Instructor: Joe Jacoby
Office: Boswell Hall, Rm. 227
Phone: 769-3220
email: joe_jacoby@nic.edu

Office Hours
Mon/Wed: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
T/Th: 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Tues: 1:30 – 2:30p.m.
or by appointment

Text: No required text. The student may be required to do reading from a variety of sources in order to accomplish her/his assigned job. This material may be assigned by the instructor or director and may be found in the library, the Internet, or will be provided by the instructor or director.

Course Description
Students participate in the development and production of an NIC play, gaining experience in one or more areas, including lighting, properties, costuming, set construction, audio and sound support, and stage managing. Practical experience in theatrical production may include basic carpentry, electrical, makeup, sewing, painting – skills applied to theatre but useful in other fields.

Students will refine these skills as they develop an appreciation for the total process of theatre art involving organization, creativity, discipline, and ensemble teamwork. The course is open to non-majors and may be repeated for a total of four credits. Evening and weekend work will be included. Prior completion of other courses is not required.

Course Information
This is not a formal class with regular meetings. Credit for this course comes from working on a production for the North Idaho College Theatre Arts Department. You will earn the credit through working as a sound or light board operator, stage managing or assisting the stage manager or director, taking responsibility for the props, assisting with costume construction, or working as part of the backstage running crew, or as an actor. In short, you become a member of the production team.

Joining the production team is a significant commitment, particularly because every other member of the production team is relying on you to carry out your responsibilities reliably, effectively, and consistently. You must be responsible and highly motivated. You must also be able to work as part of a team while being able to work independently.

Course Outcomes

1. You will be able to perform basic tasks in a specific area of theatre production (lighting, sound, scenery, acting, makeup, properties, stage crew, stage management, directing, etc.),.under the supervision of an assigned Theatre faculty member.

You will demonstrate that you have achieved these skills by:

Carrying out actual basic tasks in a specific area of theatre production for a department related production of a play.

2. You will be able to meet the deadlines for performing tasks needed for a theatrical production.

You will demonstrate that you have achieved these skills by:

Carrying out tasks by given deadlines as specified by the appropriate member of the production team or by the faculty supervisor.

3. You will increase your problem solving skills.

You will demonstrate that you have achieved these skills by:
Assisting with evaluating strategies designed to address problems that must be solved to carry out the tasks assigned, and carrying out those strategies. Sometimes unexpected events occur during a production which require quick thinking and problems solving skills. You may be directly or indirectly involved with a solution. Your participation will provide experience and some new perspectives for addressing problems.

Class Meeting Times
This class does not have formal meeting times. Each student will contract with the instructor for 36 hours of work on the production. These hours will be arranged to fit the schedule of the student (as much as possible) and the needs of the production. Each student will keep a log of her/his time and have it approved (signed by instructor) every two weeks. At the completion of the course, each student must have a minimum of 36 hours verified.
Some students’ schedules may preclude them from taking this course.

Attendance
A student must average 2 hours of work per week. Failure to keep that average, even though a total of 36 hours is achieved, could result in a 10% drop in grade. Attendance at full class meetings is mandatory.
EACH STUDENT MUST SET UP A SCHEDULE WITH THE INSTRUCTOR

Grading
A student’s grade will be determined by four criteria:

36 hours of completed work. This work will be documented by a student log which will be presented at course end. It will clearly identify when the student worked and what was accomplished during that time.
Adherence to the average week per week set up by the instructor and the student.
Meeting the level of quality established by the instructor for the work to be accomplished.
Attitude of the student doing the work (While this is a subjective evaluation by the instructor, it is a critical element of measuring the success of collaboration. Collaboration is a cornerstone of the theatrical art.).

Notes

Students will receive assignments at the first meeting to be held onstage in the theatre.
Students will be assigned to work on a show produced by NIC’s Theatre department.
It is likely that evening and night work will be required.
Reimbursements for money spent for the production must be requested through the instructor prior to purchasing the item(s) needed.
Some students may be placed under the supervision of other staff.

Actor

You will attend many, if not all, rehearsals, depending upon the stage time required by the role. Remember, even if your character doesn’t appear onstage for long, the character is needed or the playwright would not have included him or her. It is vital that you attend all rehearsals for which you are scheduled.
Actors should arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the start of rehearsal so that they can warm up, focus, and be ready to rehearse at the rehearsal start time.
Actors must remain focused throughout the rehearsal, since this is vital preparation for building the concentration needed to sustain the performance.
Actors should have read and prepared for the scenes scheduled for the rehearsal. Preparation includes having objectives try in the scenes, reviewing your blocking notes, understanding the relationships between your character and the other characters, having made choices about where the character came from prior to entering the scene and what happened to her or him there, and having the lines memorized as much as possible, according to the rehearsal schedule. Remember, you cannot begin to act if you have to think about the lines.
Bring a pencil to rehearsals to record blocking instructions in your script.

