14
M em b er’ s Corn er
I n c i t e /I ns i ght
A
few days ago, my
student ASM (assistant
stage manager)
started posting
rehearsal reports to
the department’s tech group on
social media. Rehearsal reports.
Like the kind you see in a real
theatre. I was thrilled beyond
measure. I had vaguely asked for
this for years, and it is awesome,
because it means that we are all
on the same page. It made me
realize how far tech has come
at my school. It then occurred to
me that at Monday’s first listen-
through of our spring musical,
my stage managers, rather than
I, had opened the meeting and
run it.
For many years I didn’t teach
in my performance space. Like
many theatre teachers, I worked
out of a classroom and loaded
shows in and out in as little as four
days up to a maximum of two
weeks. One would think that tech
might not be attractive to theatre
ASM students who didn’t have
ownership of a theatre space,
but I continue to be blessed with
a huge and active tech theatre
community who run everything
for the department, from
auditions to strike. Sometimes
they begin as technicians as
a pathway to performance;
other times they leave acting
to become technicians. I credit
department practices evolved
through trial and error, rather than
circumstances, for this happiest
of situations. It’s really paying off
now that we have a new small
blackbox theatre space with a
scene and costume shop, as well
as a prop inventory all run by
students.
THINGS MY STUDENT
TECHNICIANS DO:
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Create an entire rehearsal
schedule from scratch
Worry about student rehearsal
conflicts (I am informed of
absences by stage managers
when class begins)
Design the set
Single-handedly pull and
coordinate costumes for an
entire ensemble
Hire someone to make posters
or programs
Count and track rented scripts
for musicals
Run sound for rehearsal
Schedule auditions
Recruit technicians
Hand-build props
Design makeup
Manage ticket sales
Maintain all backstage
discipline with regards
to phones off, quiet and
respectful behavior, etc.
Maintain call times, time
rehearsals or breaks
Run fight calls or dance calls
Handle interpersonal disputes
between crew members
S p r i n g 201 8
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Run strike
Organize the official cast
party
Maintain a cleaning and
racking schedule for the
costume and prop shop
Not having to do these things
leaves me a bit freer to do what
directors are supposed to do:
create and maintain the artistic
vision of a show.
WHAT TO DO TO MAKE IT
EVENTUALLY POSSIBLE
1.
Teach the value of technical
theatre. Reflect on anything
that’s glorifying “Broadway”