BFA FREEPLAY GUIDELINES:
Contents
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BFA Statement of Purpose 3
Definition of Free Play 3
Attendance 4
Academics 4
Guthrie 4
Project Mentor/Consultant 4
Grading 4
Rehearsal Space guidelines for both The Guthrie & Rarig: 7
Submit the proposal forms : 11
Freeplay is TH4398 a BFA Core Requirement for graduation.
Project ideas
Mentor/Consultant selected & confirmed
Turn in free play proposal worksheet deadline:
On or before 6:00 pm, Friday, October 12, 2012
Faculty review and suggestions/Approval
Spaces/Research/Classes……arranged
Begin process – keeping process documentation
Project culmination
Process documents & reflection paper submitted no later than
6:00 pm, Friday, February 15, 2013
Submit the proposal forms to Deb
On or before 6:00 pm, Friday, October 12, 2012
BFA Statement of Purpose
U of M/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program
The University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program is dedicated to developing the mind, body, voice and spirit of the actor/artist/scholar. We provide our students with a variety of skills essential to realize the dynamics of performing text of classic stature. The skills acquired during the exploration of classic text will be applied to contemporary literature drawn from the word repertoire, as well as emerging dramatic forms. Our students are devoted to the pursuit of academic and creative study. We cultivate the actor, artist and scholar by providing a unique curriculum rooted in four guiding principles:
· An expansive liberal arts education.
· An intensive studio-training curriculum which is committed to the integration of voice, movement and acting within a wide range of styles.
· An eclectic performing arts experience, with a focus on live theatre.
· An invested relationship with the internationally renowned Guthrie Theater.
The combination of experiences under the auspices of both an academic institution and a professional theatre offers the student a broader perception of the performing arts community within today’s landscape.
We are dedicated to:
· Fostering the principles of collaboration.
· Developing the art of ensemble performance.
· Honoring the integrity of the artistic process.
· Inspiring the spirit of generosity towards the creative process, fellow artists and the audience. We seek students from diverse backgrounds and experiences who have a fervent desire to achieve their scholarly aspirations and expand their dramatic imagination. We embrace the continual development of the artist’s distinctive voice and encourage students to design their individual paths toward artistic fulfillment. Our goal is to provide the foundation that inspires our students to begin life-long journeys of learning and artistic expression.
Definition of Free Play
Free Play is an opportunity for seniors to pursue a creative endeavor of their choice in order to foster an experience of personal growth and discovery.
Every Senior must engage in a Free Play activity, as one of the cornerstone’s of an artistic life is the ability to self generate creative experiences. Pursuing a project/activity of personal interest outside the BFA program is the first step in building a bridge that will lead you to the empowering and continuous exploration of the world around you. Students are fiscally responsible for any and all costs associated with their projects. Every student is asked to submit a freeplay proposal- which states their goals, why they are interested in the project and what they hope to learn. Students are asked to keep documents of the process that will be submitted at the end of their free play.
We encourage you to think of each project as an opportunity to enhance your individual artistic journey. The important part of the Free Play journey is the process of discovery not the final product. At the end of the Free Play time seniors students will be assessed by their mentor and the program committee based on their documents of process and final reflection and analysis paper.
Attendance
Students working on Free Play projects are required to attend all academic classes, all Guthrie Mondays, and all BFA intensives. The attendance policy found in the BFA Student Handbook applies to all students working on their Free Play projects. Please reference it. No excused absences will be given for Free Play work and/or performance.
Academics
Your main job during Free Play is to stay committed to your coursework.
Guthrie
Students working on their Free Play project are expected to attend all Guthrie events as outlined in the BFA Actor Training Program Student Handbook. Please reference it.
Project Mentor/Consultant
Students are encouraged to find a Project Mentor/Consultant. We strongly encourage you to consider asking a professor or instructor outside of the BFA faculty whose class you really enjoyed or a member of the greater artistic community who you have worked with in the past, have an artistic relationship with or would like to know to Mentor/Consult on your project. Your Mentor/Consultant must submit a written evaluation of your process at the end of the Free Play project. The BFA Faculty encourages and fully supports Free Play, but due to time restrictions the BFA Faculty may only be involved with 1 Free Play project per semester
Grading
Freeplay is considered a class TH4398 and is a required part of the BFA Core Curriculum. Grades are determined based on a number of factors, including the following- Meeting all deadlines in a timely manner, a thoughtful and thorough project proposal, documents of process & reflection, and mentor/consultant evaluations. Students not doing a public presentation will be assessed by their mentor and the program committee based on their documents of process and final reflection and analysis paper.
Where to begin:
Students must be registered for TH 4398 in order to perform a Free Play project in Rarig/Guthrie
Step 1 Choose a project- Project Suggestions: (This list is only a jumping off point)
Research topics of dramaturgical interest
One person show
Writing a one-act
Taking classes or intensives in a specific discipline
Directing a piece
Perform in an outside project
Create a short film
Art classes
Study Dance
Step 2 – Submit complete d Free Play proposal form to Deb
Students submit their Free Play proposal form to Deb by the deadline. She will make copies for the BFA Faculty Committee to review. Form is attached.
Step 3 – Proposal review by faculty.
The committee reviews the project proposals, discusses them and often will make suggestions to students to help guide them through the process. They may ask for a revision
Of your original proposal.
Proposal Deadline:
Student proposal forms should be returned to Deb Pearson via e-mail:
On or before 6:00 pm, Friday, October 12, 2012
Revising your Free play Proposal:
If a student changes their project to a different topic, they must fill out a new proposal form and submit it to the program committee for approval. Minor changes made to an original proposal can be discussed with the project mentor and free play supervisor, Deb Pearson. Changes in performance dates and time frame must be
pre-approved by the BFA Program Committee.
