CONTENT:

• ELIGIBILITY FOR JUDGING
• JUDGES
• JUDGES ELIGIBILITY
• JUDGES APPOINTMENT
• JUDGES DISQUALIFICATION
• JUDGES RESPONSIBILITIES
• CHIEF JUDGES RESPONSIBILITIES
• PRODUCERS GUIDLINES
• APPROVED AWARDS CATEGORIES
• ACTOR BOY AWARDS GENRE CATEGORY DEFINITIONS
• ADMINISTRATION OF SYSTEM
• THE NOMINATION PROCESS
• THE VOTING PROCESS

ELIGIBILITY FOR JUDGING

1. Commercial productions targeting a general public audience are judged. Secondary Schools Festival, UWI Tallawah series and Parish Drama Festival Productions are not included.
2. Commercial Productions by The UWI Drama Society, Jamaica School of Drama etc. are included. In the case of Jamaica School of Drama, students are not Eligible.(This is requested by the Administration as student Nominees often subsequently suffer from arrested development). Outside practitioners, Staff and the overall production can be Judged.
3. Commercial Productions AROUND THE ISLAND are eligible.
4. Productions subject to other competition rules are not eligible. (ie Secondary Schools Festival)
5. Variety Shows and such as fundraisers, outside of the context of a revue are not eligible.
6. Commercial productions are defined as promoted by a production company, group, or individual but not include productions promoted by and for community expression, schools, with exception of groups or companies recognised as theatre practitioners.
7. Productions MUST HAVE A MINIMUM RUN OF SIX (6) PERFORMANCES WITHIN A FOUR (4) WEEK PERIOD in order to be eligible for award consideration.
8. Criteria for assessing different categories of theatre may vary according to specific genre. Definitions for judges are attached.
9. A performer having only appeared the following year in a previously judged production may be judged based on it being a new performance. The production and elements such as set, music etc unless substantially changed shall not be again eligible.
10. A production remounted by the same production house or by principals of said, the following year as previously judged shall not be eligible .

11. New productions of previously mounted shows are eligible for ALL awards EXCEPT / "Best New Jamaican Play.

(Back to Top)

JUDGES

1. The total number of judges for the Actor Boy awards will not exceed TEN. And shall not be less than FIVE.
2. Judges should meet at least three times per year.
3. Producers will be asked to supply complimentary tickets to judges, whose names will be supplied to all producers. Complimentary programmes will should also be made available. Producers advising the ITI of their withdrawal from the process are under no obligation to supply complimentary tickets, and judges attending such performances may be reimbursed on notification to an ITI representative.
4. The first Judges meeting should be a debrief of the previous years results and issues and involve discussion for the year to come.

JUDGES ELIGIBILITY

1. Judges who are also theatre practitioners and who are associated with productions during the year under review become ineligible to take part in the process.
2. If a Judge subsequently becomes involved in a production during the year under review they must immediately withdraw and all scores attributed to them shall be disqualified
3. The Judging panel is to consist of as so far is possible a combination , and include, but not be limited to representation by theatre practitioners, reviewers, performing artists, avid theatre goers, educators and other visual and performing artists. The panel should include a minimum of one and no more than three “lay persons” not specifically as theatre practitioners , but may include administrators, business persons and /or anyone who has a general interest in theatre.

(Back to Top)

JUDGES APPOINTMENT

1. Judges are recommended to the Judges panel and elected by the Judges Panel with the Chief judge as chairman.
2. The Selection of, or scoring by a judge may be vetoed by the Awards Ceremony planning committee . This can not be done by an individual and must be submitted in writing and signed by a minimum of three planning committee members.
3. The Chief Judge is selected by and from the judges panel.

JUDGES DISQUALIFICATION

1. A judge may be disqualified for the following reasons:
2. As far as involvement in a production under review is apparent.
3. A Judge ’s conduct in the process of judging may be deemed prejudicial to the integrity of the process .
4. A judges comments to anyone that would be revealing of nominees or winners before the final announcement of the winners to the public could warrant disqualification, but any such case will review upon its individual circumstances and decided within the panel along with two members of the planning committee.

