IRENE RYAN Introduction

*DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR THE IRENE RYAN SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION IS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009

Greetings!

from Rachel Evans (Irene Ryan Coordinator) and

Scott MacKenzie (Associate Irene Ryan Coordinator)

Congratulations, Ryan nominees! The hard work you've demonstrated in your college/university theatre production has earned you the opportunity to participate in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions.

Congratulations, Ryan partners! You've agreed to support your fellow actor by applying time and effort to the Irene Ryan experience. We applaud your generosity.

Congratulations, faculty members! Whether you directed Ryan nominees in a production or you've volunteered to coach them for the Audition (or both!), you've given them the gift of your expertise. Without you, their Festival experience wouldn't be as richly rewarding

The links in the menu on the left contain all the info you'll need to know before we welcome you to the 2010 Region II Festival to be held at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, in Indiana, PA, January 12-16, 2010.

Please read through the materials carefully and encourage your peers to do the same.

Faculty Members:

Is giving useful feedback to actors one of your specialties? If so, we need you to be an Irene Ryan Respondent! Even if you directed students in the production for which they are nominated, and even if you're coaching them for the Ryans, you are still eligible to serve. Ryan Respondents observe the preliminary round, take notes on an hour's worth of auditions, and then engage the hour's actors in group feedback sessions meant to provide multiple points of view on the work they just presented. It's an effective way for faculty to learn about the Ryan process in order to better serve the needs of your students in years to come, and it's a legitimate "service to the field" credit on your vitae. Please submit the Call for Ryan Respondents Form (click the link on the left). We can't make the Ryans a valuable learning experience without your talent and support at festival. DEADLINE TO APPLY: Tuesday, December 11, 2009.

For Festival 2010, Region II will be using guest judges for the Ryan's preliminary round.

Coaches:

Take some time to go over the rules and deadlines so you can guide your students accordingly, especially concerning obtaining performance rights for their material.

Candidates and Partners:

Take responsibility for the success of your Ryan experience by following these 7 simple steps.

1.   Save the dates! Both candidates and partners will need to arrive in Indiana, PA by 4pm on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 to complete on-site check-in for the Ryans. There will be a mandatory Orientation Meeting for all Ryan nominees and their partners on Monday evening. The three rounds of competition (Preliminaries, Semi-Finals, and Finals) will be scheduled through out the week of Festival, so plan to stay in Indiana through Saturday, January 16th. Most schools depart on Sunday so everyone can celebrate Saturday evening.

Students who are Ryan nominees from productions closing after December 14, 2009 may elect to defer their nomination until Festival 43, to be held in January 2011. Nominees electing to do so are required to email the Region II Ryan Coordinator at revans@kean.edu to document this request.

2.   Select a partner who is able to rehearse with you during the Fall semester and winter break. Partners may work with two different Ryan nominees, but no more than two. Ryan nominees may not partner other Ryan nominees.

Choose selections that are appropriate for both of you and meet the Ryan criteria. Read the contents of this website and its links for tips, rules, and explanations. Seek out faculty guidance in preparing for the audition and completing the remaining steps.

3.   Double and triple check that you have secured permission to perform all three pieces you've selected. You will need to know the publisher of each in order to complete the online Ryan Registration Form. To find the publisher of a particular play, go to www.findaplay.com.

You will need to bring to Festival evidence that you've secured rights for the material you're performing, or risk being disqualified. Click on the link to the left, and review Rights Information carefully.

4.   Prior to December 11, 2009, nominees must complete the online Irene Ryan Registration Form. This is separate from festival registration. The is no additional fee for participating in the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Audition, but all Ryan participants (nominees and partners) must be registered for the Festival. The festival registration fee entitles you to participate in workshops, see productions, and take part in other festival opportunities (10 Minute Play readings, Short Forms, dramaturgy, criticism and design opportunities, to name a few). By submitting the Ryan Registration Form, you affirm that you were a college student at the time of your Ryan nomination.

5.   Watch your in-box between December 12th and January 12th for an email confirming your registration and assigning you an audition date and time. NOTE: New this year for Region II! Preliminary round judges will be guests from outside Region II, thereby eliminating the need to place actors in rooms separate from regional faculty familiar with their work.

Communicating prior to December 11, 2009 any changes of material, performance order of material, or partners' names will ensure that paperwork and schedules prepared in advance of Festival are accurate and complete. Changes to information supplied during online Ryan Registration should be emailed to revans@kean.edu. After January 8, 2010, changes will need to be made on-site at Ryan sign-in.

6.   Arrive at Festival on Tuesday, January 12,, 2010 by 4pm having paid your Festival registration fee. Bring hard-copy proof that you've secured the rights to perform your all material. Visit the Ryan check-in desk to verify your audition appointment and to have your photo taken. Appointments to work with the Ryan accompanist are available on Tuesday, first come/first serve, during limited afternoon hours.

7.   Break a leg at your audition! Coaches and students who have paid their Festival registration fee may observe the preliminary rounds of the Ryans. However, audience may enter audition rooms only at breaks between rounds. Breaks may not run according to a published/announced schedule.

Additional useful information for nominees, partners, and coaches can be found in the Ryan links on the left.

The best part of the Ryan process is the opportunity to grow and learn from the experience. While there are only two regional winners, each student will get personal feedback from respondents who watch auditions at each level. There will be workshop opportunities to hone your audition skills through out Festival.

The Irene Ryan Foundation offers a variety of awards and fellowships annually. The two regional winners will receive a $500 scholarship. There are two scholarships of $2,500 each for the two national winners. The Irene Ryan Foundation Scholarships are, indeed, scholarships; so the foundation sends the award to a school designated by the winner where it is used to pay tuition and fees for further education, not necessarily limited to theatre arts.

We're grateful to IUP for their incredible hospitality while planning and hosting Festival 42! Thanks in advance to all of you, students and faculty alike, who work so hard to make the Ryans such a valuable part of the region's festival. When you pour your heart and soul into the material that you perform, you challenge yourselves to rise to this rigorous occasion. In return, we strive to provide you with a professional audition experience with opportunities to grow and learn.

Feel free to contact Rachel at kcactf2@kean.edu with questions regarding the Ryans. We look forward to meeting you in January 2010!

Rachel Evans, Region II
Irene Ryan Scholarship Audition Coordinator

and

Scott Mackenzie, Region II
Irene Ryan Scholarship Audition Associate Coordinator