about dramatech classes
DramaTech offers four theater production classes through the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture. Though they are numbered Theater Production I-IV, they need not be taken in any particular order. These courses count for one hour of free elective credit, pass/fail. These courses will not help to satisfy your humanities requirement. Also, all classes list ENGL 1101 or ENGL 1102 as a prerequisite; however, this requirement can generally be waived. E-mail the Production Manager if you have any questions, comments or concerns.
In addition, it is not necessary to sign up for a DramaTech class to get involved. For information on getting involved with the theater take a look at the getting involved section of the site. However, if you would like to get more out of involvement than pride in a job well done, pick a class that sounds interesting, register, and dive right in.
class descriptions
This class teaches students about set construction techniques. Generally meeting on Sundays from 1pm to 5pm, students will build and paint scenery, hang curtains and other set related soft goods, set up risers and seating, and generally prepare the physical space. Attendance at all work parties is not mandatory, but the specific requirements vary from semester to semester based on DramaTech's production schedule. All students will be required to wear appropriate attire (in particular, no open toed shoes) for working with power tools and construction materials (wood, paint, riser platforms).
In this class students will learn what goes into lighting, costuming, or providing props for a theatrical production through practical experience. Students will be expected to select one of the three areas to focus on throughout the semester, although those who wish to work on all three are more than welcome!
- Lights
- Those students who choose to work on lights should be comfortable working at modest heights (about 20 feet). Lighting workshops will focus on teaching students how to hang, focus, and perform limited maintainence on theatrical lighting instruments. Generally students will also learn what sort of fixtrues exist, what each of them is used for, and what the various properties of these instruments are. In some semesters one or more design workshops may be offered teaching students about the fundamentals of light design. Light parties are usually Saturdays, from 1pm to 5pm.
- Costumes
- Students working on costumes will help the costume designer get costumes ready for the upcoming show. This involves building costumes by hand, shopping for pieces, or selecting pieces for rental. Duties sometimes include being available on some show nights to help with costume issues.
- Props
- Students working on props will assist in covering the full range of props related activities. These include determining the needs of a particular show, providing of shadow props (that is, rehearsal props), searching for exactly the right Turkish coffee pot, and even manufacturing props when what you're looking for just doesn't seem to exist. Although not a requirement, having some form of transportation off campus helps significantly in the search for props. Props work generally does not depend on unlimited access to the theater space and therefore happens whenever is convenient for those involved.
Students in this class work box office on nights the shows are running (not all nights, but several nights, scheduled with crew chief). They also help with the shows' publicity (sidewalk chalking, hanging posters/flyers, etc.) throughout the semester. Publicity schedules are flexible; box office schedules are of course tied directly to performance schedules.
This course provides students an opportunity to perform onstage in a production at DramaTech Theatre. Auditions are required.