JUDGES RESPONSIBILITIES

1. It is the responsibility of the judges to check relevant box- offices to ensure that tickets are available for productions on the night they wish to attend. However as best as possible a judge should not inform the producers of their intention to review a production before hand on a particular date.
2. In the event that a Producer does not wish the production to be judged, the Judges are to attend anyway and review the performers and or other eligible categories of the production.
3. It is the responsibility of the judges to check relevant newspapers etc to determine which productions are on. Judges may discuss in meetings which productions are eligible. Judges are expected to view all eligible productions.
4. Where plays utilize a dual cast or particular alternating roles, the judges should see all players in the roles.
5. Judges who are also theatre practitioners and who are associated with productions during the year under review become ineligible to take part in the process.
6. There is no limit to the number of nominations in any category. To receive an official nomination, an item should appear on at least THREE judges lists. (See "Nomination Process").
7. Awards do not have to be made annually in all categories.
8. New productions of previously mounted shows are eligible for ALL awards EXCEPT / "Best New Jamaican Play."
9. The selection of winners will be made by the judges' RANKING the nominated candidates in order of merit. Judges will be asked NOT to rank any nominees they have not seen. (See "Nomination Process" and "Voting Process.")
10. Judges are required to fill out their judges/adjudicator’s form within one week of viewing a production. The forms are to be kept all year and copies to be handed over to the Auditor when the final selections are sent in to the auditor .
11. The judge’s personal notes are the sole property of each judge and are private to them.
12. Judges are required to attend workshops as and when these are held.
13. The decision of the judges, confirmed by the ITI's official auditor, will be final.

(Back to Top)

CHIEF JUDGES RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The chief Judge is responsible for the convening of all meetings of the Judges.
2. To ensure and follow up attendance of productions by all judges.
3. To liaison with and update the Awards Planning Committee, Auditor, and Judges Panel.
4. To ensure that relevant forms are issued and collected to and from judges and collected and handed to the auditor in a timely manner.
5. Be fully knowledgeable of the guidelines and act as advisor to all parties.
6. The Chief Judge will be the only official spokes - person for the Judges and shall be available on occasion to address public opinion and the media.
7. The chief judge is expected to submit a written report at the end of each year, primarily to be included in a souvenir Show Programme but not limited to that format.

PRODUCER'S GUIDLINES

1. Producers have a responsibility to notify any Awards Planning Committee representative and ensure that the Judges are apprised of their production before and after/during the run of a production.
2. The producer should advise on possible dates that a viewing may take place and or ensure that purchasers of benefits are aware that seats should be made available for judge.
3. To help facilitate what is essentially a volunteer process, Producers are requested to waiver any entrance fee for a Judge and at least one companion.
4. Producers are expected to deliver onto any Judge after identifying themselves to the relevant principal member of the production team, a souvenir program.

1. Best Lighting Design
2. Best Set Design
3. Best Costume Design
4. Best Special Effects
5. Best Musical
6. Best Original Song
7. Best Original Score
8. Best Choreography
9. Best Drama
10. Best Comedy
11. Best Children’s Theatre
12. Best Revue
13. Best Roots Play
14. Best New Jamaican Play (Writer's award)
15. Best Actor in a Supporting Role
16. Best Actress in a Supporting Role
17. Best Actor in a Leading Role
18. Best Actress in a Leading Role
19. Best Director
20. Best Production

(Back to Top)

1. The ITI Jamaica Centre will circulate the names of all judges for the awards year under review to Theatre producers. Judges will make their own arrangements to attend performances convenient to them. Judges MUST identify themselves as ITI judges on arrival. Any difficulties in admittance should be brought to the producers' attention on the night in question and to an ITI representative attention thereafter.
2. When new productions open , an ITI representative (to be named) from time to time may be in touch with judges to convey information regarding playing dates and times and the duration of the show's run.
3. The Chief Judge will maintain all records relating to the attendance of judges at various productions, and will be responsible for calling judges periodically to confirm that current productions have been seen.
4. Judges will be responsible for maintaining their own notes and data on the productions for the year.
5. Judges should bring these notes with them for the tri- annual meetings.

(Back to Top)

THE NOMINATION PROCESS

1. At the end of the year, judges will be asked to make nominations in ALL categories. (Judges finding that there are no worthy candidates in a particular category may omit that category.) There is NO LIMIT to the number of nominations a judge may make in any category.
2. If there is only one Production or individual eligible in a certain category then there shall be no award as the individual or production must be nominated from a selection for it to be a “Best of”. Ie. If only one revue is produced for the year it cannot be nominated in that category.
3. In the case of a production or individual being the only one eligible in a year under review to production may upon the judges consideration be included in another category. (ie. If only one revue was produced for the year, it may be included in the Best Comedy category).
4. These The Nomination sheets will be collected and submitted to the ITI auditor. ONLY candidates appearing on THREE OR MORE judges ’ sheets will become official nominations- i.e. at least THREE judges must nominate a production or person in order for the nomination to appear on the Voting ballot as an official nomination. Nominations are not necessarily listed by preference.
5. All Nominations must be submitted to the chief judge no later than the 30 TH JANUARY of the year following the year under review.
6. ALL items that are nominated by at least three judges are then listed on the VOTING BALLOT. This ballot will be circulated to all judges for them to make their FINAL SELECTIONS in order of preference.