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CHAPTER 13: Your Future in Theatre ■ 247 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Joining a Community Theatre Production Can Be a Fun and Rewarding Experience

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CHAPTER 13: Your Future in Theatre ■ 247 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Joining a Community Theatre Production Can Be a Fun and Rewarding Experience Your Future in 13 Theatre LESSON 1 ◆ The Next Step 247 LESSON 2 ◆ Playwrights and Actors 249 LESSON 3 ◆ Producers and Directors 254 LESSON 4 ◆ Designers 256 LESSON 5 ◆ Other Careers 261 ◆ community theatre ◆ property master ◆ costume designer ◆ screenplay ◆ designer ◆ screenwriter ◆ lighting designer ◆ set designer ◆ makeup designer ◆ sound designer ◆ producer ◆ theatre teacher 246 ■ Unit 3: Producing and Appreciating Plays ■ ave you ever wondered what your life would be like if you were an H actor, playwright, director, or even a theatre teacher? When you are en- joying an exciting class such as theatre arts, it’s only natural for you to imagine a lifetime in the theatre. In fact, it’s not too soon to begin thinking of job and career opportunities in the theatre. Perhaps you can picture yourself as an actor or choreographer, director or play- wright, stage manager or makeup artist. But there are many other be- hind-the-scenes job opportunities as well. Many shows hire personnel to publicize the show, to dress the actors, and to work on crews setting up the lights and sound. Every production requires dedicated workers both onstage and backstage to produce the final product that the audi- ence gets to see. People work in theatre because they love it. It’s an uncertain way to earn a living, but very exciting. Theatre jobs do not offer much job se- curity. If a show is unsuccessful, it closes. The closing leaves all those associated with the show jobless. What’s more, the pay for work in the theatre is extremely low. To make ends meet, many young people have to work more than one job. Lots of actors work in hotels and restau- rants as bellhops and waiters. In spite of low pay, job insecurity, and job scarcity, theatre jobs and careers offer a wonderful opportunity for creativity, travel, and a taste of life like no other business in the world. In this chapter, you will have a chance to explore some of the career opportunities that await you in the world of theatre. The Next Step LESSON OBJECTIVES ◆ Identify community theatre opportunities. 1 ◆ Determine the time requirements for out-of- classroom theatre activities. You may want to continue your interest in theatre after school. Many communities have city recreation programs that include dramat- ic activities. Usually, you can obtain information about local theatre ac- iscuss theatre tivities and events by contacting your local arts council, city parks and Dopportunities outside the classroom in which students recreation department, or local chamber of commerce. your age might participate. Volunteers are often needed to help with community theatre pro- ductions. Community theatre is not-for-profit theatre that uses local talent of all ages to produce plays. Your local newspaper, chamber of community theatre commerce, and public library are good sources of information about not-for-profit theatre that uses the kinds of community theatre in your area. local talent of all ages to Often, theatre workshops are available for students your age. These produce plays. The theatre may might be held after school or on weekends for a short period of time. hire a professional staff but use The workshops usually conclude with a short performance for parents volunteer actors and backstage and friends. Ask your theatre teacher if such workshops are available workers. in your area. ■ CHAPTER 13: Your Future in Theatre ■ 247 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Joining a community theatre production can be a fun and rewarding experience. Many colleges sponsor summer theatre programs for a nominal fee. Phone the college theatre department during regular business hours for information. If you live at home, the cost will be much less than if you stay on campus and live in a dorm. Most programs offer both options. You might want to continue your theatre training by signing up for additional classes in high school. Most high schools offer various class- es in theatre, theatre production, and technical theatre. Some also offer musical theatre courses. If your high school does not offer classes in theatre arts, perhaps it has an after-school drama group or club. Some clubs sponsor productions and festivals, providing interested stu- dents with a variety of activities in which to participate. Contact the school activities director or guidance counselor to find out what is offered. Large cities often have special schools for the performing arts. Most of these schools have specific requirements for admittance, such as grade averages, recommendations, or auditions. The counselor on your campus will know what is available in your area. 1. Discovering More about Theatre. a. Compile a list of theatre opportunities for young people in your community. b. Interview a student currently enrolled in another theatre class. Find out the responsibilities and amount of time required for that class. 