Stagecraft week 2 (Covid Edition)

Stagecraft: Week 2

(April 27 - May 1, 2020)

Our next unit in Stagecraft was going to be learning about "WHAT'S BACK THERE?"

If you were to go BACKSTAGE during a production, what types of non-actor jobs would you see happening? You'd see the RUNNING CREW / DECK CREW helping to power all the scene changes and all the other "magic" that happens on stage. You'd also see people doing PROP hand-offs, as well as people running the FLY LINES. Essentially you'd see the backstage coordination of all of a STAGE MANAGER'S cues given during a show. (In some theatres, the STAGE MANAGER "calls cues" from the booth, and in other theatres, it's from backstage.)

Additionally, there are many jobs backstage that occur in the costume/dressing and make-up rooms, but we will discuss those roles next week.

This week's unit is focused on:

CREW, STAGE MANAGEMENT, & PROPS

Complete the tasks below (in order), and be ready to discuss what you liked/learned at Friday's Zoom Class.

Your Zoom access code is on Haiku
You've been sent a link to your personal Class Journal in Google Classroom.
You must take notes in the journal provided.

1. Watch: Working Backstage (above).

Journal: Load-In

1.) What's a "tech director"?

2.) What's "load-in"?

3.) What do you find interesting in this video?

2. Read: Information written above for this unit (read what's below the video)

3. Watch: Stage Managers (3:47)

Journal: Role of a Stage Manager

1.) What is the role of a stage manager (list 3 verbs given at the beginning. "To...")

2.) What does a stage manager do pre-production (before rehearsals begin)?

3.) What does a stage manager do during rehearsals? (both inside and outside of the rehearsal space)

4.) Who is in charge in the rehearsal room? Once the show moves to the theatre, who is in charge?

Write this phrase: "Talent and skill gets you ___________________."

4. Watch: Production Stage Manager of HAMILTON (2:29)

Journal: Advice from an SM

1.) Finish this phrase: "Stage Managers are the _________ that ____________________________________"

2.) What this stage manager's "best advice"?

5. Watch: Stage Management (4:01)

Journal: Types of Stage Managers

1.) List 3 different TYPES of stage managers.

2.) What does it mean to "call the show"?

3.) What TYPES of cues does an SM "call"?

6. Watch: Calling Cues: example 1 (watch only first 2 mins.)

7. Watch: Calling Cues (example 2) (2:17)

Journal: Calling Cues

List a few things you notice about SM's calling cues during a show. (For example: What the SM is "doing" while calling or waiting to call cues; in what order cues are called to make them clear; timing & information given in cues, etc.)

8. Watch: Props in PHANTOM (1:33) FEATURING a former student of mine, Austin Rodriguez :)

Journal: Props

1.) What are props? (as described by Austin)

2.) What does a props master do during a touring production?

3.) What's one thing you found interesting in this video?

9. Watch: Props (watch from 2:10-10:26)

Journal: Where props "come from"

1.) What is a mock-up and why is it useful?

2.) Jot down 2-3 things you never thought about or knew before, regarding props/props designers.

3.) Talk about the role of problem-solving in props design...what does the props designer say you should become "comfortable" with in order to be a props designer?

10. Watch: KP Teaching Video - SM & Props (add'l info not covered above)

Journal: KP Video

(Take notes on any terms or concepts that are new to you.)

For Friday's Zoom Class:

Come prepared to discuss the above learning experiences.
A "weekend" assignment will be given.
Zoom access code is available on Haiku