Playhouse West-Philadelphia
Dear Playhouse West-Philadelphia Students & Auditors,
We hope everyone was able to stay safe and healthy during the shelter-in-place quarantine. Many of you have been participating in our online training while the studio was closed. Now that we have received permission to reopen, we welcome you back and look forward to picking up your in-studio acting training. This will begin as a phased-in approach.
To ensure the safety of both our students, staff and visiting auditors, please review the following sections below:
We hope everyone was able to stay safe and healthy during the shelter-in-place quarantine. Many of you have been participating in our online training while the studio was closed. Now that we have received permission to reopen, we welcome you back and look forward to picking up your in-studio acting training. This will begin as a phased-in approach.
To ensure the safety of both our students, staff and visiting auditors, please review the following sections below:
- PHASED APPROACH
- GUIDELINES
- PROTOCOLS
- TUITION
OR download the PDFs.
PHASED APPROACH
**SPECIAL NOTE: In September, 2020, we entered PHASE TWO, returning to our regular schedule of two classes per week in the studio. At this time, all weekly online classes have ceased, and will only be scheduled periodically. All safety protocols remain in place.
On July 1 we began a phased approach to reopening our in-studio acting classes:
- PHASE ONE: 1 DAY OF IN-STUDIO ACTING TRAINING + 2 DAYS OF ONLINE TRAINING
- Students will attend class in the studio 1 day per week. This will be for our regular acting work; fundamental exercises, scene work, other advanced exercises.
- In class sessions will be held:
- Monday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. (this class is for advanced students only)
- Monday, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
- Thursday, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
- Thursday, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
- Class size will be limited to 25 students, and seating will be spaced to comply with social distancing. Students will need to register in advance to claim a spot in the class.
- In addition, students may attend two online classes per week, via Zoom. Subjects covered in these classes will include scene interpretation, play analysis, film analysis, writing, and other related topics. The online classes will be recorded for anyone who cannot attend the scheduled time.
- Online classes will be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, either 12-3 p.m., or 6:30-9:30 p.m. Times may vary weekly, but will always include at least one or more evening classes.
- Until further notice, we will also continue our Voice and Speech classes online. The class will be held on Fridays, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. This class is usually a separate fee of $50 per month, but for now will be included as part of our regular tuition.
- This 1 in-studio class and 2 online classes training approach will be re-examined near the end of July, and Phase One may continue into the following month(s).
GUIDELINES
To ensure that students and staff will be protected when working in the studios, we ask that every student and staff member consider the following items as we get ready to reopen:
1. If a student is traveling back to the Philadelphia area because they left town during the quarantine, or have recently been out of state on vacation, we ask that they do not attend a class until 14 days after their return. All modes of transportation apply.
2. We ask that students refrain from congregating in large event gatherings, such as the civil protests, for at least two weeks before their first class.
3. There may be a time when students and/or staff may be required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to rejoin a class. Please make a note of the following links for locations that provide free testing.
4. If a student or staff member is exposed to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, please refrain from returning to class until a 14 day self-isolation is completed or a negative Covid-19 test result is provided. The student must report this to a staff member immediately, so other students can be alerted, as well as to any rehearsal partners.
5. If a student becomes sick with Covid-19, that student must take a hiatus from the school for at least 14 days.
6. Personal responsibility is paramount to the success of returning to our in-studio classes, and any infraction of the guidelines and procedures will be taken seriously. Any student who comes to class sick will be sent home immediately and will not be permitted to return to class for 14 days, and until a negative Covid-19 test result is provided.
7. Playhouse West is taking all the necessary steps to ensure a safe and clean working environment, but there still remains the risk of exposure to Covid-19. With that in mind, we ask that all students and staff sign an Acknowledgement of Personal Responsibility & Liability Waiver before attending classes. Students are asked to print it out and sign the waiver below and bring it to their first day of class. A copy of the waiver will be provided if a student is unable to bring a signed copy to their first class. Students will not be allowed to enter the studio without first signing the waiver.
