Notes from the director... - January 2025
MUSICAL THEATRE
...BEHIND THE SCENES
by Heidi Turnquist, Director of Education
When we go to the theatre to see a play or a musical, we are often wowed by the performers and their talents, but how often do we think about everyone else involved in the production? Producers, designers, and crew members all work together to create the show we see and help keep the actors on-track during the performances, but how do they all know what to do and what the rest of the team does? The E. Y. Harburg Academy’s new
Tech & Stagecraft class is designed to teach teens and young adults about all aspects of the technical side of theatre. From script analysis, to designing sets, lighting, and costumes, to creating props and mapping sound, to running the crew on a show.
The Harburg Academy’s new Tech & Stagecraft class meets
Saturdays 9:30a-3:30p beginning April 5th ).
Students will work with professionals from The Shedd Theatricals and production teams and learn the ins and outs of all the different technical aspects of the theatre. More importantly, students will learn how each of these roles fit together into a team, and how they all work together to successfully run a show.
Throughout the term, tech students will work alongside the Harburg Academy’s Vaudeville Hour actors as they learn the terminology regularly used by theatrical professionals and gain experience as part of a production team. The tech students will be both stage and wardrobe crew rehearsing and running the show, from the first “stumble-thru” through the final tech rehearsal, and ultimately producing The Vaudeville Hour! On Sunday, June 8 at 5:30pm in the Jaqua Concert Hall.