Step 4 – Start process and process documentation:
Once a project has been approved students can begin their process. As a part of your project you will need to submit documentation of your process. This documentation can take any form: journal notes, a video diary or blog, a collection of objects, reading notes, scene breakdown, drafts of scripts, etc. As long as they engage your thinking and memory about your own practice, any kind of documentation helpful for your specific project is acceptable.
Step 5 – Final Analysis and Reflection Paper
All students must write a 2-5 page final written reflection and analysis of their Freeplay project and their experience.
For the final written component you are tasked with describing and critically thinking about the process you have just completed. Please describe what you learned from the process. Your paper must include the following elements:
Thesis/Argument: What was the main insight you have gained into your artistic/scholarly process from this project? Make an argument about your learning, drawing evidence from your documents of process.
Background/Methods: What led you to choose this particular project? What did you hope to gain from the undertaking, other than the concrete outcome? What methods did you use? What was notable about the way you chose to pursue your project? What worked? What would you do differently? Did you grow artistically?
Description of a moment: Choose one moment from your process – a particular event, experience, encounter, idea or realization – that had an impact on your thinking and that illuminates your primary insight. Perhaps it was an expectation challenged, a crucial turning point, a problem solved, or an idea that failed in practice. Describe this moment in rich, vivid detail, and connect it to your main argument. What was your greatest challenge or victory?
Artistic Philosophy in process: How has this project helped you identify the purpose and stakes of your artistic and scholarly work? What kind of artist/scholar does this project help you understand yourself as? As you move into the world after college, what can you take with you from what you have learned from this project, and what can you leave behind?
Your final reflection and Documentation of process are due to Deb Pearson no later than 6:00 pm February 15, 2013
REHEARSALS BEGIN:
Regarding Freshman-
Freshmen company members should not be asked to proctor or be the technical crew for Freeplay Projects.
Rehearsal Space guidelines for both The Guthrie & Rarig:
As an actor you are responsible for the space you work in. This includes set up and restoration of the space and respect for costumes and props. Please honor these spaces by keeping them clean. Food is not allowed in these rooms. Water is permitted in plastic containers. Dispose of your garbage in the proper waste receptacles and return the room you worked in to the condition you found it in or better. If the people before you lacked artistic sensibility (i.e.: left the room a mess), think as an ensemble member and correct their error. Please use your best judgment and leave the room cleaner than you found it.
How to reserve Rarig/Guthrie Spaces for BFA Free Play Projects
Due to the number of students who will require space and the number of rehearsals for U Main stage and BFA studio productions you should limit your requests to 2 hours at a time for any project.
v Rehearsal Space in the Rarig Center can be signed out on line.
Ø GO TO the TAD page in one-stop
Ø Click on the Theater tab.
Ø On the left hand side Scroll down and under Current Students, click on Scheduling/Calendar.
Ø On the left hand side under related links – click on Department Classroom Schedule viewer
Ø Choose the date you wish to reserve space for.
Ø Click on a time that is available.
Ø Fill in the form! Please indicate BFA Freeplay, name of your project and your contact info
Ø Wait for an email confirmation telling you that the space is yours!
· Note that you must reserve space at least 48 business hours in advance in order to be guaranteed the space.
v Rehearsal Space at the Guthrie can be signed out through Jeremy (space at the guthrie is very limited and rehearsals for Guthrie shows can bump you at any time)
v Rarig Center Hours:
¨ M-F 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Ø Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (depending on staff schedules)
Ø Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (except during finals).
Ø University Holidays the building is locked.
Failure to observe these rules will result in loss of rehearsal space in FOR THE project.
If violations of the spaces are noticed, please inform Deb Pearson.
Regarding Rarig
Rarig Center is the production home of the University Theatre/University Dance Theatre and a classroom home for the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. There are several policies that make working together within the complex more enjoyable for all of us. We hope you will help us to maintain a safe and healthy environment in the building by following these rules.
v Spaces for Free play projects in the Rarig Center are requested on line. Barker Center space is signed out with the Dance program office. Guthrie Space is signed out with Jeremy Jones at the Guthrie.
v There is no smoking permitted anywhere inside any rehearsal space. There is no eating in any of the spaces at any time. Drinking from an approved container (non-breakable, sealed, and not spill-able) is permitted in all spaces.
v Please remember to return the space you use to the condition in which you found it or better. Keeping everything in neat order, stacking rehearsal furniture off to the side, and turn off all lights (including work lights), when finished. If there is a temperature problem in the space or a custodial need, please contact personnel in the Rarig Offices in 580 and they will route your request through the appropriate channels.
v At no time can the use of open flame or chemical fog be used. The smoke detectors in this building are extremely sensitive and if an alarm is triggered by actions under your control or supervision, fire trucks will roll. If we get charged the $2,000 false alarm fee, be very sure that we will ask you for reimbursement. In the event that a fire alarm sounds in the building, you must cease your activity and leave the building.
v If your activity requirs changing of clothing, please use the Proscenium Locker Rooms available for this purpose throughout the day. Do not use public bathrooms in the lower lobby for changing.
v Do not move the furniture in the Lower Lobby for any reason.
v There are two safety hazards in this building. Because they contain no windows the doors to the theatres and the main doors to the building are lethal. Please exercise caution when approaching any double doors and observe the exit /entrance signs on them. People bursting forth from a theatre to the lobby can level someone approaching the doors. The other hazard is the “modesty” panels in the theatres. These are not sufficiently supported to allow people to sit on them.