1. If a student is traveling back to the Philadelphia area because they left town during the quarantine, or have recently been out of state on vacation, we ask that they do not attend a class until 14 days after their return. All modes of transportation apply.
2. We ask that students refrain from congregating in large event gatherings, such as the civil protests, for at least two weeks before their first class.
3. There may be a time when students and/or staff may be required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to rejoin a class. Please make a note of the following links for locations that provide free testing.
- CVS Test Sites
- Patient First Test Sites
- Rite Aid Test Sites
- Penn Medicine Drive-Thru Test Sites
- City of Philadelphia Test Sites
- Montgomery County Test Sites
- Delaware County Test Sites
- Bucks County Test Sites
- New Jersey Test Sites
4. If a student or staff member is exposed to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, please refrain from returning to class until a 14 day self-isolation is completed or a negative Covid-19 test result is provided. The student must report this to a staff member immediately, so other students can be alerted, as well as to any rehearsal partners.
5. If a student becomes sick with Covid-19, that student must take a hiatus from the school for at least 14 days.
6. Personal responsibility is paramount to the success of returning to our in-studio classes, and any infraction of the guidelines and procedures will be taken seriously. Any student who comes to class sick will be sent home immediately and will not be permitted to return to class for 14 days, and until a negative Covid-19 test result is provided.
7. Playhouse West is taking all the necessary steps to ensure a safe and clean working environment, but there still remains the risk of exposure to Covid-19. With that in mind, we ask that all students and staff sign an Acknowledgement of Personal Responsibility & Liability Waiver before attending classes. Students are asked to print it out and sign the waiver below and bring it to their first day of class. A copy of the waiver will be provided if a student is unable to bring a signed copy to their first class. Students will not be allowed to enter the studio without first signing the waiver.
If an individual is not in agreement with the above guidelines, we ask that they forgo attending classes until which time they feel comfortable with the safety of the working conditions.
PROTOCOLS & SAFETY PROCEDURES
ENTERING THE STUDIO
& OTHER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Please help us ensure a safe working environment by adhering to the following guidelines.
& OTHER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Please help us ensure a safe working environment by adhering to the following guidelines.
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1. No one will not be allowed to enter the studio if they exhibit any flu-like symptoms of Covid-19. Please do not come to class if you have or recently felt any signs of illness, especially if you have had a fever, cough, chest congestion, feeling run down, muscle aches or weakness, shortness of breath, noticeable loss of taste or smell. Please do not come to class if you are sick!
2. Students will enter and exit through the side (alley) entrance. 3. When waiting to enter the studio, students are asked to practice social distancing and maintain 6 feet distance from one another. 4. All students will receive a squirt of hand sanitizer when entering the studio, administered by the class secretary or appointed class safety monitor. 5. When entering the studio, each student will have their temperature taken by a staff member or appointed class safety monitor with a contact-free, infrared thermometer. If a student’s temperature is 100 or above, that student will not be allowed to enter the studio. To rejoin the class, the student must first take a 14 day hiatus or show proof of a negative Covid-19. |
6. All students and staff are responsible for bringing their own mask and must wear a mask when entering building and while seated in the studio, no exception.
While seated, it will be okay to occasionally, yet briefly, remove the mask for comfort. 7. Until further notice, masks must be worn in the emotional preparation area and during exercises and scenes.. 8. Playhouse West has installed a HEPA Air Purifier for extra-Large rooms with Medical Grade H13 HEPA. This system remove over 99% of airborne particles and germs down to 0.1 microns. 9. Guidelines for entering the building will be posted at all entrances, as well as other strategic places within the building, including the bathroom. 10. We will sanitize the bathrooms daily. 11. We will also sanitize doorknobs, handles, railings, all tables and other surfaces onstage between classes. 12. Hand sanitizer dispensers have been placed throughout the studio. 13. A deep cleaning of the studio will be conducted regularly. |
CLASS PROCEDURES
Please help us ensure a safe working environment by adhering to the following guidelines.
