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High School Musicals: the Tech Side ~ AOK1 |
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Members
of this class will be working, side by side with current public school
teachers. Assisting them in the production process during the school's
semester show. The
average High School Theater Teacher wears many hats; Director, teacher,
producer, designer, technician and so much more. They are often the one
person that
holds the entire production together.� Most
public school drama teachers have training in acting, English, music, and or
other performance areas. Many have little training in the technical aspects of
stage productions. This course aims to assist and/or train both the teacher and
their students in many of the non-performance aspects of theater.� The technical crew, often referred to any of
the following: A/V Squad, Lighting Crew, Stage Crew, Techies, is called upon to
figure much out for themselves. Our aim is to assist these unsung heroes of the
high school theater.
Prerequisites: permission of instructor. (Experience with technical
theater and/or management will be extremely helpful.)
Course Overview
This course will cover a wide range of topics, including Management, Liability,
Copyright, Rigging, Lighting, Scenery Construction, and Safety. Participants
will be provided with the information they need to plan, design, and produce a
dramatic or musical event in a safe and efficient environment. Resources will
include white papers written by Department Faculty, information from
manufacturers, and leads to reliable information from the World Wide Web, textbooks,
and regional and national vendors. As an AOK1 course, participants will explore
the world of educational theater in the NYC public school system. What are the
special problems and how to solve them will be explored. Each participant will
team up with local public school and work with the drama teacher to mount the
after school drama production. Participants will discover the unique needs of
each school and, through group discussion; we will create lists of viable
solutions that will be brought back to the school during your next visit. On
occasion, public school teachers will attend our sessions here at Pace and you
will assist in their training on the use of technical theater equipment.
�Required Materials
This particular list of books includes links to their respective pages
on Amazon.com for informational purposes. Please note: you may purchase
your books from any bookstore you wish, new or used. There is
absolutely no obligation or expectation that they are purchased from
Amazon.com.
Napoli & Gloman, Scenic Design and Lighting Techniques: A Basic Guide for Theatre, Focal Press, ISBN 0-240-80806-1
Ionazzi, Daniel A. The
Stage Management Handbook , Better
Way Books, ISBN 1-55870-235-0
Heathcote, Dorothy. Collected Writings on
Education and Drama Aug. 1991 ISBN 0-8101-0999-9
Boal, Augusto. Theatre of the Oppressed . 1979
ISBN: 0-930452-49-6
Field, Shelly. Career Opportunities in Theater and the Performing
Arts . 2006 ISBN: 0816062897
* Trubitt, Rudy, Live Sound for Musicians
, Hal-Leonard, 1997 ISBN 0793568528� this book will be most viable for
those who are going to be helping with any type of sound system in the
school you are visiting.
Tools: Safety glasses,
work gloves, 16' tape measure, pencils, scale ruler, 9x12 sketch pad, 30,60,90
triangle, 2" D ring binder with section separation tabs.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
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Assist,
communicate with and train public school teachers in the following areas...
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Use
the proper terminology and nomenclature of theatrical facilities and equipment
to uses, needs, procedures and problems to students, colleagues, and
administrators.
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Demonstrate
an understanding of the legal, managerial, technical, and safety issues
involved in producing for the High School stage.
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Understand
proper and safe working procedures in the use and maintenance of stage rigging
systems.
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Understand
proper and safe working procedures in the use and maintenance of stage lighting
systems.
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Understand
and be able to utilize basic scenic construction techniques.
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Equip
themselves with a variety of printed, web-based, and institutional resources to
enable them to continue to work in a safe, efficient, and comfortable
environment.
Teaching
Methodology
Wouldn't it be wonderful if: you could learn from doing? Learn from your
friends while doing something you're interested in? Be allowed to make mistakes
and then simply fix them to your satisfaction? I will be posing several
questions during our time together. Few of them will I answer. I will, however,
guide you to sources that will help you formulate your answers. Sometimes, you
will find the best solutions. Sometimes you'll need to be pushed a bit further.
Course Requirements
and Grading
Your grade is based on a variety of factors: commitment to the responsibility
given, quality and completeness of assignments, quality of presentations,
proper adherence to safety guidelines, class participation, promptness, crew
hour work, quizzes, exams and homework. Lateness is a problem! (So are
absences). Repeated lateness will result in a lower grade. Simply, if you're
late too often, your grade will be lowered accordingly. If you have a conflict,
I will gladly discuss the problem. Please come to class prepared to work and
always bring your supplies.
Web/Internet
Support
The Pace University Writing
Center offers tutorial services in writing as well as handouts and reference
materials on writing for student use in person or via the web at www.pace.edu/dyson/writingcenter.
The staff of instructor and student tutors can assist students in understanding
writing assignments and criteria and can help students with any stage of the
writing process, from brainstorming topics to revision of rough drafts.
Students may be referred to the Writing Center as part of this course, or
students may seek assistance with course writing on their own via web-based
tutoring or by visiting the Writing Center in person (NY-Birnbaum Library, 2nd Floor, 346-1085;
PLV-Mortola Library, 3rd Floor, 773-3942). Please refer to the Writing Center's website for information about
polices and hours of operation.
Class web site:
www.hstech.org/pace/mgt.htm Email will be sent to your Pace account only.
Please be sure you have set up email forwarding as is available via Pace's
email service.
