To develop skills in creating a theatrical experience (the play) for an audience. These skills included interpretation, composition (aural & visual), acting and style.
To use effective communication skills in collaborating with the playwright, designers, actors, technicians, etc.
To define the function of the director and designer personally.
To use the organizational skills which are essential to a director and designer.
To explore alternate rehearsal techniques and/or exercises.
As designers to work as a facilitator of the design process.
To experience the other side of the auditioning process.
To direct and produce a play.
To work in collaboration with designers/directors to produce a play.
---Every Monday after casting we will set the rehearsal schedule IN CLASS for the use of the studio and/or the mainstage. If you miss class that day you will have to schedule on your own. I will then post the schedule on my door and any additional rehearsals may be noted with your initials in rehearsals lasting no longer than 2 hours in length consecutively.
---Please be responsible for making any rehearsal schedule changes yourself. If you cancel a rehearsal, please be sure to erase/release those hours, so someone else may use that time. Also know that your actors will come to depend on looking at that schedule, rather than the one you may have given them.
---Beginning with the first dress rehearsal (Sun. of production week) of Lobby Hero you may not keep anyone; actor or crew member, past 4:00 p.m. during production week. If your cast members are not on the running crew, house manager or in the cast of Lobby Hero you may rehearse the usual hours during Lobby Hero dress rehearsals. (Though you need to be careful not to be too loud---those doors are not sound proof.) You may not rehearse past 5:30 p.m. on performance nights.
---Everyone enrolled in R & P will crew and run the one-acts. Schedule your rehearsals accordingly. All directors are required to be at all technical and dress rehearsals.
---Each director is required to produce their programs through cooperation with the publicity/box office if no class designer is available.
---Each director or designer is required to see a performance of each one-act and complete a critique form which will be provided at a later date. A class critique session for each play will be held in class the final examination day.
PRODUCTION MEETINGS
Much of being a successful director or designer is your collaboration with designers or directors. The class after the first week or so will be utilized as production meetings, in conjunction with assignments. All class members are required to read all four scripts.
Each director is allocated $100.00 as a production budget. Each designer will be required to turn a budget with their design. All purchases have to be made by a faculty member or student assistant. All purchases have to be approved by Ms. Jefferson. The theatre department will pay the royalties and for the printing of the programs. YOU MAY NOT USE the departmental copy machine to make audition and/or acting copies of your script.
REHEARSALS, RUNTHROUGHS, & TECH PREVIEW
Each designer needs to attend at least three rehearsals in addition to the tech preview during the rehearsal process to evaluate their work and facilitate any changes or additions that need to be made.
Each director is responsible for scheduling a runthrough, at the latest, the week before your tech rehearsal for the board ops, costume crew, stage manager and running crew. The runthrough needs to occur at a reasonable hour, with no run-throughs scheduled after 10:00 p.m. (Keep in mind the directors are part of the running crew.)
Each director in collaboration with designers is required to supply scripts with cues marked to :
Stage Manager1. Copy of script with all sound and light cues appropriately marked in pencil and with counts noted.
2. A sound and light cue sheet.
Light Board Operator: Copy of script will all light cues appropriately marked in pencil with counts.
Sound Board OperatorCopy of the script with all sound cues appropriately marked in pencil with counts.
Running Crew member: Copy of the script with the appropriate cues marked. This could be a dresser for a quick change, or if you need someone to ring a ringer or run an off-stage effect.
TECHNICAL REHEARSALS: EACH DIRECTOR HAS TWO HOURS FOR TECH REHEARSAL.
Schedule of tech rehearsal:
Call for directors, designers, board operators, stage manager, running crew and the first show’s actors: 12:30 p.m. Tech begins promptly at 1:00 p.m. for the first show of the set. The directors of the second and third show may set their own actor’s call. The shows are teched in the order of performance.
DIRECTORS: To the technical rehearsal you need to bring:
1. Revised light and sound cue sheets for stage manager and board operators.
2. When you want to make call for your actors.
3. Any changes to costume plot or food props.
DESIGNERS: To the technical rehearsal you need to bring:
1. Lighting
a. Magic sheet
b. Instrument schedule
c. Circuit schedule
d. Cue sheet
e. Gel changes
2.Costumes
a.Dressing notes
b. Maintenance notes
c. Costume plot
d. Any quick changes needed marked in script and worked out.
