2025-2026 Producing Member Ballot Instructions

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  DESERT THEATRE LEAGUE 

PRODUCING MEMBER’S BALLOT INSTRUCTIONS 

2025 to 2026 

A Producing Member’s productions will not be judged until 30 days after payment of their Annual Dues. Judges will not be sent to a production unless dues have been fully paid. 

Along with payment of dues, the Producing Member must notify the Desert Theatre League’s Judging Coordinator with their planned 2025 to 2026 season. Also, any shows added to the season require a minimum notice of 30 days prior to the start of the production to be judged. 

The Producer Member is responsible for the following: 

• Make sure that correct Ballot is being used for the production. (Musical, Comedy, Drama, Ballet, Youth, Revue, etc.). However, the Desert Theatre League’s Board reserves the right to re-categorize as necessary. Ballots will be emailed by the judging coordinator in a PDF format. The Ballots can also be downloaded from DTL’s website at DesertTheatreLeague.org; 

• A revival of a show within a five-year season, the revival show is not eligible to be judged; and 

• If a production is limited to a single day, any production on a national holiday or a secular/non-secular occurrence (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Easter Sunday), as well as Super Bowl Sunday and the date of the Desert Theatre League’s Desert Star Awards, will not be judged. 

A production may have multiple ballots, but all ballots must be in the same judging category. 

Recitals will not be judged.

Professional Designation 

An IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT to be included on the ballot next to the Nominee’s name is a “P” (for Professional) identifying that individual as an equity member or a professional.  On the Ballot for the 2025 to 2026 season, the Ballot has a marked column where the Producing Member can enter a “P” to indicate that the individual should be considered as a professional.  This was included to give the Ballot a specific area for the professional designation.  

A “P” designation should be given to any director, musical director, choreographer, individual performer, or technical/backstage participant who: 

· Is or has ever been a member in good standing of any Theatrical Union, including, but not limited to SAG, AFTRA, AGVA, ASCAP, SDC (Society of Directors and Choreographers), Electricians Union, Sound and Set Construction Unions, etc.; and 

· Earns or has earned his/her living doing whatever he/she is doing in this production,

Gasoline stipends to amateur performers and technicians are not to be considered as a professional payment.  

Producing Members need to remember that an individual is considered a professional even if they are not currently in a union.  If an individual is no longer an active member in a union, their membership in their past still qualifies them as a professional on the DTL Ballot.  A suggestion would be to ask all the members of your production if they are or were in a union, such as Equity, SAG, AFTRA or any Technical Unions in order to confirm who should be identified as a professional on the Ballot. 

Overall Production: 

If a Producing Member uses a Ballot that has a professional director and half or more of the nominated cast consist of professional actors, not including the “Outstanding Juvenile” category, the production will be judged in the professional production category for “Overall Production.” This rule only affects the "Overall Production" category and does not apply to Youth and Ballet productions. 

Original Writing: 

Original Writing applies ONLY if a script is an original and/or unpublished work. Also, for a script to be eligible, it must be the exclusive property of the author and available only from the author. Any production of a script, regardless of presentation format, must be the first time performed in the geographical area serviced by DTL. 

Adaptations of previously produced scripts do not qualify. Once a play has been nominated on a Ballot for “Original Writing” it can never again be nominated for “Original Writing.”

Source Material:

To support and cultivate local theatre, only theatrical productions that are locally created, developed and produced by a Producing Member will be eligible for judging.  For example, traveling road shows that are co-produced by Producing Members will be ineligible. 

Individual Ballot Nominations – All Ballots (Youth, Ballet, Comedy, Drama, Musical, etc.): 

On the appropriate line, enter the name of the NOMINEE (person to be judged), a “P” if the person is a professional (Professional Designation) and the CHARACTER portrayed, for each person you want judged. If necessary, include a description of the Nominee’s appearance - it can be helpful in identifying the character. You do not have to enter a name on every line. DO NOT enter more names for any category than there are lines. Any additional names will not be considered. Include only the best characters. If any of the character parts are double cast, you must designate which performances should be judged. Do not change the ballot to fit your purpose, if you do, the changed lines will not be considered. 

