DEPARTMENT PORTFOLIO
Department Procedures and Structure
Students begin the year with a safety unit that discussed the procedures surrounding power tools, scene shop materials, and proper attire. Students are shown proper procedures such as safety calls and practice these procedures in class. Students are also provided improper examples to identify the unsafe practices.
This unit lasts one week and concludes with a safety test (via Quizizz). All students must pass with at least 80%, and all technical theatre students must score 100%. Students who do not pass are unable to continue in the course and must be transferred to a different class.
After passing the safety test (and submitting proof), students are required to sign a safety contract. This contract is posted in the room and carried with the instructor when the class travels to the scene shop or other theatre space. Serious breach of this contract by an individual results in disciplinary action per the campus. Class-wide breach of the contract that endangers multiple students results in classes being restricted from the shop and theatre space for the remainder of the year.
The physical safety contract was replaced with a Google Form due to COVID. Students digitally "signed" the contract and their name and sign date was kept in a spreadsheet that could be referred back to.
Students involved in a production will receive a rehearsal calendar at the audition process. This example rehearsal calendar is from our production of Shrek the Musical from the 2019-2020 school year.
QR codes to the live rehearsal calendar were also posted on the call board for students to scan for changes from the original printed schedule. The updates would include specifications for each day, changes in location, or cancellations. In the event of a rehearsal cancellation, a notice would also be sent out to the company via Remind101.
Crew positions would be determined by an application and interview process completed by the technical director. Exampled here are paper applications (replaced by Google Forms during COVID).
Interviews are not currently formal, but are recommended for students who are not currently in theatre classes. Students who recruit peers are asked to bring them to the technical director for a meeting prior to receiving a crew assignment.
A spreadsheet is used to track student interest areas in the various crew positions. There is always an attempt to respect their interest areas, but students are aware that they may be assigned to a role they did not directly sign up for.
Crew applications are due on the day of auditions and a crew list is posted with the cast list, with the exception of the stage manager that is determined before the audition process begins. The student stage manager facilitates auditions and sign ins.
Student names have been removed for privacy.
Various props, costumes, and set pieces would be borrowed from other departments on campus and within the district. To document these items and their movement, each "renter" would be asked to log their items when they were taken and when they were returned using the form shown here, created by me.
There was never a need for monetary compensation, but the option was available if it was necessary due to the conditions items were returned in.
These rental logs are kept in a binder in the scene shop for easy access and records. This binder also included safety training records and shop hour logs.
Due to the frequent use of the theatre space, a usage agreement was created and required by all departments that would request the space during the year. This contract covered basic theatre care procedures such as flooring, curtains, and food and drink.
All campus groups were required to have a contract on file with the theatre manager that covered the entire year. Any non-campus groups were required to have a contract on file for each event they requested for the space. All contracts were kept by the theatre manager for records.
Due to COVID, an addendum was added to the contract outlining mask and social distancing requirements. These policies were discussed and in line with district policies.
After covering the basic safety procedures and passing the exam, technical theatre students begin learning various power tools and materials in the scene shop. Each student must track the tools they are certified to use on the certification record shown here.
Students note their name, current theatre class(es) and teacher(s). Students then note the date they first began learning the procedures for the various tool and the date on which they are certified to use that tool. This date is determined by the technical director after the student demonstrates knowledge and capability of the tool and its maintenance. Students who are not certified on a tool may not use it. Students have the opportunity to earn certification at any point.
Certification records are kept in the binder in the scene shop along with rental logs and shop hours logs. Students who earn other abilities in the technical department (operating light and sound boards, microphones, fly systems, dressing room access, etc.) are given a card to keep with their student IDs that show their level of certification. Overall certification is broken into three levels, which are noted on the back of the card for students to reference.
The implementation of these certification records helped to increase student safety and accountability as well as encouraging respect and interest in technical theatre. Technical students with certification cards felt important and desired to continue learning technical theatre to become more reliable in the department. This greatly increased technician retention from year to year.
Students who are cast in a show or placed on crew are responsible for maintaining their grades throughout the production process. Due to eligibility rules, students who are failing cannot participate in extra-curricular activities.
To promote student ownership of their academics, this grade accountability form was created and implemented. Students were to take the form at the beginning of the week, get it signed by all their teachers, and return it to the directors by the end of the week. Teachers could mark grades and behavior in their class for that student. Teachers could also note specific issues that needed to be addressed.
This form mimics the athletic accountability form that was used on campus. By using this form to track student grades, students worked harder to keep themselves passing since the form itself was their responsibility. This also encouraged students to interact with their teachers more, increasing knowledge of the occurring theatre shows and teacher attendance at each production.
To allow for easy management of one act play contests and clinics, the checklist shown here was created for each backstage manager. Students could easily track which curtains and spike tape belonged to each competing school, as well as documenting crew names and times for the contest.
This checklist simplified the process of changing out backstage hands if necessary and allowed for easier recollection of performance to determine technical awards.