Technical Theatre Course Description and Syllabus                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Churchill High School  Department of Theatre          Instructor:  Wade Young  E-mail: wyoung1@neisd.net   Required Materials:   Books, handouts, art supplies, etc. will be provided by the instructor as needed.   All students will bring pencils/pens and writing paper/notebook daily.   This is a point that will not be compromised and will directly affect daily grades.   All students will wear appropriate clothing and shoes suitable to set work.  Time provisions and clothing storage can be made available for students to quickly change into such attire as long as it does not infringe significantly on instructional time.  Additionally, all students will be required to wear black shirts, pants, and close-toed shoes when crewing running theatrical productions.   Introduction:    The primary focus of this course is for the student to develop the working knowledge and skills required to perform the many and varied aspects of technical theatre.  Technical theatre includes lighting and sound design and operation, set and costume design and building, backstage crew work, make-up, programs, posters- virtually all aspects of theatrical production except acting and directing.   Goals and Objectives:   The following goals and objectives have been excerpted from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills provisions.  (3)  Creative expression/performance. The student applies design, directing, and theatre production concepts and skills. The student is expected to: (A)  construct and operate the technical elements of theatre safely and effectively; (B)  examine cultural, social, and political aspects of a script to depict appropriately technical elements; (C)  consider script selection, casting, and directing skills; (D)  define the director’s responsibility to the author’s intent, script, actors, designers, technicians, and the audience; (E)  compare the roles of actor, ensemble, and director in production decision making and produce theatre with a unified production concept and style for public performance; and (F)  select one or more areas of theatre production, demonstrating responsibility, artistic discipline, and creative problem solving. This class is, for the most part, a practical learning experience in researching, building and running the various technical aspects of school-produced theatrical pieces.      Grading Policies and Procedures: The standard district grading scale will be used: A: 90-100%, B: 80-89%, C: 75-79%, D: 70-74%, F: Below 70%. Because of the nature of this type of course, the majority of grades will assessed authentically through design projects and crewing performances (40%) and daily participation in applied technical theatre projects (30%).  However, there will also be some opportunities for those who excel in research papers and written/practical quizzes to demonstrate their understanding.  When assigned, these papers/quizzes will be weighted at 30%.  The weighted percentages are qualitative representations and do not reflect the quantity of assignments that may be made in any particular category. Additionally, as with many school courses such as athletics, band, choir, etc., there are before/after school events/assignments from time to time that students will be required to attend/ participate in.  These grades will be weighted as crewing performances (40%) or practical quizzes (30%).  These will be announced in advance so that transportation, etc. can be arranged.  If for some reason, including absence from school, the student cannot attend a given workshop, tech call, rehearsal, performance, etc., provisions for alternate assignments can be made with the instructor.  The alternate assignment will generally take the form of a research paper- which is weighted equally with design projects (40%) or practical quizzes (30%)- whichever is appropriate to the original assignment.      Classroom Policies and Procedures: All school rules will be followed, enforced and consequated at all times. That being said, I’ll just make it simple: Respect.  Respect your classmates and instructors- their persons and property.  Respect the responsibility of being on the stage- it is a position of trust and privilege to be earned every time you set foot on it.  Respect the responsibility of being an audience member- it is not an easy thing to open oneself on stage only to be treated badly by an audience.  Respect yourself- you are a person of value and your contribution to the group dynamic is important. Tardiness is not acceptable and tardy students will report to the tardy center- it’s a respect issue. There are severe consequences for lapses in academic integrity.  So don’t cheat! You are responsible for making up all work in the event of an excused absence.  Make-up work may take an alternate form from the original. Late written work will be accepted at a reduced grade for each class day that has passed. Special note:  Because much of this class involves crewing performance pieces, absences- even excused ones- present a particular problem.  If you are absent on a day that you or your group is called to crew, alternative written assignments will be made for you.  So don’t miss crew days.  If you must miss school on a scheduled crew day for some extraordinary reason, contact the instructor and the stage manager immediately.  If the reason is illness, a doctor’s note will be required.  The bottom line is that theatre has a lot of trust issues and if you let down your crew, you will be looked upon most unfavorably.   Commitment and a positive attitude are essential to the successful completion of this course. Disclaimer Statement: I reserve the right to change any and all of the above should it prove to be ineffective, unfair or at odds with school policy.  I strive for equity and fairness with all students.  If, however, a student might feel unfairly treated, that student should come and see me.  Together, I feel confident that we can work out whatever difficulties there might be.