Thank you for being aN
HVC Performer!
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We are honored and very grateful to have you on our team.
Happier Valley Comedy's mission is to bring laughter, joy, and ease to Western Massachusetts (and the world!) through the principles of improvisation. We aim to use improvisation as a tool to amplify each person’s authentic voice and creativity in an inclusive, welcoming community inspired and empowered by the diversity of all members. At HVC shows, our #1 priority is to do no harm. Secondarily, we aim to entertain. Please familiarize yourself with the info on this page to help us with these priorities. |
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performer expectations
you are a professional performer - Yay!
though we have a goofy company culture,
we strive to approach the job as professionals.
What We Expect Of You:
- BE PROFESSIONAL: You get compensated to improvise, so you're a professional improviser. (Woohoo!) Although we have a playful and lovably weird workplace culture, we ask you to approach your job as a performer and castmate with the same professionalism you bring to any workplace. HVC is a business which you represent.
- SHOW UP: Please arrive at rehearsals and shows on time and ready to work, just like you would for any professional meeting. Distractions, tardiness, and absences impact your director, your castmates, and ultimately the show. It may also impact you; performers who are excessively absent may be removed from shows or teams. If you can't make a rehearsal or show, please let the director(s) know as soon as possible. If you’re running late, contact the director(s). (Also try not to run late.) We can't control much in improv, but we do have some control over when and how we arrive to rehearsals and shows.
- DO UNTO OTHERS WITH KINDNESS & RESPECT: Improv involves a lot of interpersonal dynamics and collaboration. It's great if everyone on the cast is friends; but no matter what, everyone is colleagues, so treat them as you would any workplace colleague. Please join us in our intention to approach our work together with wisdom, respect, compassion, kindness, and emotional intelligence.
- FIRST DO NO HARM IN SHOWS: When you join a cast, it's assumed that you agree to our priority to do no harm to audience members, particularly for marginalized, non-dominant groups. Become familiar and comfortable with calling in and being called in as an important way we have each other's backs by using our Procedure for Calling In & Redirection below.
- BE A RESILIENT LEARNER: Your director strives to provide productive, compassionate feedback to support you in developing improv skills and being of service to the show and your castmates. Take all notes with grace, an assumption of good will, and a learner's mindset. We are all learning and growing together. We believe it's only a mistake if we don't learn from it.
- ASSUME GOOD WILL: Everyone is truly doing their best and means well. Starting from a place of assuming best intentions tends to support the team in progressing together with positivity and intentional connection.
- DRESS RESPECTFULLY FOR SHOWS: Please dress thoughtfully, neatly, and comfortably. Unless your show has a particular costume or dress code, we suggest business casual. You want to be able to play any character, from a princess to a pig. Maybe also a pig princess. You don't want to accidentally flash anyone when you bend over or sit down. Your appearance should show respect for the stage and the audience's time, money, and attention.
- FOLLOW OUR ANTI-HARASSMENT AND ISSUES OF RESPECT POLICY: See below.
- BETTER OUT THAN IN: If you’re having trouble with anything, let your director and/or HVC Leadership know as soon as possible. We can't support you in we don't know about it. Here are all the ways to be in contact with HVC Leadership.
- PLAY MORE: Facilitate fun for yourself, your castmates, and the audience!
What You Can Expect of Us:
- A POSITIVE, CARING WORK CULTURE: Follow the Joy and Ease. Assume Good Will. Be of Service. Redefine and Disempower Failure. Play More. You see our core values all over the theater because we use them as guiding lights in our company culture of positivity, support, and service. Please let us know when we fall short of our intentions, so we can do better. It's only a mistake if we don't learn from it!
- PAY: Compensating artists for their work is a foundational value at HVC. Mainstage cast members are paid for each performance. Unless requested otherwise, BIPOC performers are paid 50% more to compensate for the extra work of representation in a predominantly white space. House teams are compensated with free coaching, which is essentially an ongoing class in improv performance.
