Education Program
Production Assessments
The Production Assessment process is an educational tool intended to encourage, inspire and enhance Spotlight schools’ theater programs and strengthen the skills of student artists — onstage and offstage.
Grade: High School
Through the Production Assessment process, Spotlight sends trained theater professionals and educators to watch and assess participating schools’ theater productions. Schools receive educational feedback and honors based on the merit of their show.
Schools participating in the Production Assessment Track submit one (1) full-length musical or play per school year for evaluation, and Spotlight sends trained performance and technical evaluators to the production. Participating schools are eligible to be featured at Spotlight Showcase.
Show Eligibility
To be eligible for assessment, a production must have at least one (1) weekend of performances within one of the following windows:
Fall Semester: October 7 - December 15, 2024
Spring Semester: February 10 - May 4, 2025
Productions submitted for evaluation must categorize as one of the following:
Published Musical, Play, Operetta or Revue
A published musical, play, operetta or revue (either currently held by a licensing house or in the public domain) that is presented with the approval or permission of the original creators or their representatives.
Original Theatrical Compilation
An original theatrical compilation of musical/text material from other sources that is presented with the approval or permission of the original creators or their representatives. Excludes: show choir, choral or vocal jazz arrangement.
Original Musical or Play
An original musical or play, which features an original script, music and/or lyrics, and is covered under a valid copyright that is presented with the approval or permission of the original creators or their representatives. Schools must communicate with Spotlight Education if they choose to produce a show of this nature to ensure Spotlight can provide all the resources needed. Productions of this nature must be performed in one of the following formats:
90 minutes, no intermission
2+ hours, one intermission
Junior Productions
Junior productions will be considered upon review of the length and difficulty of the material. Please contact Spotlight Education if you have any questions regarding show submission.
Spotlight Evaluators
All of our evaluations (Pre-, Technical, and Performance) are conducted by our Spotlight evaluators. These evaluators are professional artists and educators with a strong theater background who have worked extensively in theater performance, technical theater, and or/educational theater. All evaluators are required to participate in an annual training, and those interacting directly with students complete a background check.
Spotlight evaluators’ primary responsibilities and duties are:
Attend mandatory pre-season evaluator orientation each year of evaluating services
Be available to evaluate school productions (as per evaluator’s availability) and provide a written evaluation through the online form between 1-3 days after viewing production.
Provide professional, detailed feedback when completing all evaluation forms with the intention to promote educational growth of individuals and high school programs.
Assessment Types
The purpose of the pre-evaluation is to provide feedback prior to the opening of a production and give an informal congratulations to the students on their hard work.
Spotlight Education offers two models for a pre-evaluation that a school can choose from:A Spotlight pre-evaluator visits during the rehearsal process of a production to workshop or engage with students in an area of the school’s choosing.
A Spotlight pre-evaluator visits during a final technical or dress rehearsal for a production and provides verbal feedback following the run.
For more information, contact Spotlight Education.