Theatre Arts Practicum Positions
- All practicum positions must be approved by Faculty/Staff Practicum Committee prior to start of position.
- All of those earning a practicum for a production must be present at the load-in of the production and the strike following the last performance. Skipping either means forfeiture of practicum credit. Any exception must be approved in advance, at which time a makeup session will be determined .
- This semester there are two types of practicum position: ones that are directly attached to the productions, and ones that run all semester long and can be scheduled more flexibly around the student's schedule. See below for descriptions of both.
Theatre Arts Practicum Positions:
As assistant stage manager(ASM) you will serve during both the rehearsal process and running the show. You are assistant to the stage manager and will be assisting he or she primarily in setting up for rehearsal/performance, executing changes needed during the performance, and resetting rehearsal space and performance space in preparation for the next rehearsal/performance. You may be needed to be on script once actors are off-book. You may also be needed during the course of performance to assist in scenic, props or costume changes. Like the position of stage manager, you will need to be at rehearsal earlier than everyone else for setup and stay later to see that thing are properly put away. Also like the stage manager, you will be in the position to work with many different positions and learn quite a bit during the experience.
The role of the costume designer varies with the production. It may be as complex as a large scale period piece or may be set in modern style with a small cast. Regardless, the designer is responsible for the successful completion of costumes--be it from purchase, rental, borrow or building, including the return of all materials not owned. Completion of this practicum means that the demands of the production are met satisfactorily. The process may include doing sketches, renderings, collages or other visual preparation to work with the director's vision.
We have various resources available for borrowing and rental and a costume budget is given, the size dependent upon production. Contact the Tharts production manager or director if interested in this position.
The Role of the lighting designer varies with each production, and so does that of his/her assistant. Depending on the complexity of the production,the lighting world could include a variety of equipment, and circumstances in which light is used in new and different ways. The Designer is responsible for the successful completion of lighting, including the process of returning all items to their proper sources: owned, rented or borrowed. The Assistant Lighting Designer will assist as necessary in the purchase, rental or borrowing of lighting equipment. The Lighting Designer will be available as a technical resource and advisor to learning and understanding the artistic design process. Completion of a lighting design may include drawings, renderings, model, sketches or other visual media needed for execution of design. While the Assistant Designer may not be responsible for making all of the decisions that go into creating these items, they will most certainly be involved in the hands-on creation of the set.
We have various resources available for Tharts designers; contact the production manager for details. A limited budget is also available for purchase of scenic materials. All purchases must be done in coordination with production manager prior to purchase. If you are interested in this position, contact the Theatre Arts production manager or production director for details.
The role of Props designer varies with production. The Designer will work closely with the costume and scenic designer and will determine what falls into the realms of props, costume and scenery respectively, prior to beginning of collection/construction. The designer will also work with the director and stage manager prior to start of rehearsal period to determine rehearsal prop needs and will provide them to company by appropriate date set by director.
Props designer is responsible for providing ample storage facilities during rehearsal process and will work with stage management staff in determining running positions of props for production run. Completion of practicum comes with successfully meeting the props requirements for the production's entire run and also for the return of props, whether purchased, rented, or borrowed.
Various resources are available for Theatre Arts Production props; see the Tharts production manager for information. A limited budget is also available for the purchase of props.
The role of the sound designer varies with the production. It often involves finding or making sound effects and either transferring them to tape, cd or mini-disc format or constructing some device to perform with the performance. The position may also include designing musical accompaniment, either live or recorded. Generally, if a sound is heard (and meant to be heard) that doesn't originate from an actor, it falls within the realm of the sound designer.
The following are possible choices for running crew:
- Lightboard operator
- Soundboard operator
- Dresser
- Makeup
- Grip(backstage scenery/prop mover)
- Video operator
Though the specific duties of these positions vary, they all require the position holder to be present for all performances, including the call time before each performance and the shut down time following each performance. Additionally, they will need to be present at all of the final dress/tech rehearsals the week before opening. Please see production manager for availability of positions and specific requirements. No experience needed for these positions.
The following are possible choices for shop crew positions:
- Carpenter
- Scene Painter
- Scenic Sculpture
- Costume Construction
- Props construction/gathering
Depending upon the needs of the semester's productions, any of these positions would be appropriate shop positions for practicum. Though the specific duties of the positions vary--and may be combined--the practicum requires at least 15 hours of work for practicum credit. Shop artisans will work with Scenic/Costume/Props designer and tech director on all projects and will record hours on a log provided by Tharts Production manager. No experience necessary for these positions.
The Costume Steward will be responsible for creating a comprehensive list of the costume pieces in Theatre Art's inventory. This will require that he/she sort through each piece, organize the pieces in a sensible manner, and list them so that future production crews can have a sense of what items are available in house.
All work must be done in coordination with the production manager. We will shcedule times for you to be in our storage area, but these times can be broken up into short blocks over the entire semester, or in larger blocks to take place in a short period. If you are interested in this position, contact the Theatre Arts production manager for details.