Please help us ensure a safe working environment by adhering to the following guidelines.
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1. Class sizes will be limited to 25 students.
2. In the event enrollment of a class reaches the capacity of 25 students, there will be a waiting list to get into that class.. 3. The auditors must register and reserve a spot in advance to attend, space permitting. No walk-ins allowed. Auditors must acknowledge safety guidelines in order to schedule an audit, and will have their temperature screened upon entering the studio. 4. Students and auditors must sit in designated open seats, allowing for social distancing. Marked seats will remain unoccupied. 5. When participating in an exercise or scene, students must wear a mask, no exceptions. 6. When participating in an exercise or scene, students should try to keep a distance between one another. Until further notice, physical contact is not allowed. 7. Students are not allowed to share items with one another, such as activities, writing utensils, and food items such as water and mints. 8. After each exercise or scene, all doorknobs or surfaces on the stage that were touched will be wiped and sanitized by the actors who had just worked. Disinfectant and gloves will be provided by the school. 9. Only two students permitted in the preparation room at a time. More seating for emotional preparation will be strategically placed in the backstage area. |
10. After each class, the room will be disinfected by wiping down the tables/chairs, door knobs, back stage areas, chair armrests and all other surfaces that may have been touched or handled.
11. If a student exhibits Covid-19 symptoms while attending a class, they will be released from the class and must leave the studio immediately. To return to the class, the student must take a 14 day hiatus or show proof of a negative Covid-19. 12. The Playhouse West staff retains the right to make the determination if a student is sick and must leave a class because of Covid-19 symptoms. 13. Each class will have 2 staff-approved volunteers; one will be responsible for coordinating the sanitizing of the studio before or after class. The other will be a safety monitor, who will take student temperatures and help monitor that students are following the guidelines, especially when the teacher is watching or discussing an exercises. 14. During class, the teacher will remain properly distanced from students and is not required to wear a mask. The teacher will otherwise wear a mask in the studio, and during close interactions with students or auditors. 15. Until further notice, students will not be allowed to make up unattended classes unless arranged in advance with the director of the school, and only if space permits. 16. When rehearsing outside the class, please follow the same guidelines as when working in the class. One-on-one rehearsals are recommended. Limit group rehearsals to 4 people. |
All Phase One guidelines, protocols and safety precautions will be monitored, re-visited and adjusted if necessary on a month to month, or possibly even a weekly basis.
PHILLY TUITION
We understand that most students were financially impacted in a major way by the shut down of the city’s businesses. With that in mind, we will continue to work with students financial situations on an individual basis, allowing for tuition to be paid in installments.
The pay structure will be as follows:
TUITION
1. Monthly Tuition payment Securely Online, or by check or cash, in advance of or on the first day of class: $200. We want to encourage students to continue to pay tuition securely online to limit contact. Pay Tuition Online
2. All late tuition payments (online, credit card, cash, check): $205
IN CASES OF ILLNESS
1. If a student is forced to take a hiatus because of illness due to Covid-19, they will not be reimbursed or receive credit for the balance of their tuition. It is possible that students may arrange with staff to make up these classes in the future, space permitting. Student can continue to attend the two online classes per week.
2. After completing a 14 day hiatus because of illness due to Covid-19, a student will be allowed to return to class only after they present proof of a negative Covid-19 test.
1. Monthly Tuition payment Securely Online, or by check or cash, in advance of or on the first day of class: $200. We want to encourage students to continue to pay tuition securely online to limit contact. Pay Tuition Online
2. All late tuition payments (online, credit card, cash, check): $205
IN CASES OF ILLNESS
1. If a student is forced to take a hiatus because of illness due to Covid-19, they will not be reimbursed or receive credit for the balance of their tuition. It is possible that students may arrange with staff to make up these classes in the future, space permitting. Student can continue to attend the two online classes per week.
2. After completing a 14 day hiatus because of illness due to Covid-19, a student will be allowed to return to class only after they present proof of a negative Covid-19 test.
