HOW TO PREPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR COMPANY FOR A RESPONSE

Collegiality and the sharing of our work and our ideas is the fundamental principle of the response process.  The respondent brings only two things to the experience of the production—a fresh set of eyes and ears, and some experience in creating theatre.  Please encourage your company to see and hear the response for what it is—a response to the production on that particular night/day. 

The respondent will respond to most, if not all, of the elements of the production, regardless of whether they are “faculty/staff” or “student” or “guest artist/professional” generated — directing, acting, design elements, and anything else that catches their attention.  If the respondent does not directly address an element that your company would benefit from getting some feedback about, it is your right and your responsibility to ask him/her some questions.  If the director or producer would like to have a more private conversation regarding the project, please present the respondent with some options for this.  Under normal conditions, however, we expect that the respondent will always address the full company to the degree possible.  It is unacceptable to refuse a response once a respondent has been secured unless the total production entry must be withdrawn from all consideration for awards and honors.

Please remember that regional respondents are volunteers — they receive no money for undertaking this task, with the exception of reimbursement for a portion of their mileage expenses. 

Under many conditions, a respondent may require hotel/housing accommodation overnight, especially if his/her home or next destination is more than 1.5 hours away from your (evening) performance.  It has been the practice of Region 5 to ask the host/producing school to provide suitable accommodations in this case when possible.  Please contact the respondent AND THE REGIONAL CHAIR if complications or exigencies arise in this regard. 

Whenever possible, we strongly encourage you to arrange for the director, producer or other suitable faculty/staff representative to “take the respondent to dinner” prior to the performance.  This has many merits — it allows the atmosphere of collegiality to be established even before the performance; it allows the respondent to learn more about what the process, or department, or challenges, or successes of the production have been, which leads to a more well-informed response; it allows the host to explain both how and where the response will take place, but also to note any particular strategies, choices or production elements to which the host/director/producer would especially like to hear a response.  Since everyone involved in the event is a theatre artist/educator, all understand that other obligations or logistics for the host staff or for the respondent may preclude this dinner-outing from happening but, if you can make it happen, experience has taught that this is a win-win opportunity on several fronts. 

After the response, it is customary to have a short, private conversation with the respondent to discuss Ryan nominations.  No other awards or recognitions should be discussed at this time. 

After your production closing, you will receive an email inviting you to “Respond to the Response” using the on-line assessment tool, and to remind you that it is your responsibility (not the Respondent’s) to enter all of your Irene Ryan nominees at the online Nomination Page.  Region 5 respondents do not provide you with a written response.

Below is a brief bulleted list of expectations of the Host and the Respondent:

            Expectations for the Director/Hosting Institution:

• contact/reply to the respondent in a timely fashion about needs for the visit
• when possible, provide (including pay for) over-night accommodation if the respondent’s trip is longer than 1.5 hours 
• when possible, provide/host (including pay for) one meal while the respondent is there (usually dinner) that allows for some discussion and social interaction between respondent and staff prior to the production
• provide clear directions to hotel, theatre, restaurant or other locations in a timely fashion
• arrange a performance ticket for the respondent and have it waiting at the theatre
• if a pre-show get-together is not possible, arrange for someone to meet the respondent prior to the show in the box office area and to provide instructions about where and how the post-production response session will take place
• Provide day-of-show emergency contact information to the respondent (mobile phone numbers, etc.) 

            Expectations for the Respondent

• provide timely and clear communication about the visit and in reply to the host’s questions
• make host aware of any special needs in terms of parking, accommodation, food, smoking, etc., in advance of the visit
• Be prepared to pay for additional costs that may be incurred if bringing a guest (hotel, food, performance ticket).  The host is only responsible, in the end, for the respondent.
• Provide day-of-show emergency contact information if it is different than what the host has already received (mobile phone numbers, etc.)
• make the absolute best effort to give a response that is complete, thoughtful, salted with a little appropriate humor, and that gives the company some feedback about their EFFORTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS as well as some THINGS TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE…SOME QUESTIONS THAT REMAIN…ETC.