248 ■ Unit 3: Producing and Appreciating Plays ■ c. Interview a member of a community theatre group. Find out the re- sponsibilities and amount of time required to be a part of that group. Playwrights and Actors LESSON OBJECTIVES ◆ Identify a wide range of occupations and careers associated with theatre. 2 ◆ Become aware of factors to consider when choosing a career in theatre. There are many opportunities for jobs in and relating to the the- atre. Two jobs you are probably familiar with are playwright and actor. ist as many different Ltheatre-related careers and Playwright jobs as you can. Remember, acting is not the only job in The playwright is the person who creates the script for a play or stage theatre. production. The playwright will spend many hours alone writing the dialogue. Some writers work every day, just as if they had a 9-to-5 job, while others work only in their spare time. If you have ever written a play for one of your classes, then you know the amount of time that must be spent thinking, writing, and rewriting. ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Playwrights can spend many hours doing research before they begin writing their scripts. ■ CHAPTER 13: Your Future in Theatre ■ 249 Once the script is completed, the playwright must find a producer— someone willing to get the money to produce the play. Sometimes a producer invites, or commissions, a playwright to write a play for a spe- cial occasion or based on a special idea. When this happens, the play- wright is usually selected based on his or her previous work. Some playwrights write for television or for film. These writers are screenwriter known as screenwriters . Some screenplays (television or movie scripts) a writer who writes television or originate from the imagination of the screenwriter. Others are based on movie scripts. previously written books or stories. When a book or story is the basis of a movie or television show, a royalty (fee) must be paid to the original screenplay author. the script written for a movie or Television sitcoms and weekly dramas often have a staff of writers television show. preparing the script each week. Notice the credits that run at the end of your favorite television show and see who the screenwriters are. Playwrights receive a royalty each time one of their published scripts is performed. Their work is protected by the copyright law. This copy- right protects original work, making it illegal for someone to produce a published work without permission from the writer or publishing company. This payment to the playwright is how the playwright earns a living. If you love the theatre, enjoy writing, and have a good imagination, playwriting or screenwriting might be just the career for you. To pre- pare for this career, continue getting good grades in school. Reading, attending plays, and writing as much as possible will increase your background knowledge and vocabulary. All areas of education will en- hance your theatrical creativity. Besides taking theatre courses in school and working in theatre productions, sharpen your natural writ- ing abilities by taking classes in English, creative writing, and playwrit- ing. Try entering some amateur playwriting contests just to experience the competition. Perhaps your teacher knows of a contest that you can enter. These competitions often offer scholarship opportunities and are ideal ways to open doors to your future. Actor Seemingly the most glamorous job in the theatre is that of the actor. Actors, male or female, are people who perform in plays, in films, and on television. Many actors sing and dance as well as act. Some actors begin their careers in middle school or high school with an active interest in theatre, dance, or singing. Often they work in school and community productions throughout their high school careers. Some attend a college or university program and earn a degree with a major in theatre arts. A degree is a rank or title that is given by a col- lege or university to indicate that a student has completed a course of study. A major is a particular field of study, such as theatre, that a col- lege student might pursue. One of the advantages in obtaining a col- lege degree is that you will have studied all areas of the theatre. This means that you can rely on other possibilities for employment when acting roles are scarce. 250 ■ Unit 3: Producing and Appreciating Plays ■ Before an actor “lands a role,” an audition usually takes place. Audi- tions are tryouts for a production. You may have auditioned for one of your classroom shows or after-school productions. In the same way that you auditioned for your teacher or director, the actor auditioning for a professional show reads a part from the script to give the director and producer an opportunity to see and hear the actor perform.
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