STAGECRAFT MPAET-UE 9-001 Fall, 2011 Syllabus

Instructor: Daryl Embry Phone: 917-319-7101 Email: [email protected]

Regular Class Meeting Times and Places: Mondays and Wednesdays 4:55 - 6:35 Locations: East Building, Room 420 *Other Locations: Scene Shop (Basement of Education Bldg., 35 W 4th), Loewe Theatre

Introduction: Stagecraft is designed as an introduction to essential skills in the technical areas of theater production. Specific topics include scenic construction, props, lighting, wardrobe, drafting, and production organization. There will be opportunity to learn about and practice the use of commonly used tools and equipment in the scene shop, backstage, and in the lighting lab. Although the course will make use of the NYU Theatres and shops as a laboratory, the skills and techniques will transfer to other theatres. In each area there will be emphasis on both efficiency and safety in carrying out the duties of members of technical crews.

Course requirements: ■ Class: The class will meet twice a week. Because of the Lab component, not everyone will be meeting every day.

■ Independent Production Reaction Papers: All students will be required to seek out and attend theatrical productions and write a short review of the technical aspects of the production. Students enrolled for in the class for 4.0 credits will see and review 3 shows, students enrolled for 3.0 credits will see and review 2 shows, and those enrolled for 2.0 credits will see and review 1 show. Papers can be handed in throughout the semester, but must be turned in no later than December 12th.

■ Steinhardt Production Reaction Papers: In addition to attending independent productions, you must also attend 2 of the 5 shows produced by the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions this semester. In some cases, you will be given complimentary tickets to an invited dress rehearsal—if you cannot attend the invited dress, you will be responsible for purchasing tickets to another performance. Short papers containing a review of the technical aspects of the production will be due the Wednesday after a show's strike. These papers will not be accepted late! The shows and dates are as follows: th ■The Sweet Smell of Success: Sept 29 – Oct 3 (Invited Dress Sept 28 ), Loewe nd ■The Triangle Project: Oct 28 – Nov 6 (Invited Dress, Oct 27 ), Black Box Theatre ■Masters Dance Concert: Nov 18 – 20, Loewe Theatre ■New Student Cabaret: Nov 18 – 19, Black Box Theatre ■Chamber Opera: Dec 9- 11, Provincetown Playhouse (133 MacDougal)

● Final Presentations: At the end of the semester, each student will select an area of technical theatre that he/she wants to know more about and prepare a 5-7 minute presentation on this subject. This can be a topic that we have not discussed at all, or it can be a deeper investigation of a topic that we covered at some point during the semester.

Text and apparel: You are responsible for showing up to all classes and crew calls with appropriate equipment and clothing. Anyone not prepared for the day's activities will be dismissed and be counted absent. STAGECRAFT MPAET-UE 9-001 Fall, 2011 Syllabus

RECOMMENDED TEXT: John Holloway, Illustrated Theatre Production Guide, Second Edition. We will be using this text as a supplement to explore the process of bringing a production from the text to the stage.

SUPPLEMENTAL TEXTS: J. Michael Gilette, Theatrical Design and Production Paul Carter, Backstage Handbook

There is a dress code for lab: Wear lightweight clothing you don't mind ruining. Dresses and skirts are not appropriate! An old t-shirt and jeans usually does the trick. You must have appropriate footwear: no sandals, platforms, heels, or any open-toe footwear. Tennis shoes are fine, but won’t protect your toes. Boots are great. Steel-toe boots are the best. No dangling jewelry allowed, rings that catch on things must be removed, and long hair must be restrained and tied up.

Assignments, Projects & Tests This class covers a lot of material very quickly.

Assignments are given in conjunction with the material covered. These are to help you comprehend the information.

Projects are given in virtually every area that we cover. These are hands-on application exercises designed to give you a basic experience with aspects of technical production. The projects may require a significant amount of work outside of class (depending on the project, your comfort level with the skills, and your efficient use of time). The shops are generally only available during the daytime hours—plan accordingly!

My tests tend to consist of matching/identification, short answer questions (fill in the blank or short phrase answers), and short essays (requiring a paragraph to answer the question fully—these are usually application- type questions). The evaluation for this class includes one midterm and one final. Tests cover all material presented in class, lab, lecture, text, and the required shows up to the date of the test. Without prior arrangements or documentation of sudden illness, missed tests may not be made up—nor may papers be turned in late.

Grades Individual projects, assignments & tests are graded on a point basis. You will be told how many possible points for each particular activity. My grading scale is below—you can figure your percentage & keep track of your progress (your score/total possible=%). Final grades are calculated according to the following weights:

Grade breakdown Class Participation / Attendance 15% Written Assignments 20% Mid-Term Exam 20% Final Exam 15% Projects 20% Final Presentations 10% Penalties and extra credit see below

Grading Scale B+ 87% C+ 77% D+ 67% A 95% B 85% C 75% D 65% A- 90% B- 80% C- 70% D- 60% F below 60% STAGECRAFT MPAET-UE 9-001 Fall, 2011 Syllabus

Extra credit and penalties You may earn extra credit by putting in extra crew hours as a building or paint technician, if arranged with the teacher in advance. For every two hours of work you put in, your grade will go up a percentage point.

For class and lab: you may miss one class and you may be late only once. After that, your grade drops 4% for each class you miss and 2% for each class to which you are late. If you know you will be late or absent, make prior arrangements with the teacher, so that these penalties will not apply. If you are excused from a class or lab, you are, of course, responsible for knowing the material covered that day.

Expectations There are only a few things you must do to have success in this class: 1. Respect others. Treat everyone fairly. Have an open mind to understand other points of view and to try new activities. 2. Come to class prepared. Bring your book, notebook, and something to write with. 3. Come to class on time. 4. Come prepared to learn. I expect that everyone wants to do their best & I do my best to run the class efficiently and to concentrate on the task at hand. If you are focused, desire to succeed, ask questions, and keep up with the work, then you will have success. 5. Be prepared to have fun. There are fun people in the class and theatre production work is fun! 6. Safety is the most important aspect of theatrical production, be sure you know exactly what you are doing before you do it.