Is there Cappies this season? Yes! We will be having a Virtual season and instead of Critics attending live performances, they will attend a virtual show and write a review based on what they see and hear. 

What’s the deadline for schools to register? Tuesday, September 22 

Since the season is Virtual, are there still fees?  Yes. The fee is $450 per school. Invoices won’t go out until late November. There will be no critic fees this year. We have to keep CIS and other Cappies infrastructure running, whether there are live shows or not. 

What does a Virtual Cappies show mean? Schools are asked to produce an original audio or video recording with a run time between 5 and 30 minutes that will be streamed to the “attending” Critics and Mentors.  

Can a school submit more than one show? Yes. Schools may submit up to 8 shows (one per month Oct-May). 

Can we submit a video recording of last year’s show? No. The videos and audio that you submit must be produced during the 2020-21 school year, and must be original works or works already in the public domain (like Shakespeare). You may also make a documentary or animated production, so be creative! 

What will Critics and Mentors do? There will still be a pre-show and post-show Discussion and Critics will still write reviews following the normal guidelines for length, deadlines, etc. The Mentors will still edit and select the top reviews for publication.  

Will there be Training? We will host virtual training for Lead Critics, Critics and Mentors/Show Directors with changes to fit the new format this year. Trainings will be in the form of webinars. 

How many reviews will be selected per show? There will probably be fewer publication outlets this year, so likely fewer reviews will be selected for publication per show. We will publish at least the top 2 reviews for each show on our website. 

Will there be a Gala at The Kennedy Center this year? A Gala will only occur if we have live shows in the spring, if the critics are able to vote, and if the Kennedy Center is open for performances.  No matter what, we’ll recognize and celebrate the top Critics.