Stagecraft 1&2
Stagecraft, or the study of Technical Theatre, combines the fields of visual art, performance, technology, vocational training, industrial arts, design, business management, architecture, drafting, cultural history, and of course, theatrical arts. It is therefore, perhaps, the most important arts course any institution of learning can offer. In an era when woodshops have been replaced by computer labs, it provides an effective bridge between knowing the difference between a crescent wrench and a socket wrench, and manipulating a computer generated building plan.
Current educational strategies are increasingly focused on “Project Based Learning” and assessments that require students to complete “Performance Tasks.” It is most apropos that Stagecraft incorporates both of these educational strategies: scenery to be built, and lighting and sound designs that must be executed in live performance. Stagecraft is also a collaborative practice, observing certain hierarchies and job descriptions that must work in concert with one another. Unlike a large chorus or concert band, where a mistake by a single singer or player might make the audience wince momentarily, mistakes made when a sound or lighting cue is missed, or when a prop or piece of furniture is out of place can often bring a live performance to a grinding halt, or result in dangerous, even injurious situations for performers and members of the audience. [Research the trials and tribulations of Broadway’s “Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark.”]
The beauty of Stagecraft is found in its innate quality of inter-disciplinary connection and real-world application. No matter what the area of study, the educator and student will find content strands that can be directly applied in a Stagecraft class. As much as possible (due to the fluid nature of current core curriculums on the national and state levels), this curriculum guide strives to provide references to Core Curriculum Content Standards for the Student Learning Objectives of this course. The reader will discover that almost every content area is represented.
Stagecraft is by definition, a CRAFT. Therefore, the learning must be executed and assessed using visible, audible, tangible, intellectual standards and artifacts. The purpose of Theatre, as is the case with all Visual and Performing Arts, is to elicit deep emotional and intellectual connections between artists and each and every member of an audience. Upon the successful completion of Stagecraft, students will exit having gained skills, knowledge and enduring understandings that will benefit them for the rest of their lives, regardless of whether they pursue a career in theatre. Whether they are called on to express abstract ideas in a political forum, build bookshelves for a new home, paint walls for Habitat for Humanity, or get the lighting just right in a fussy baby’s bedroom, Stagecraft will provide skills and knowledge that will continue to answer daily needs far into their futures.
Current educational strategies are increasingly focused on “Project Based Learning” and assessments that require students to complete “Performance Tasks.” It is most apropos that Stagecraft incorporates both of these educational strategies: scenery to be built, and lighting and sound designs that must be executed in live performance. Stagecraft is also a collaborative practice, observing certain hierarchies and job descriptions that must work in concert with one another. Unlike a large chorus or concert band, where a mistake by a single singer or player might make the audience wince momentarily, mistakes made when a sound or lighting cue is missed, or when a prop or piece of furniture is out of place can often bring a live performance to a grinding halt, or result in dangerous, even injurious situations for performers and members of the audience. [Research the trials and tribulations of Broadway’s “Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark.”]
The beauty of Stagecraft is found in its innate quality of inter-disciplinary connection and real-world application. No matter what the area of study, the educator and student will find content strands that can be directly applied in a Stagecraft class. As much as possible (due to the fluid nature of current core curriculums on the national and state levels), this curriculum guide strives to provide references to Core Curriculum Content Standards for the Student Learning Objectives of this course. The reader will discover that almost every content area is represented.
Stagecraft is by definition, a CRAFT. Therefore, the learning must be executed and assessed using visible, audible, tangible, intellectual standards and artifacts. The purpose of Theatre, as is the case with all Visual and Performing Arts, is to elicit deep emotional and intellectual connections between artists and each and every member of an audience. Upon the successful completion of Stagecraft, students will exit having gained skills, knowledge and enduring understandings that will benefit them for the rest of their lives, regardless of whether they pursue a career in theatre. Whether they are called on to express abstract ideas in a political forum, build bookshelves for a new home, paint walls for Habitat for Humanity, or get the lighting just right in a fussy baby’s bedroom, Stagecraft will provide skills and knowledge that will continue to answer daily needs far into their futures.
Quizlet for Lighting Terms
Stagecraft Downloads
FRANKENSTEIN
Don't Drink The Water
Sherlock Holmes
Set Design and Modeling |
Stage Door
All Stage Door Photos were taken by B.A.A. Photography LLC
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Anderson |