- TRAINING & SPACE: We provide training and space for HVC shows and rehearsals at the HVC Theater. (Some theaters have a 'pay to play' policy. We think that's bullshit.)
- PRODUCTIVE FEEDBACK: Your director is always looking for opportunities to make you a more skilled performer and create the highest quality show possible. They'll provide specific exercises, personal notes, open discussions, and compliments to support you in doing your part to make an inclusive, kick-ass show. As a performer, it's helpful to take the notes offered, try them out to see if they work for you, and stay in communication with your director. We also request that you give equal weight to the positive feedback too!
- AUDIENCE: We promote all our shows in a myriad of ways to bring you an audience, such as social media, weekly newsletter, shout-outs in classes, flyers, calendar listings, promotional deals, etc. You can support us by also promoting your show via whatever methods you feel comfortable with.
- EARS & SHOULDERS: We are here for you. Please let us know about your hopes, troubles, joys, and goals. We promise to listen, respond, discuss, and make choices that are best for you, your show, the business, and our community.
A Note About Private / Away / Travel Shows:
Happier Valley Comedy does not have a set "TourCo" or travel team for away shows. When HVC is hired for a gig, we put together a team for that specific event. Every hired show has layers of added complexity that don't exist for our "home shows", including an unknown audience, potential challenges with volume and stage space, and a customized lineup that's often quite different from our monthly shows. For this reason, when casting for a hired show, we tend to invite our most experienced cast members first, those with the most performing stage time. We also consider the best fit for the specific show, i.e. short form, long form, musical, family, elderly, corporate, etc. When the first performers we ask are not available (which is often), we invite the next best fit performers in experience and stage time.
As Artistic Director, Scott is in charge of casting for all shows. Please reach out with any questions!
As Artistic Director, Scott is in charge of casting for all shows. Please reach out with any questions!
calling-in & redirection procedures
This process is a key way we can have each other's backs and also stay true to our intention to do no harm. Our calling-in procedure provides a structure for stopping and redirecting possibly offensive or biased material as one way we can take care of each other and the audience. Missteps are inevitable and not a call for shame and blame. Instead, we assume best intentions, have each other's backs, learn so we can do better, and prioritize reducing the impact on people of non-dominant cultures by immediately stopping and redirecting the scene.
Using this model, every cast member is responsible for and empowered to redirect a scene at any time, preferably as early as possible. It takes great courage to redirect a scene during a show or rehearsal, so the immediate and audible response by the called-in player(s) is to show each other - and the audience - their appreciation by saying, “Thank you!” or “Thanks for having my back.” And then making a different choice in the scene. This process is quick, smooth, and positive.
You are responsible for understanding and following our Calling-In Procedure.
We will make mistakes. This is how we learn from them.
Click below for the full procedure, including:
Using this model, every cast member is responsible for and empowered to redirect a scene at any time, preferably as early as possible. It takes great courage to redirect a scene during a show or rehearsal, so the immediate and audible response by the called-in player(s) is to show each other - and the audience - their appreciation by saying, “Thank you!” or “Thanks for having my back.” And then making a different choice in the scene. This process is quick, smooth, and positive.
You are responsible for understanding and following our Calling-In Procedure.
We will make mistakes. This is how we learn from them.
Click below for the full procedure, including:
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You also will be provided with training in rehearsal for how to follow this process.
Please contact your director with any questions or clarifications at any point.
This process is continually evolving as we learn and grow together.
Please contact your director with any questions or clarifications at any point.
This process is continually evolving as we learn and grow together.
Anti-harassment & Issues of respect policy
Our official, lawyer-approved policy is required reading for all performers.
covid-19 and health policy
IF YOU'RE WONDERING ABOUT OUR school's CULTURE OF CARING:
we appreciate you!
notice of nondiscrimination policy
Happier Valley Comedy welcomes performers of any race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious affiliation, age, ability, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to performers. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious affiliation, age, ability, or national and ethnic origin in casting decisions.
Happier Valley Comedy, Inc. is 501c3 non-profit organization.
