The following summarized several important policy changes. These policies will only go into effect with the 2009-2010 season and will first be reflected in the results announced at the 2010 Perry Award Ceremony. For detailed information, we recommend you consult the new NJACT Review Process Manual.

• Reviewer Minimum Reduced from Four Reviews Per Season to Two
  In previous years, all NJACT Perry Award reviewers were expected to review a minimum of four shows per season. Effective with the 2009-2010 season, all reviewers will only have to review a minimum of two shows per season in order to maintain their status as an active reviewer. While the minimum requirement for remaining an active reviewer has been lowered, NJACT still encourages reviewers to review as many shows as possible.



• All New Review Criteria for the 2009-2010 Season
  To simplify scoring for reviewers and also help level the playing field for smaller, under-resourced theater companies, NJACT is introducing all new review criteria. Reviewers will still score these criteria using a scale of 0-10. However, the new criteria will place more emphasis on effective storytelling, creativity and originality, use of available resources and level of difficulty in all award categories. The new criteria are explained in the new NJACT Review Process Manual.



• NJACT Adopts New Scoring Calculations
  Beginning July 1, 2009, NJACT will be using a new formula for calculating final scores for all shows produced in the 2009-2010 season. With the start of the new season, a weighted average will be used to calculate the scores within each category. Weighting values will be assigned by the NJACT board to place more emphasis on certain criteria and less emphasis on other criteria.
  
  Also, beginning with the 2009-2010 season, reviewers need only provide one score for the “Production” category. This “Overall Production” score will then be averaged together with the final scores for each review category (direction, lighting, performance, etc.). A straight average will be used in this case to calculate the show’s final score for the Production category. For more details, see the new NJACT Review Process Manual.



• The Perry Award for Outstanding Stage Management will be Handled as a “Special Perry Award,” Requiring a Written Nomination Letter
  To help better evaluate candidates for the Outstanding Stage Management Award, NJACT will solicit nominations from producers and directors. If they wish to nominate their stage manager, they must submit a nomination form and a nomination letter. The NJACT board will consider these two items, together with the overall scores from the candidate’s show, and conduct a board vote to determine which candidate should receive the award. Details around the Stage Management Award nomination policies can be found in the new NJACT Review Process Manual.



• The Number of Nominations in Each Category will be Limited to Seven.
  Beginning with the 2009-2010 season, NJACT will reduce the number of nominees in each award category from eight down to seven. The policy around ties (which may lead to additional nominees) remains in place.



• The Names of the Performance Categories Will Change to "Lead," "Supporting" and "Featured"
  Beginning with the 2009-2010 season, NJACT will change the performance categories from "Lead," "Featured" and "Ensemble" to "Lead," "Supporting" and "Featured." The board believes these categories are clearer. The term “Supporting Actor/Actress” is more traditional and consistent with professional awards. Furthermore, the term “Ensemble” has been used in a manner that was inconsistent with its true definition. For more details and an explanation of the Lead, Supporting and Featured categories, see the new NJACT Review Process Manual.



• NJACT’s Internal Review Management Policy Changes
  In recent years, one board member, the Vice President, held the responsibility for calculating all the reviewer scores at the end of the year. To help reduce the chance for human error, NJACT has adopted a policy that requires the Vice President to involve other board members to help ensure that all reviews are complete and all calculations are correct. This is something the current board has been doing since January, and it has now become a formal policy. This task will be made easier by the launch of the new NJACT website, which will allow reviewers to submit their reviews online. The site will store the reviews submitted by reviewers and calculate the final scores automatically, thereby reducing the chance for human error.



• Writers, Composers and Directors Will be Acknowledged in the Outstanding Production Categories
  Beginning with the 2009-2010 season, NJACT will acknowledge the director in addition to the producer in the Outstanding Production categories. What’s more, if the production is an original, then the playwright, composer and lyricist will also be acknowledge with a trophy as well as the director and the producer.



• NJACT Encourages the Use of a Technical Sheet by Member Theaters
  NJACT is encouraging member theaters to communicate important information to the reviewers of their shows via the NJACT Technical Sheet made available on this Website. When completed, this document offers theaters the ability to clarify for the reviewer which actors are under the age of 18, who should be considered for which technical award, and which performance category (Lead, Supporting, or Featured) an actor should be placed in. While NJACT encourages the use of the tech sheet, it reminds theaters that the final decisions regarding categorization of cast and crew are left to the reviewer and the NJACT board.



• Annual Remounts Will not be Eligible for Review in Consecutive Years.
  Every one is aware of the challenge we face in getting two reviews for every show by every theater company. To help conserve reviewer resources, the board has decided that NJACT will no longer review the same show by the same theater company in consecutive years. For example, if a company does an annual production of A Christmas Carol and it was reviewed by NJACT last year, it is not eligible for review this year. It will, however, be eligible for review the year after, effectively alternating the years in which the show is reviewed. The two reviews that are saved in this manner will be used to help cover other shows by other companies to reduce the number of shows that fail to meet the two reviewer minimum.

 

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