Technical Theater I: Stagecraft & Set Construction

Consent of instructor

Executing the designer’s artistic interpretations of the show’s requirements is the job of the technical theater team. We will develop the skills necessary to take the designer’s drawings, renderings, models and/or blue prints and build the set or hang and focus the lights for each play. Those skills will include carpentry, electrical wiring, rigging, hanging and focusing lighting units, reading designer’s drawings, creating working drawings and more. When we are not working on school productions, we will explore the vast array of technical theater technologies, including AutoCAD, Digital audio production, DMX for device control. We will use the skills necessary to communicate with the designer and/or the director using pencil & paper, rough models, ground plans & sections, construction drawings, etc.

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to technical theatre, the "behind the scenes" work that goes into a theatrical production. As an art form, theatre is heavily focused on acting; however, the technical components of theatre create the environment in which that acting can occur. Thus, this course looks at the art of creating an acting environment, an environment designed to transport the viewer from the "here and now" to the "there and then."

SPECIFIC COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. Learn about the changing nature of scene design elements from the Ancient Greeks to the present day;
2. Understand the artistic underpinnings of various scenic elements as a part of a theatre production;
3. Develop a knowledge base of terminology and concepts inherent to the scene design elements of a theatre production;
4. Use the information learned in the course to respond critically to the design elements of a theatre production;
5. Learn how design elements are executed;
6. Participate in the execution of a design for a theatre production.
7. Ultimately, to gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of how the technical elements of any good production can contribute to its success

COURSE STRUCTURE:
The class meetings on Mondays will consist of lecture on various scenic elements. You will receive handouts on the material, and you will be tested over the material presented in class. As much as possible, the classroom topics will correlate with the current status of the production. You will actually participate in the execution of a theatre design. You will be given some choice as to what aspects of the production you wish to work on, and they will include areas such as set construction painting props costumes special effects lighting Sound running crew To facilitate this participation, you must fulfill a practicum requirement of 90 "tech" hours, i.e., hours spent outside of the 4 weekly class meetings working on some aspect of the show. You will keep a log of those hours in the log book in the scene shop. This practicum requirement is an integral part of this course, and failure to complete 30 hours per trimester will result in a the loss of one grade level. You must complete these hours while the show is in production. Once the show closes, opportunities to earn practicum points are gone. It is your responsibility to put in the 30 hours per term. There will be many work hours available, and even some weekend hours. Finding time to fulfill the practicum requirement is the responsibility of the student.

Contact Information

Robert Medley
US Theater Teacher & Theater Director
Email: medleyr@catlin.edu
Phone: 503-297-1894 x362

Downloads

Lighting Inventory

USITT Scenic Design and Technical Production Graphic Standard

Useful Links

Stage Lighting Math

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The Ohm Zone Basic electricty