3. Properties
a. Props pre-set list
b. Prop running list
c. Prop plot
4. Sound
a. Sound set up---speakers, practicals, etc.
b. sound cue sheet
c. sound crew member for practical, marked in script
5. Makeup
a. makeup design
b. makeup worksheets
c. hair design or wig
COSTUMES: I will give copies of your scripts to all theatre faculty. Elizabeth will give us specific days we may go to storage accompanied by a student assistant. DO NOT go to costume storage and pull anything without approval. It is your responsibility to see that any construction or alterations are done. The costume shop can construct and/or alter costumes for you. You need to buy the fabric, notions and the pattern (if they don’t have the right one). You need to do this early (a month before production) to give them plenty of time to do the construction and fittings properly. It is required that the director attend the fittings also. If you choose to do alterations yourself of stock costumes, you need to okay it with Elizabeth.
SCENERY:. You may build any additional platforms or set pieces from stock lumber and parallels with approval of Capt. The use of the folding platforms or parallels just to raise the acting area is strongly discouraged. It does little if anything to raise the entire playing space 2 - 4 feet. You may use anything in prop storage with approval of Ms. Jefferson. Do not paint any furniture without permission from Capt. With props please do not borrow or use props that are irreplaceable. After work is completed on Lobby Hero the scene shop assistants may help you build scenery, props, etc., with approval from Capt.
GENERAL GUIDELINES: All furniture and props should be stored after every rehearsal. We will use the space stage right near the rigging ropes during Lobby Hero and right by the mainstage mechanical door after Lobby Hero. Remember that during UIL OAP all your stuff will have to go into the studio and scene shop. Please keep studio and the mainstage free of trash, pop cans, cigarette butts, etc. Failure to do so lowers your final grade. We will pull a rehearsal prop cabinet and put it on the main stage for your use. For valuable props you need to find a secure place other than the publicity office or greenroom to store them. Many directors in the past have stored props in the trunk of their car.
You may stay in the building after 9:30 p.m. but only if you do not prop the outside doors open. If an outside door is found open, all late rehearsals will cease. Make arrangements to use cell phones or the doorbell to avoid propping the door open.
Each director needs to keep all designers and Mrs. Jefferson informed of changes in your rehearsal schedule. Other visits I will schedule with you. I need a day’s notice for appointments or rehearsals you would like me to observe. A portion of your grade is based on organization and preparedness, consequently being consistently late or being unprepared for rehearsals or canceling rehearsals will lower your final grade.
Seventy-five percent of your grade will be an assessment of the preparation (papers), direction/designing and production of the festival of one-acts. Class participation is vital.
This course is designed to be utilized as an assessment tool for the Theater Program. Think of it as an exit exam. You will be given a course grade based on my evaluation of your work. The theatre faculty will also attend a performance and evaluate your work as a committee. You will then receive a written evaluation from each faculty member. You will also receive a written evaluation from me.
PROMPTBOOKS AND PORTFOLIOS
Promptbook
Each director is required to turn in a promptbook on the Wednesday following the performance of their one-act by 5:00 p.m.
Please include the following:
1. Any cuts or alterations.
2. Division into units with titles.
3. Division into beats with appropriate blocking and intentions noted.
3. Ideas for business, intentions and subtexts.
4. Blocking
5. Inciting incident, rising actions, minor climax, crisis, logical climax, emotional climax and resolution clearly marked.
6. Ground plan meticulously drawn and inked on graph paper.
7. Sound plot
8. Sound cues: “warnings”, and go’s (blue ink), using the alphabet to label.
9. Light cues: “warnings” and go’s (red ink), using numbers to label.
10. Prop list
11. Costume plot
12. Other papers and any other pertinent information or research
13. Production notes: For each rehearsal you should have a record or production notes of what you wanted to accomplish, and then whether you accomplished it or not. Also it will help you keep track of production details. I am going to revise our “Production Notes” sheet and will make those available to you.
PORTFOLIOS
Each designer should include the following:
1. Design statement
2. All sketches (thumbnail or otherwise)
3. Inspiration pieces—collages, images, color palette, etc.
4. Research
5. Plots, groundplans, elevations, working drawings, blueprint, etc.
6. Renderings or model
7. Any photos
8. Budget – Proposed and post-production
NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS ACCEPTED, NO EXCEPTIONS. IF YOU HAVE A GRADUATE/JOB INTERVIEW OR AUDITION ON THE DAY AN ASSIGNMENT IS DUE, YOU WILL TURN YOUR ASSIGNMENT IN BEFORE YOU LEAVE.