Bibliography
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Field, Shelly. Career Opportunities in Theater
and the Performing Arts. 1999 ISBN: 081603799X
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Grippo,
Charles, Business and Legal Forms for Theater /2004 ISBN: 1581153236
- Davidson, Dr. Randall. Practical Health and Safety Guidelines for School Theater Operations 2005
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Carter,
Paul. Backstage Handbook 2002
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Gillette,
J. Michael. Theatrical Design and Technical Production, Mayfield, 2000.
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Glerum,
Jay. Stage Rigging Handbook, 1997.
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Holden,
Alys and Ben Sammler, Structural Design for the Stage, 1999
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Holloway,
John. Illustrated Theatre Production Guide, Focal, 2002
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Huntington,John,
Control Systems for Live Entertainment, 2000
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Ionazzi,
Daniel. Stagecraft Handbook. 1996.
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Lounsbury,
Warren, Theater Backstage from A to Z, 3rd ed. 2000.
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Raoul,
Bill. Stock Scenery Construction, 1998.
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Sweet,
Harvey. Handbook of Scenery Properties, and Lighting, Volume I. 1996.
External Links
http://stageseminars.com
DETAILED COURSE OUTLINE subject
to change:
- SESSION ONE - MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW
- A discussion of the standard organizational
structures of various types of theatrical companies and how they might be
adapted to various theatrical venues. Including community, repertory,
professional, non-profit, elementary, secondary and higher educational
theater programs.
- AOK1: discussion of organizational structure
of the public school system. How does the funding work? Who is considered
the producer? Who is the audience? Who is the client?
- SESSION TWO
- Preparation of the production management
organizational binder. By the end of this course, this 1 �" binder will
have all the necessary information and forms needed to supervise the day
to day operations of a production.
- Investigate the current selection of
technical theater books available. Create a wish list for a personal
library
- AOK1: Add information on how binder materials
can meet state dept. of education standards.
- AOK1: Create bibliography for recommendation
to public school teachers and their school's library.
- SESSION THREE
- Discussion of the legal aspects of theater -
copyright laws, ADA
compliance, purchasing rights and procedures, etc.
- AOK1: What are the legal aspects of working
with minors in a school setting? What permissions are required from the
schools system? What permissions are needed from parents?
- SESSION FOUR- STAGE RIGGING
- The vocabulary of stage rigging. The
mechanical principles at work in a rigging system. The specifics of a
properly installed, operated and maintained rigging system.
- AOK1: What equipment will we find in our
school theaters? How has the school system maintained the equipment?
- SESSION FIVE- RIGGING IN PRACTICE
- A discussion of the numerous variations of
rigging found in auditoriums today, the pros and cons of each, and the
methods that might be employed to keep those systems safe and operable.
- AOK1: Participants will present a report on
what their respective school's equipment includes. What methods are
appropriate to rig the needed scenery in each situation?
- SESSION SIX- STAGE LIGHTING
- The vocabulary of stage lighting and control
systems. The electrical principles at work in a lighting system.
Instrument and equipment types and their typical usage. Standard
operating parameters and procedures.
- AOK1: Discussion of the current state of
stage lighting equipment in the public schools. Who maintains the
equipment? Who is, in fact, in charge of the equipment? How is funding
obtained to maintain the equipment?
- SESSION SEVEN- LIGHTING IN PRACTICE
- A discussion of typical stage lighting
methodology and variations of same. Specialized equipment and its usage -
projectors, special effects machinery, etc.
- AOK1: Participants will present a report on
what their respective school's equipment includes. Discussions on how
each school will be able to present their productions with the available
equipment.
- SESSION EIGHT - TWO-DIMENSIONAL SCENERY
- The vocabulary and methods of traditional and
contemporary scenic construction techniques. An overview of scenic
systems - drapery as scenery, drops, projections, etc.
- AOK1: Discussion of methods to teach middle
and high school scenery construction. What are the limits posed by the
vast array of limits of working in the public school?
- SESSION NINE- SCENERY IN PRACTICE
- A discussion of the techniques used to build
for stock - modularization, standardization of unit sizes, materials and
construction methods for reuse, and adaptation of used scenery.
- AOK1: Working session. How can stock scenery
benefit the school system in the long run? How to deal with the problems
of storage? Can schools share stock scenery?
- SESSION TEN- THREE-DIMENSIONAL SCENERY
- Non-weight-bearing scenery - vocabulary,
materials and techniques for the construction of set pieces and large
props.
- AOK1: How can drama teachers team up with art
teachers to build needed props?
- SESSION ELEVEN- SCENERY ON STAGE
- Weight-bearing scenery - vocabulary,
materials and techniques for the construction of platforms, stairs,
ramps, etc. Modularity and standard dimensioning. Safety and proper
loading precautions.
- AOK1: Working session. Teaching the drama
teacher how they can build/assemble platforming for school performances.
- SESSION TWELVE- BACKSTAGE VISIT
- We will visit a production in process. Date
and location to be determined.
- SESSION THIRTEEN- SCENE SHOP VISIT
- We will visit a professional scene shop.
During our tour, you will be exposed to the inner workings of set shop
operations. Date and location to be determined.
- SESSION - SUMMARY SESSION
- A concluding discussion covering the term's
topics, in an open forum. Participants will be encouraged to open
discussion on any topic that they are concerned about that was not
covered, or re-open discussion on any topic that has been discussed.
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