Saint Mary’s College

School of Liberal Arts

Department of Performing Arts

PERFA 42: Intro to Technical Theatre

(0.50 credits)

Course Syllabus, Fall 2015(DRAFT)

Instructor:Deanna L. Zibello

Contact:Email:

Office: LeFevre Theatre 6

Office Hours: TBD

And by appointment

Class Meetings: Time TBD; Classroom TBD

Course Description:

This course is for students with little or no previous experience in technical theatre. In it, students will learn the basics of the theatrical production process, including: roles of the production process; basics of tool use and scene shop safety; introduction to carpentry and stagecraft; basics of electrics, sound and costume/wardrobe; and fundamentals of working on stage crew.In addition to weekly class meetings, students will have assigned readings and hands-on assignments to be completed during lab hours, addressing each of the areas noted above. Please see below for a detailed description of the lab requirements.

Learning Outcomes:

Students should be able to:

  1. Identify and describethe organizational structure, production roles, and process necessary for theatrical production.
  2. Be familiar with the physical plant, safety guidelines and working procedures of a theatre, backstage area, and shop.
  3. Understand and be able to safely perform basic tasks involved in scenic carpentry, stage electrics,backstage running/wardrobe crew, and audio engineering.

Student Disability Services:

Reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with qualifying disabilities are extended through the office of Student Disability Services. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Student Disability Services office at (925) 631-4358to set up a confidential appointment to discuss accommodation guidelines and available services. Additional information may be found at the following address on the Saint Mary’s website:

Academic Honesty:

Saint Mary’s College expects every member of its community to abide by the Academic Honor Code.According to the Code, “Academic dishonesty is a serious violation of College policy because, among other things, it undermines the bonds of trust and honesty between members of the community.”Violations of the Code include but are not limited to acts plagiarism.For more information, please consult theStudent Handbookat

Required Texts:

  • Campbell, Drew. Technical Theatre for Non-Technical People, Allworth Press (2004)
  • Sondheim, Stephen and Arthur Laurents.Anyone Can Whistle (Revised Version), MTI (2004)
  • Students enrolled in this course are required to see the Theatre Program’s fall Mainstage production, Anyone Can Whistle. A ticket will be provided for you.
  • Excerpted supplementary material from the following sources, provided in class, available at the library or on E-Reserve
  • Holloway, John Ramsey. Illustrated Theatre Production Guide, Third Edition, Focal Press (2014)
  • Gillette, J. Michael. Theatrical Design and Production: An Introduction to Scene Design and Construction, Lighting, Sound, Costume, and Makeup, Seventh Edition (2012)

Lab Requirements

In addition to attending class, you are assigned to complete specific tasks each week as the “lab” component of this course. Assignments for lab are intended to give you hands-on experience in the area of technical theatre we have most recently discussed. You should plan to complete your lab assignment between the end of class on one Thursday, and the beginning of class on the following Thursday.

In some cases, there will be limited opportunities for you to complete your lab assignment. (For example, the lab assignment for the week beginning October 16th is to attend a production meeting. Production meetings are typically held once a week.) If your schedule doesn’t permit you to complete your lab task during the week it was assigned, you may complete it early. It is always preferable for you to plan ahead, rather than to ask for an extension at the last moment!

Schedule:

Please note, readingassignments are DUE on the day on which they appear. You should complete lab assignments AFTER the class in which the material is discussed.

