# Theater Programs



## bluesbabypoet (Aug 18, 2004)

Our school is really lucky to have an awesome theater program. Our drama department is HUGE and expanding by the year. Currently we have 3 theater classes too. The only problem? Out of 3 theater classes (i've taken 2) not once has anyone ever mentioned that theres something other than acting that has to be done. I get not wanting to throw too much at people, but the third class (the one I haven't taken) is musical theater, seriously doubt theres gonna be any tech or costuming in there. 

Well, with that all said, any ideas of how I could clue my advisor in to the fact that we need to address the tech part of theater too? We've tried telling her but she tends to blow us off. Any more, shall i say, creative ideas?


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## avkid (Aug 18, 2004)

tell them they have to do a complete show without trained people, see how they fall down


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## Radman (Aug 18, 2004)

>|||///__ 

> = you
| = them
/ = them falling
__= them fallen

Probably would fall down like that.


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## avkid (Aug 18, 2004)

yes it would (evil laugh)


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## zac850 (Aug 18, 2004)

If (s)he dosen't know how to run your light board or sound board, just sit (s)he down infront of the board and say "ok, you run the show, I'll go act in it, we'll see which is easier".

Then push them over and make them fall down.... just not on the board, that could hurt the board.


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## sallyj (Aug 19, 2004)

You say you have a huge theatre dept. Do you mean huge like in students involved, or number of shows you do? Or both? Are there a lot of students interested in tech classes? Who does tech for your shows?
Without knowing that stuff, my gut instinct is to gather numbers of people who are interested in learning about tech. The more students who come forward, the more inclined teachers and admin are willing to listen. The dept is expanding every year. Maybe tech will be forthcoming in the following years, which will be of no help to you now. But if you can find out if it is in the works, that would be helpful. If there are no future plans for tech education in your high school, this could give you something to work on. Just pushing forward without knowing this stuff could hurt the cause. But most important is numbers of students interested. Does this help? 

SJM


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## Radman (Aug 25, 2004)

Or do you just have lots of funding?


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## Foxinabox10 (Aug 25, 2004)

Personally at some times it's better to have a few people who know what they're doing in tech stuff. Once too many actors know what they're doing somewhat, they'll be up in the booth and mess something up or try to tell you how to do something.


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## bluesbabypoet (Aug 31, 2004)

wow, this posting thing isnt workin well for me. but ya, we have a ton of students both in the shows and in the classes (we've expanded to 4 full theater classes this year) and no money. we have a few people on crew who can run the board but its crazy if the 3 of us are all gone. i just wish we would at least visit it some. even if it wasnt specific for our stage, just say that, yes someone does have to work on the things youre sitting on/looking at/walking on/talking into.


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## __WWW__ (Sep 1, 2004)

ahhh we have theater 1 theater 2 and stagecraft, stagecraft is techinal but very basic. They really arent with the theater program after school. but some people do join from that.


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## propmonkey (Sep 19, 2004)

we have a pretty good program. we did have 4 theatre classes: preforming arts, advanced acting, theatre arts, and theatre crafts. they cut theatre arts and theatre crafts this year. we do 2 shows a year a fall play and spring musical. we have some rentals. i was really hopig to take theatre arts so i can get a jump on it in college. if still really want to take i can take a porter scholar at the local college. they teach it in 2 semisters we used to teach it in 2 terms. if they dont have theatre crafts i can take an independent study of it next year. in a few years with out all the theatre classes we are going to be limited. 

http://www.sdb.k12.wi.us/memorial/theatre/


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## GeneralDoom (Feb 19, 2005)

I go to a performing arts high school, we have a technicl theatre department, but ther are only ten of us in there; and we do every thing. The only down side is we are part of the Theatre department on paper, so our funding is all most no existant. In regards to what bluesbabypoet said, all I can say is; even at my school tech is over looked, or looked down upon.


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## bigmanofmagic (Mar 16, 2005)

http://www.tulsacc.edu/page.asp?durki=2975

I consider myself very lucky to work and study in such a venue.


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## ship (Mar 17, 2005)

Perhaps you might go into a little more detail on why this school is better than others, what specific parts of the program are better or into which types of students most likely will find a home at it given lots of personal choice and needs for training no one program will be perfect in all ways for. A website link is nice even if not saying much of anything/does not tell anything beyond blank pages for the theater department and tech links. 

How does this theater school compare in ratings to say NYU or Yale - not that any one school has to be number one in being good for a specific person attending. What's it's compisition of students attending in major, how's it's balance of graduate student in technical theater to undergraduate, what extent of the production schedule is student run etc. or grad student taught so as to free up the other instructors for more in depth courses, is the main theater a IA shop, and what type of or how specific of a degree BFA or BA for instace beyond specifically say sound design/production verses general theater degrees given out. Given many aspects of production, how many and what types of classes will be involved specific to the interest. I noted a main stage theater, are there others such as black box and classroom theaters etc?

I do not mean to down rate this school in any way, only that in your posting just the website or a sentence about it in a second post, it does not express much about the school as compaired for instance to what I and others have said about ISU and a few other schools in letting people know what it's like and what people most likely would find it a useful program to them.

When I saw the website as a reply with nothing else said the first time, I clicked on it and got no useful information in wishing to learn about the program. The second posting on it did not say much either thus this request in further understanding the program. 

Somewhere about what is it say 16 years ago now I got 3.6 credits for a stagecraft class in junior college. It was also the only tech theater class it had. The full time college only gave like 2 or 3 credits for such a class, yet I wonder what I missed in seeing students taking this class and having to go to the shop and actually build stuff like a small soft flat as opposed to having to work a show as normal and learn the rest in a text book or class example. Class descriptions from a school programming list are about the same as they are everywhere. How in depth a course is can't be expressed well just by way of website, it's more a question of real description about the program and it's various courses or how in depth they are such as setting up the table saw diagionally to cut coves of various sizes in foam as once taught in the plastics part of plastics and metals for the the theater. Or given a large production schedule, what percentage of students might get burned out in both having to do all shows and study? Those little details that just won't be expressed sufficiently on a website but might be useful. You no doubt can help others with beyond providing the web link.


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## soundman (Mar 19, 2005)

Along with what ship said what else is in the area? The school I'm going to next year has a great program but also has a large road house next to it. two arenas and several smaller but still pro theaters not more than a ten minute drive. I hope to be able to learn the theory in the class then put it to use (and earn a few bucks) in the other places.


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