frequently asked questions

<h1>frequently asked questions</h1>
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<h3>What is Theatre Rice?</h3>Theatre Rice is the first modern Asian American Theatre                 Group on the UC Berkeley Campus, established in 1998. Theatre Rice                 was founded for two reasons: to help combat the misrepresentation                 of Asian Americans in popular culture and in various forms of media                 (i.e. film, television, etc.) and to promote Asian Americans in                 the performing arts. The stage has historically                been off-limits to Asian Americans, and Theatre Rice is changing                 this by promoting Asian American performing arts on the UC Berkeley                 Campus.
<h3>What does Theatre Rice do?</h3>
  <p>Theatre Rice performs sketch comedy, drama, improvisational comedy,                 plays, music, song, dance, spoken word, poetry, monologues, and                 many other types of performance. Theatre Rice prides itself in being                 completely self-produced. This means that everything in a Theatre                 Rice show is either written by Theatre Rice cast members or is submitted                 by other Asian American or non-Asian                American writers to Theatre Rice. All of the props, costumes, and                 technical work are done by Theatre Rice cast members. We have two                 major shows per semester: a Midsemester Show and end-of-semester                 Performing Arts Showcase. Each of these shows performs to sold-out                 crowds in 155 Dwinelle. We have approximately 480 students attending                 our shows each night of performance.</p>
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<h3>Do I have to know how to act in order to join Theatre Rice?</h3>
    Simply put: no. One of the key elements of being a Theatre Rice                 cast member is commitment and dedication to the group instead of                 innate talent or acting ability. In fact, very few of Theatre Rice's                 cast members are actually Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies                 majors; most of us come from a broad range of backgrounds, majors,                 and experiences. Theatre Rice fosters an environment where everyone                 is learning from each other in a very safe place.
    <h3>How do I join Theatre Rice?</h3>
  Please attend our First General Meeting and you can get a taste of how Theatre                 Rice runs. At the end of the meeting, we will pass out a questionnaire                 and there will be sign-ups for auditions (time and location TBA).                 It is very important that you attend this meeting because this is                 the only time that you can sign up for an audition slot. At the                 audition we will collect your questionnaire and watch you perform                 a 1-minute monologue of anything of your choosing. Afterwards, we                 will ask you a few questions to get to know you.
  <h3>How much of a time commitment is Theatre Rice?</h3>
  We have 2.5-3 hour general meetings twice a week (7:00-9:30 or 10:00                 PM), Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, the week before a show, due                 to rehearsals and outside meetings, we put in 40 hours that whole                 week. In general Theatre Rice takes up a lot of time. It is highly                 recommended that members stay on top of their class work so their                 grades do not suffer.
  <h3>Do I have to be Asian or Asian American to join Theatre                 Rice?</h3>
  No! We call ourselves a modern Asian American theatre group because                 we promote Asian Americans in the performing arts. However, we do                 not exclude people of other backgrounds from our group.
  <h3>How many new members are you allowing into Theatre Rice?</h3>
  The number of new members we are allowing into Theatre Rice will                 depend on how many people audition. We generally like to keep the                 group size around 40 members.
  <h3>Is Theatre Rice affiliated with the Theatre, Dance, and                 Performance Studies Department?</h3>
  No. Theatre Rice is a student-run organization that receives funding                 from the ASUC and through our own fundraising. 
  <h3>Are there other performing arts groups on campus?</h3>
  Yes. However, Theatre Rice is one of the few active student groups                 that specialize in theatre. There are other groups that specialize                 in dance (The Movement, Danceworks) and singing (Decadence, Men's                 Octet). If you are interested primarily in song or dance, Theatre                 Rice may not be the group for you to join. Take Ten Rita is another                 comedy troupe on campus. Please visit these respective groups' websites                 for more information on auditions, sign-ups, etc.
  <h3>How do I join Theatre Rice's Improv Troupe, Comedy Troupe,                 or other performing arts pieces?</h3>
  When auditioning for Theatre Rice, you are auditioning for membership                 into the group, not for a specific part in the group. After you                 are accepted to the group, you have the opportunity to participate                 in Improv Troupe, Comedy Troupe, or other performance pieces. Acceptance                 to these different performance groups within Theatre Rice is up                 to the discretion of the directors (there may or may not be auditions                 for these groups). Generally speaking, Comedy Troupe and Improv                 Troupe are restricted to Theatre Rice cast members, while the directors                 of plays and other pieces may or may not have open auditions. As                 of October 2003, Improv Troupe is not guaranteed to perform every                 semester. </p>