Stage Manager (SM)

You will work very closely with the director, and you will run the show once it goes into production.
You will attend every rehearsal, usually arriving a half an hour early to set up any scenery and props needed for the rehearsal, as well as rearranging scenery or props between scenes. Rehearsals are usually held Mon. – Fri. from 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. This means that the Stage Manager arrives at 6:30 p.m. and leaves around 9:45 or 10:00 p.m.
You will record the blocking (the movement of the actors) in your script. The director may ask you to let the actors know when they fail to perform the planned blocking.
You will record lighting and sound cues in your script.
You will attend production meetings (if possible). These are held every Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. in Boswell 227A.
You will meet with the lighting and sound designers, along with the director, to set cues and assign cue numbers and/or letters. This usually occurs shortly before the Technical rehearsal weekend.
When the play goes into Technical rehearsals, you will be in the Control Booth on headset, giving cues to light and sound board operators, as well as personnel backstage. This means that you will be following the play by reading the script so that if an actor skips ahead, you can be ready to initiate any needed sound or light cues. If anything goes wrong during the course of the production, the Stage Manager is responsible for finding a way to solve it – or at least be the person who decides which possible action to take, since she or he knows the production extremely well.
You will maintain a professional atmosphere so that there is no backstage noise or other distractions to the audience, the actors, or crews in the Control booth or backstage.

Assistant Stage Manager (ASM)

You will attend every rehearsal and assist the stage manager and director as needed. This may entail looking for a missing prop, helping set up the stage for scene changes, etc. You may also be needed to give the actors their lines when needed or record which lines are not said correctly, so that the actors know which lines require their attention.
When the play goes into technical rehearsals, you will likely be stationed backstage to help with any backstage cues, maintain contact with the Stage Manager, and help with any unexpected events.

Property Master

Properties (or props) are those items that an actor picks up and uses (for example: telephones, plates, eating utensils, pens, umbrellas, etc.).
You are responsible for finding and setting up the properties for the play.
You often need to do research to make sure that the properties are correct for the time period, location, and social status of the character/setting for each scene.
You are responsible for finding rehearsal props right away, so that the actors have something to work with until the final, appropriate properties are used.
You should coordinate closely with the Theatre Instructor so that all items are available to the actors and director at least a week before Technical rehearsals begin. We have properties in storage, but can borrow or purchase items if needed. No student needs to spend their own money to provide properties for a play.
You will need to attend rehearsals the week before Technical rehearsal. Arrive a half an hour early to make sure that all properties are set up and in position before rehearsal starts. This is the time to plan the placement of properties and to evaluate the effectiveness of your plan, making changes as needed.
You are responsible for setting up tables offstage so that actors can pick up any properties needed quickly and easily. The properties need to always be placed at the same location before and after their use. You will need to create a checklist, and check off each night that each item is in its correct location. The check should be completed well before the audience is allowed into the theatre on production nights.
The Property Master is responsible for ordering and placing the properties and making sure that they are always where they need to be. This often means threatening actors with bodily harm if they don’t return properties to the appropriate location.
You are responsible for putting the properties away each night after rehearsal or production and setting them up before rehearsal and production.
You are responsible for making sure that any borrowed items for properties are returned undamaged. You will receive plenty of support from faculty.

Light and Sound Board Operators

You must attend all technical and dress rehearsals, and each production.
You will need to be trained to run the light and sound boards so that you are able to respond to unexpected events and problems during rehearsals and productions.
You may be needed to help the sound or lighting designer set up cues before the technical rehearsal.
At least a half an hour before rehearsals you will check the equipment and the cues to make sure that everything is in good working order. If there is a problem, let the Stage Manager and Auditorium personnel know immediately so that problems may be remedied before the show is scheduled to run.
Operators usually arrive at the theatre at least a half hour before the house opens (this is the time when the audience may enter the theatre – usually a half hour before the play begins). At NIC, our plays begin at 7:30 p.m., so board operators are asked to arrive no later than 6:30 p.m. to make sure that all cues and equipment is operating properly.

Running Crew

You must attend all technical and dress rehearsals, and each production. You will be assigned various duties involved with scene changes. You will know exactly when, where, and how to execute a particular cue or part of a scene change. Your job may seem little, but there isn’t often time to bring somebody new in and train them for a night. Your rhythm will also become part of the production’s flow, and somebody new can throw the timing of the Stage Manager’s cue or affect the actors.
You will be assigned various tasks related to scene changes such as moving furniture, scenery, or props.
You may be directed to take an action to solve an unexpected problem, so maintaining your focus and attention is critical.
You should be able to lift 50 pounds safely.
You will be expected to arrive at least an hour before the play begins to make sure that everything is set up properly and to check for any possible problems with equipment, scenery, props, etc.
You may be needed to attend rehearsals before the technical rehearsal so that you become familiar with scene changes and special needs of the production.

If you have an interest in working on costume construction or working backstage with the costumes, see Judy McGiveney in the Costume shop, Boswell Hall Rm. 159, or phone her at 769-7810.

If you have an interest in working on the scenery, contact Justin Van Eaton at 769-3424.