High School and College Theater/Tech Programs

[GoldPhoenix]

Hello, my name is Allan. I was Student Technical Director at Woburn Memorial High School in MA for a little over a year and over the past few weeks have worked as a techie for UMass Lowell's theater. I have been following the CB forums for quite a while, even though this is my first post.

In my college writing class we have to do a 6 page research/argumentative essay about something we are passionate about. One of the first things that came to mind was theater/tech. I would like to write about how there needs to be a change in the way High School and College Theater/Tech Programs and classes are handled. It seems that most schools do not have separate drama and tech clubs or groups. They seem to share funding and many schools which I have helped with tech do not have faculty teach or help students. I have had heated discussions with Woburn High School's Drama club advisor (school staff) about this topic. She believes students should not be involved at all in tech and it should all be hired by the school system.

My questions for everyone here is how SHOULD tech and drama be run for high schools and colleges? This includes details about funding, leadership (separate advisors? who selects TD and SM and crew?), classes? Who is responsible for teaching student tech? What changes should be made to current establishment of High School and College Theater/Tech Programs?

Thank you all very much in advance... And because I might be using information for bits of my essay I WILL PM those people individually asking for permission if they're input seems to jive with my essay.

-Goldphoenix, Allan

[icewolf08]

I think that you might want to focus your paper more on the high school arena because I believe that you will find that most recognized college level theatre programs have separate majors for the tech/design students and the acting students. I assume that you are a student at UMass-Lowell as you mention your involvement there. UML is probably not the best example of a college level theatre program as they don't actually offer theatre majors. However, there are many schools in the country that have very well developed theatre programs.

As far as high schools go, it is usually a function of budget and demand. I grew up in Newton, MA and the high schools there have very good theatre programs. There is also a very large demand and thus a lot of funding for those programs. They have full time tech staff, tech classes, a tech club, all the of the acting, and often 7 shows a year. I have a feeling that in your research you will find that what is offered is largely based on demand and budget.

[sstolnack]

Originally Posted by GoldPhoenix

... many schools which I have helped with tech do not have faculty teach or help students.

I think this is one of the biggest problems. I am currently a high school student (a junior), and the lighting designer, board op, and master electrician for our upcoming musical. Only a few years ago, we had no one to teach us anything, except other students. All knowledge was just passed down from student to student. This meant that very little new knowledge was gained, and if a senior started training a freshman too late, the freshman wouldn't know enough, and so we had problems with that as well.
Luckily, the director hired someone, now the set designer, and he realized we had a problem, and started taking the technicians as interns over the summer so we had experience for the school year, and now is sort of the "technical supervisor" as well as set designer. We can go to him with questions about lights, sets, rigging, props, and general tech stuff.
This really helped our tech department move along. We now run our theatre very similar to professional theatres, because we interned in them over the summer, and now we have enough training and experience to be hired in community theatres.

I hope my opinion helps

[Footer]

I was a full time TD at one of the more well funded performing arts high schools in the country. All I did was teach technical theatre. At the same time other schools in my same district had an english teacher that was told to start a drama club and put on a play. This is the situation that 99% of high shools are in. Tech theatre is taught as an afterthought if taught at all.

If a district can afford a full time TD, great. Many can't. However, you are missing the point of what High School Theatre is about. Its not about putting on great shows or playing with moving lights. Its about getting kids interested in theatre. It should not be a training ground where kids should be groomed to become IA stagehands or the next broadway designer. It should be a place where kids are exposed to the art of theatre and should gain an appreciation for it.

The vast majority of kids that do high school theatre will never make a dime doing it in the real world or step onstage again. However, they will go see shows and support theatre later in life. That is what educational theatre is about. There does not need to be a separation between tech and drama in schools. In fact, they need to be brought together more. Too many tech students feel they are just there to make things happen and have no bearing on the integrity of the production. They view themselves as just a cog in the machine.

Yes, someone needs to be there to ensure that the building does not fall down and that things are done safely. However, from what it looks like you want the world to become is there is the tech students and the acting students and the two shall not intermix. Its everyone's show, and everyone is there to learn.

I take great issue with the idea that a tech group should be separate from the drama group. All this does is foster the "techie" mentality. We are all there for one reason... so make theatre happen and to have young people have a greater appreciation for the arts. It does not matter if the school has one teacher or 10, if kids are being exposed to theatre the program is a success. Who cares what the final outcome is. Its the process that counts.

[derekleffew]

GoldPhoenix, after the assignment is completed, I'm sure we'd like to consider your paper perhaps for our Collaborative Articles section. If you are so inclined, please consider sending it to a CB Mod.

[ruinexplorer]

I'd have to fully agree with Kyle. I would like to see well rounded theater programs with an instructor who is equally versed in acting/directing as he/she is in the technical arts. I don't think that tech is vital to HS drama, but if available, it needs to be led by a qualified individual, not other students. I doubt that they would let the industrial arts programs be led by students without faculty/staff oversight. I doubt they would even allow a student to head up a cooking class even though every student likely has a kitchen in their house. There are risks with technical theater and those need a qualified individual to supervise. If anything, that is what I would change, insuring that the instructor is well versed in the safe practices and operation of all technical equipment. I also believe that every school needs to have in place a maintenance program for their facility by qualified individuals (not the engineering/custodial staff).

[Sayen]

I would have to disagree slightly with Footer. My school appears to be somewhat unique in how things are handled, but the technical class is expected to run/maintain/setup for every event, and so I teach it like a professional preparation class. We can only focus on actual theater during the theatrical plays, while the rest of our time is spent on assemblies, rentals, dance and music concerts, and whatever else comes up on the schedule. Arizona is also in the process of pushing technical theater classes into career prep categories to help fund the programs with government money.

I like to see a separation of the two only because so many theater teachers have so little knowledge about technical aspects. I bought cheap LED lights last year just to train my students and show them what is out there (and consequently, get them interested in this type of theater). Too many other instructors lack the knowledge to work with modern equipment, or worse yet to deal with the safety issues inside an auditorium.