By Luke Araujo | Staff Writer
General Rules
- Sing is held before spring break every year.
- Any club or organization chartered and recognized by Baylor University may take part in Sing.
- All acts proposed for performance must abide by university policy regarding propriety and sensitivity for campus and community presentations, as reflected by costumes, themes, music, makeup, movement and choreography.
- The first 20 groups to send their signed contract will receive priority.
- Judges will select eight of the best acts during Sing. These members will be invited to perform their winning act during the next fall semester’s Pigskin Revue.
Act Rules
Maximum number of acts: 20
Number of performers: 20 to 200
Maximum act length: seven minutes
Set up + strike time: four minutes
Maximum budget: $4,500* (Groups without a permanent rehearsal space are granted a $500 waiver for space rental.)
Maximum number of battens (including backdrop): three
Musicians In pit (excluding costumes): 10
Participant Rules
Grade point average (GPA): Sing chairs must have a cumulative GPA of 2.67 and a current GPA of 2.0. All other participants must have a cumulative GPA of 2.33 and a current GPA of 2.0.
Full-time students: All participants must have full-time student status.
Graduate students: Graduate students must have signed permission from their graduate school adviser as well as the dean of the Graduate School.
Rehearsal Rules
- Rehearsal time and preparation time together are expected to take no more than 14 hours per class week for each participant.
- Sing chairs must send a proposed schedule covering their preparation and rehearsal hours at midnight every Sunday.
- An individual student may perform in or direct only one Sing act. The definition of directing a Sing act will be set by the assistant director of campus programs.
- Student pledges, new members and neophytes may not take part whatsoever in their own organization’s Sing act and/or Pigskin Revue act during their pledging semester.
Audience Rules (Waco Hall)
Late seating/reseating policies: Late audience members will be seated by an usher in a suitable seat. The theater opens about 30 minutes before the curtain rises. To avoid being late, patrons should arrive early.
Maximum number of seats: 2,221 each night
Bag check policy: Audience members are asked to only bring essential items for the safety of everyone.
Allowed bags include: Clear bags that do not exceed 12” x 12” x 6” (items in clear bags may not exceed 6.5” x 4.5” x 2”). Non-clear, small clutch bags that do not exceed 6.5” x 4.5” x 2”.
Children: Children are allowed in Waco Hall. If a child is disruptive to the audience, the child and parent/guardian may be asked to leave. No refunds will be offered.
Cameras and recording devices: Visitors are only allowed to take photographs outside the venue and in the lobby. Flash photography or recording devices are prohibited from being used in the theater.
Judging Criteria
30 pts — Entertainment Value: Measures the act’s ability to intentionally control the emotions or reactions of the audience, the audience response and the general showmanship of performers.
20 pts — Musical Quality: Measures the musical presentation of student-performers. This includes soloists, ensembles and large group singing, as well as song cuts and arrangement decisions.
15 pts — Creativity: Measures a group’s decisions concerning costuming, backdrops, props, special effects and lighting design.
20 pts — Choreography: Measures the act’s movement and how it enhances the presentation.
15 pts — Theme Development: Measures a group’s portrayal of its stated theme to the audience and how much supporting elements enhanced the performance.
(Information provided by Baylor University: https://www.baylor.edu/studentactivities/index.php?id=944602 and https://www.baylor.edu/studentactivities/doc.php/223676.pdf and Cheryl Mathis: assistant director of campus programs)