There is no age limit for who can be nominated for an Individual Nomination, except for the “Outstanding Juvenile” category. This rule means that if for example, in the production of “Oliver” the individual cast as Oliver, who is usually under 18 years old, can be nominated for “Lead Actor” or “Lead Supporting Actor” and not only as “Outstanding Juvenile,” as in past seasons. It is up to the Producing Member to decide how the individual should be nominated. This rule applies to all productions (Musical, Comedy, Drama, Revue, etc.) except Youth and Ballet.

To be nominated in the “Outstanding Juvenile” category, an individual must be 18 years of age or under or currently enrolled as a High School student. 

A person can only be nominated once on a ballot for an Individual Acting Nomination. 

In a season, if an individual is nominated on a ballot for a production, any other productions of the same show cannot have the individual’s name on the ballot for the same role or production capacity. 

Individual Ballot Nominations – One-Acts/Short Plays: 

A One Act play is a concise theatrical work, typically featuring one scene, and focusing on a single event or issue.  It contains the standard elements of action, climax, and resolution, comprises only a few characters, and is concluded in less than an hour.  A scene or collection of scenes from a play will not be eligible to be judged.  

Individual Ballot Nominations – Stage Reading: 

Only a complete play (one or more acts) is eligible to be judged. A scene or collection of scenes from a play will not be eligible to be judged. 

Individual Ballot Nominations – Youth Theatre Ballot: 

An Adult cannot be nominated for an Individual Nomination for acting on a Youth Theatre Ballot. Youth is defined as an individual 18 years of age or under or currently enrolled as a High School student. Once an individual graduates from High School, they are no longer eligible to be nominated in the acting category in the Youth Theatre Ballot. 

For High Schools, the nominee for an Individual Nomination for acting must be enrolled in the school producing the production. 

Non-musical Youth productions cannot have a Musical Director and/or a Choreographer nominated on the Youth Theatre Ballot. 

Elementary and Middle Schools are not eligible to be judged. 

Excluding High School productions, if half or more of the cast consists of individuals 14 years old or younger, the production will not be judged. 

For Youth Productions, only Comedy, Drama and Musical productions are eligible to be judged, thus, One Acts, Stage Readings and Revue/Cabaret/One Man/Women productions are not eligible to be judged. 

Technical Nominations:

On the appropriate line, enter the name of the NOMINEE (person to be judged), a “P” if the person is a professional. If a production does not have a set, do not enter a name for set design. Similarly, please do not enter a name if there is no amplified sound. Only one “Technical Award” will be awarded for each category, e.g., set, sound, light, etc. for all productions, not for each type of production, e.g., Musical, Comedy, Drama, Ballet, etc. 

If Professional Services are provided in any capacity within these categories, a "P" for Professional Designation must be assigned to the individual(s) nominated in this category. Examples of categories that should have a Professional Designation include: 

• Sound: If a company assists with the sound for the production. 
• Special Effects: If a company is involved in providing special effects. 
• For Costume Design, if 50% or more of the costumes in a production are rented, then a “P” for  Professional Designation must be placed with the individual(s) nominated  in this category.   

Nominations Categories: 

It requires two (2) Production Companies to create a category, such as Comedy, Drama, Musical, etc. and requires three (3) nominees to create a category, such as Lead Actor in a Drama, Supporting Actor in a Musical, etc. A Nominee must receive a cumulative score of 35 or higher to be eligible for a nomination.

Ballots and Judges 

Ballots must be available at the box office when judges arrive. 

Judges will identify themselves at the box office using a four-digit PIN rather than a name. If ballots are not available, the performance will not be judged. Complete all lines on the ballot that you want to have judged, including the judge’s four-digit PIN and the date the performance is to be judged. DO NOT enter anything in the “SCORE” column. 

All copies must be clear and legible with all names spelled correctly. ALLballots must be identical, or the production will not be judged. 

Five judges are sent to judge each production, but not necessarily to the same performance. If a production is double cast, the five judges must attend the production with the same cast. 

Please prepare the following for each judge and have available at the box office on the performance date: 

1. Two copies of the completed ballot. For each judge, enter the judge’s four-digit PIN on the ballot and the date the performance will be judged.

2. One or two tickets to the performance, as requested. These items should be placed in an envelope and identified with the judge’s four-digit PIN. Judges will identify themselves by indicating they are from the Desert Theatre League and will ask for the envelope by PIN number. 

3. A STAMPED envelope, addressed to: 

DTL Judging Coordinator

P.O. Box 854 

Palm Springs, CA 92263 

Please refer any questions to John Toogood, Judging Coordinator at DTL92263@aol.com.