A 10-week training course dedicated to providing high school students with intensive skill building in the fundamental areas of stagecraft, while also learning how the different roles of a technical team work together to design and produce a show.
The E. Y. Harburg Academy Tech & Stagecraft Strand is a term-long course that will teach you how to do your job as part of the team. It runs concurrently with the Vaudeville Hour, our Academy’s middle school musical theatre training program. Starting with script analysis, costume, props, and set design and continuing through the “stumble through” and final rehearsals, the Tech Students will run the show as both technical and wardrobe crews for the Vaudeville Hour’s end-of-term performance for the public on Sunday, June 8 at 5:30p.
Technical theatre professionals recognize the importance of a serious, well trained backstage crew which works together to produce a well-run show. Every member of this team plays a vital role, and knowing how their role fits into the larger picture is just as important as knowing how to effectively do their job. Tech students will hone their skills in costuming, set design, sound, lighting, and crew. Students will also get hands-on crew experience through the preparation and running of a staged, costumed revue-style vaudeville show at the end of the term.
THEATRICAL PRODUCTION
From the executive producer, to the stage manager, to the behind-the-scenes stage and wardrobe crew, theatricals cannot function without this team working together and keeping all aspects of the show in order.
-- Production Managers work with the entire team to make sure the work of the show is cohesive and the show is running smoothly.
-- Stage Managers maintain schedules, facilitate communication and coordinate all production elements while assistant stage managers actively support them in oversight duties.
-- Technical Crews work under the direction of the stage manager to set all props and costumes during the run of the show to keep the production and the actors on track.
TECHNICAL DESIGN
Technical design teams enable theatrical productions to come together and showcase the world in which each specific production resides.
-- Scenic Designers and builders plan and construct the set pieces situating the drama onstage.
-- Lighting Designers help set the time of day and atmosphere of the scene while lighting techs position instruments and operate boards to sculpt illumination.
-- Costume Designers use everything from time periods, societal status of the character, and geographical settings to design and fabricate era-appropriate wardrobes for varied characters throughout multiple scenes.
-- Hair and Makeup Designers create looks that help place the characters in the world of the show.
-- Properties Coordinators create and source the items used to fill the scene, and for the actors to use in each production while making sure these items fit within the world of the show.
-- Sound Engineers strategically place mics, including those feeding the building’s assisted listening system, depending on the theatre. Musicians and actors need to be heard by all audience members .
-- SFX Engineers mix and project audio effects aligning with the script.
All of these designers work together with the producer and director to make a cohesive setting for the production to take place.
SCRIPT & SCENE ANALYSIS
Knowing the script in its entirety is a vital part of designing any show. Designers must not only realize the setting of each scene, but how one scene transitions into the next. They closely study plot, setting, genre, emotional arcs, themes, and directorial vision within the text to pinpoint subtle cues that will shape technical elements.
Throughout the term, tech students will work alongside the Harburg Academy’s Vaudeville Hour actors as they learn he 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 8th at 5:30pm in the Jaqua Concert Hall.
Lighting Design & Stage Picture: Tech students will learn how to work with the stage or theatre space to succinctly create lighting that complements the director’s and producer’s vision of the production. They will also learn how to program lighting cues and run a show.
Costume History, Design, and Construction: Costume design can help tell the story of each character as well as the overall production. Through use of colors, structure, shape, and textures, students will learn techniques to use to create costumes appropriate for any character or overall production. Students learn sewing techniques they will use both in construction and as a wardrobe tech during the run of a show.
Stage Management & Crew: After the designing is done and the show has started to come together in rehearsals, a solid crew is critical. Tech students learn the roles that stage managers and stage/wardrobe crews play, and how they work together as a cohesive team, taking cues and direction from the stage manager to make each performance run seamlessly.