Date / Reading / In class / Lab
Th Sep 4 / Introductions; Syllabus; Campbell’s Introduction;Overview of the production process / Read Anyone Can Whistle; create a list of technical challenges you might anticipate
Th Sep 11 / Gillette, Ch. 4: The Stage and Its Equipment (E-Reserve) / Introduction to the physical plant; General backstage, onstage and scene shop safety / Practice your knot tying. (Make use of the videos on Moodle.) Be able to demonstrate a clove hitch, a choke, and a bowline.
Th Sep 18 / Campbell, Ch. 1: Breaking It Down: Who Does What; Ch. 12: Stage Management: The Best Port in a Storm / Communication: rehearsals, technical rehearsals, and performances / Attend a production meeting. Write a brief paper reflecting on what you observed.
Th Sep 25 / Campbell, Ch. 4: The Tools of Scenery: Surface, Texture and Tricks / Quiz
Basics of stage carpentry:Hand and power tools / Spend 2 hours assisting with set construction
Th Oct 2 / Holloway, pp. 162-174: Essential Theatre Supplies (E-Reserve) / Stage carpentry (continued): Construction materials and other shop supplies / Spend 2 hours assisting with set construction
Th Oct 9 / Holloway, pp. 177-184: Construction Documents (E-Reserve) / Types of theatrical drawings and the basics of scale / Spend 2 hours assisting with set construction
Th Oct 16 / Campbell, Ch. 9: Sound Design: Audible Atmosphere / Quiz
Basics of audio engineering with guest artist Brendan West / Spend 2 hours assisting with audio load-in
Th Oct 23 / No class, Mid-term Holiday / Attend tech and/or dress rehearsals for 1 ½ hours. Sit near the tech table! Write a brief paper reflecting on what you observed.
Th Oct 30 / Campbell Ch. 11: Properties: Research, Detail, and Crafts;
Campbell, Ch. 8: The Tools of Costume;
Excerpt on wardrobe management (PDF) / Basics of working on stage crew; Introduction to costume/wardrobe management; Introduction to props / Interview a member of the stage crew about their responsibilitiesduring performance.
Th Nov 6 / Campbell, Ch. 6: The Tools of Lighting: Now You See It / Quiz
Introduction to stage lighting: Types of units and what they can do; How to hang a light / Spend 2 hours assisting with light hang for the Dance Concert
Th Nov 13 / Holloway, pp. 304-307: Troubleshooting; pp. 359-362: Techniques Used in Focusing the Lights (E-Reserve) / Stage Lighting (continued): Troubleshooting and focus / Spend 2 hours assisting with lighting focus for the Dance Concert
Th Nov 20 / Gillette, Ch. 1: Production Organization and Management (E-Reserve) / Quiz
Debrief the production process; Roles, responsibilities and organizational structure of a theatre / Interview a Production Manager about their profession and experiences.
Th Nov 27 / No class, Thanksgiving Break / No Lab Assignment
Th Dec 4 / Re-read Anyone Can Whistle. How would your list of production challenges change now? / Reflective paper on the production process DUE / Brush up your knot-tying; Visit and tour a theatre with a fly system (TBA)
Week of Dec 8 / Take the written portion of your final exam on Moodle. You will also need to self-schedule thepractical portion of the exam with me.

Evaluation

Evaluation in this course will be based on the following:

30% / Quizzes (4 quizzes, each worth 7.5% of your final grade)
15% / Lab attendance
10% / Informal oral presentations on lab hours, reflection papers, worksheets etc.
25% / Comprehensive final exam
20% / Reflective paper on the production process

Saint Mary’s employs the following final grades:

A: Excellent; B: Very Good; C: Satisfactory; D: Barely Passing; F: Fail

Attendance

Because it is the aim of this course for you to learn new skills and techniques, your attendance and participation are crucial. Consequently, both tardiness and absences will affect your grade. Any time you are absent, you are responsible for obtaining notes from a classmate and keeping abreast of homework assignments. You are allowed two unexcused absences without impact on your final grade. Three unexcused absences will result in your final grade being lowered, for example from a B to a C. Four unexcused absences will result in failure. Three tardy arrivals will be considered equivalent to an unexcused absence.

Late Work/Make-up Policy

All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day on which they appear on the syllabus. Late assignments are not eligible for full credit. If you would like a deadline extension, you must arrange it with me at least 24 hours ahead of the original due date. Merely asking for an extension does not guarantee that you will be granted one. Late work will be marked down one-third of a letter grade (e.g., from a B+ to a B) after the end of class on the day on which it is due, and an additional one-third of a letter grade for each day after that.