What to Expect

Welcome to River City Theatre Company. Here's what your child's season with us will look like — from registration to closing night.

A Place for Every Kid Who Wants the Stage

When your child registers for an RCTC workshop production, they're guaranteed a role. No competitive auditions. No cuts. No turning kids away.

We've built RCTC this way on purpose. Every child — whether they've performed dozens of times before or have never set foot on a stage — gets to be part of a real musical theatre production. Live orchestra. Real costumes. Full sets. Eight public performances over two weekends.

This is what your child signs up for: a serious, supportive, joyful introduction to musical theatre, alongside a community of kids who become friends for years.

Who Can Join

RCTC is open to students in 1st through 12th grade. Boys who have graduated high school may participate through age 19.

Cast members are grouped by grade level:

• A Group — 1st through 3rd grade

• B Group — 4th through 7th grade

• C Group — 8th through 12th grade

Each group rehearses on its own schedule (more on that below) and has age-appropriate experiences within the larger production.

Auditions for Lead Roles (Optional)

While every registered child is guaranteed a role in the cast, students who want to audition for lead and supporting roles have the chance to do so. Auditions are open to our B and C group members.

Auditions are typically held during the second weekend of the workshop. The first weekend includes a vocal rehearsal where kids learn the music selections their musical director assigns for auditions — so no one walks in cold.

If your child is interested in auditioning, our Audition Prep & Process page walks through everything they need to know.

The audition itself is designed as a positive, confidence-building experience. Whether your child lands a lead or stays in the ensemble, the goal is the same: a real, supportive introduction to what auditioning is actually like.

What a Season Looks Like

A typical RCTC workshop runs 11–12 weeks from start to finish. Here's the arc:

Before the workshop begins: New Parent Orientation

Before our workshop begins, all new and returning families gather for orientation. We walk through the entire season, from this first night to closing performance. Cast members get headshots taken and are measured for costumes. Any remaining forms or payments are completed at this time.

Location: Hawkins School of Performing Arts — 118 Woodmere Road, Folsom, CA 95630

Weekends 1 and 2: Getting Started and Auditions

The first weekend introduces the show and includes dance training and vocal rehearsals — including the music selections for those auditioning. The second weekend is typically when auditions for lead roles are held.

The middle weeks: Rehearsals

The bulk of the workshop is rehearsal. Each cast group has its own regular schedule:

• A Group — Saturdays, 2:00–5:00 PM

• B Group — Saturdays, 2:00–7:00 PM (with a 30-minute break)

• C Group — Sundays, 2:00–8:00 PM (with a 30-minute break)

Lead rehearsals and additional vocal sessions are usually held Saturdays 12:00–7:00 PM and Sundays 12:00–8:00 PM — scheduled weekly for specific roles. Any cast member may occasionally be called in for additional weekend rehearsals.

Rehearsals begin at Hawkins School of Performing Arts and move to Natomas High School midway through the season for the remainder of the workshop and all performances.

Final week: Tech Week

The final week before opening is "Tech Week" — additional rehearsals on the weekend and every weeknight evening, with the cast running the show in full production. These rehearsals are mandatory. Tech Week is intense, but it's also when everything finally comes together.

Performance weekends and field trip shows

Each production includes 8 public performances over two weekends — split between two casts so every child gets meaningful stage time.

We also perform two days of weekday matinee performances for elementary and middle schools, allowing local students to experience live musical theatre — sometimes for the first time. Cast members perform in field trip shows on one of the two days (unless they're double cast). California Education Code allows public school students an excused absence to attend.

There's one additional weeknight rehearsal for each cast prior to the field trip shows.

PLEASE NOTE: The number of performances and field trip shows depends on the amount of children participating in each workshop. If needed, we may reduce the amount of performances.

What We Ask of You

A successful production depends on every cast member showing up — on time, prepared, and ready. That commitment is part of what makes RCTC's productions feel real.

Attendance

Rehearsals require attendance from all cast members to be effective. Arriving on time and prepared is part of the experience and part of what we teach. Our full attendance policy is detailed on the Rehearsal and Attendance page.

Conflict Form

Every cast member submits a conflict form at the start of the workshop. This is a written declaration of any commitments — sports, travel, school events — that would prevent participation in a rehearsal or cause a late arrival. We use this form to plan around real-life conflicts so your child can get the most out of the experience.

We review every application and conflict form for fit with the production. In rare cases, we may not be able to accept an application — but this is unusual, and we'll always communicate directly with you if we have concerns.