you are working on a show, and you really need to borrow or rent a piece of equipment that will make it beautiful but you need it cheep, will friends trust you to be organized or safely return their stuff? 4. If you need help finding other people to work for you, will people send you the best people they have or the ones they are less familiar with because they are concerned about how you may treat their best people. These are all real world questions that get asked everyday. Removing a Participating Threshold Director: In extreme cases, the Faculty Advisor reserves the right to remove a Director from their show. If possible, a directing steward will be assigned to the show. This may be the Artistic Director or Associate Artistic Director of Threshold, or it may be another student or faculty assigned by the Faculty Advisor. The directing steward will not change the concept or vision, but will do their best to guide the production until performances. If no steward can be found, the show will be canceled.
Removing a Threshold Staff Member: Any Threshold staff member may be removed by the Advisory Board. In this case, one Board Member would initiate the conversation and provide documented evidence of a recurring problem, including evidence that they have spoken to the staff member, giving feedback and warnings on their violations. If the Advisory Board feel it is appropriate, they will allow the student to defend their position to the Board. However, if the violations are too numerous or carry such weight as to make the decision clear, then the Advisory Board may remove them without defense. After such an occurrence, the remaining staff will emergently meet to discuss the replacement process, and to temporarily make sure that any outstanding duties are covered.