Technical Theatre

Drama teachers need to plan for unlimited creativity. Unfortunately, drama teachers don’t have unlimited space… especially when it comes to props! Here is a list of essential props every drama teacher should stockpile in their limited prop storage space. • Rehearsal cubes Rehearsal cubes are one of the most useful props in any drama classroom. Not only are they flexible, they are also much easier to store than actual furniture. • Hats A collection of unique hats can instantly help students create interesting characters. • Mug/cup and dishes (non-breakable) A set of simple, non-breakable tableware can be used for any domestic setting. • A rotary phone Students may never have seen this kind of phone before, but there is no substitute for having a good old-fashioned phone in your hand when you are “talking on the phone.” • Eye glass frames (without lenses) When a student puts on a pair of glasses, they see themselves as a different character. • Simple puppets A stockpile of sock puppets with googly eyes is a great introduction to both puppetry and character voice. • Hardback book, newspaper Like the rotary phone, students may not have interacted with many newspapers, but plenty of scenes and scenarios call for this bit of business. • A wallet with fake bills/coins For goodness’ sake, NEVER use real money in scene work! • Hand mirror (non-breakable) In addition to being non-breakable, the best mirror would also be non-reflective. This helps both with keeping light from being reflected where it is not wanted and making sure your students aren’t distracted by their own reflection. • A serving tray This is another multi-use object, especially if it is a nondescript rectangle or circle. • Lightweight blankets or bedsheets Perfect for everything from a couch cover, to a superhero cape, to a secret fort. Additional Reading: Creating and Maintaining an Organized Props Area How to Create a Master Props List 5 Props Challenges and How to Overcome Them Round-Up: All About Props

Every director knows tech week can be a triumph or a tragedy. When tech goes right, a production leaps off the stage and is ready for an audience. When tech goes wrong… well, let’s just say that it’s time to stock up on aspirin and antacids. So how do you make sure your tech week is happy, healthy, and headache-free? Most of it happens BEFORE tech week! PlanFirst and foremost, make sure you have a plan in place well before tech week starts. You should have the foundations of your technical elements in mind as part of the normal process of choosing a show. In fact, the technical elements of a production should always be a fundamental consideration in your play selection process. The concepts and designs for any show you choose should align with the skills of your workforce, the limits of your budget, and the capabilities of your space. Don’t bite off more than you can chew, technically speaking, by choosing a script that is beyond your capabilities to produce. Once you’ve decided on a show, keep your designs and technical expectations within the reasonable limits of what you can successfully execute, and you will remove a great deal of stress and doubt before you ever have your first rehearsal. PrepareOnce you’ve decided on a show, start preparing for the technical elements as soon as possible. Whether that means purchasing additional building materials or haunting thrift stores for the perfect props, start preparing for tech as soon as you can. That includes asking your students to be on the lookout for important technical elements as well. As a teacher, there are not enough hours in the day, and once tech week hits you will not have time to drive around town looking for that ONE specialty item that will make or break your show. Strive to be prepared for tech week BEFORE it begins so you can spend your time integrating and refining your technical elements, not desperately searching for them at 10 o’clock on a school night. TeachEvery show is new, and learning how to tech a show doesn’t happen by accident. From figuring out how to properly shift scenery to learning when to call light cues, your students will need to learn the technical elements of a show, and it’s your job to teach them. If you have students who have experience as running crew or board operators, you can quickly get them up to speed and give them the responsibility to solve problems as they arise. Teach them what needs to be done and delegate to them the training of their fellow students. However, if you are a newer teacher, or if you have a cast and crew of inexperienced students, plan on spending more time teaching your students both how the equipment works AND how they will operate it for that particular show. TrustThe last element of running a flawless tech week is recognizing that there is NO SUCH THING as a flawless tech week! Most directors are control freaks at heart, and it can be very difficult to see all your hard work and planning go down the tubes as you watch both experienced and inexperienced techies struggle through the learning process. However, keep in mind that tech week is a learning process, and that process is just as important, if not more important, than the final product that the audience sees. Sure, tech week can be messy: Issues will arise, mistakes will be made, cues will be missed. But in the end, trust that your students will rise to the occasion and perform beyond your wildest expectations. Trust that your students will band together, work as a team, and bring the best show possible to the stage. And most importantly, trust that what they learn in the process will be beneficial to them long after the final curtain drops. That is something everyone can be proud of! Additional Reading: Tips and Tricks for a Less Stressed Tech Week The Last Few Weeks Before Showtime

A prop, or theatrical property, is any object used or carried onstage by an actor that isn’t a part of the set or worn. Props can be made, built, bought, or borrowed, and the golden rule of props is that we do not touch them if they aren’t ours! (Honestly, just don’t muck around with props even if they are yours — it saves so much hassle.) Read on for a selection of tips, tricks, and exercises for acquiring, caring for, and working with props. Planning For and Acquiring Props• Start by creating a master props list. Sometimes you’ll be lucky and the script you’re using will have a props list already assembled, but you’ll still want to check it over and ensure that nothing is missing, and that any props you’ve added or removed are noted on the list. • Working with props can be challenging. Here’s a list of five common props challenges and how to overcome them, which includes dealing with a HUGE list of props, difficulty working with props onstage, and what to do with consumable props, broken props, and props that have mysteriously gone missing. As well, if you’re borrowing or renting props, here is a useful guide for communicating with rental sources. • If you’ve got a massive props list, you’ll need to amass a great props team and have them work together to divide and conquer the list. • If you’re working with a shoestring budget, check out this guide with 9 tips for acquiring your props on the cheap. Organizing Props and Dealing With Mess• Once all of your props have been acquired, you’ll need to create and maintain an organized props area, which will save so many headaches during the run of the show. • There’s no excuse for having a messy backstage area. Use this guide to help your students keep their props, costumes, and personal items tidy and organized. • Using real food and drink props onstage is a lot of fun, but comes with a few risks (including mess). Here are some pros and cons for using real, fake, or invisible food onstage. Props Exercises• A classic drama classroom improv game is called, appropriately, “Props.” Students sit in a circle. The teacher places an item (a cane, a stool, a hula hoop, a butterfly net — whatever you happen to have available) in the centre of the circle. Individually or in pairs, students go into the circle and use the prop in a unique way to portray any item other than what the item actually is. For example, the cane prop could be (gently) swung as a putter golf club, turned upside down and used as a boat’s oar or a fishing pole, held out like a limbo stick, or held out horizontally and “revved” like the handlebars of a motorcycle. The only limit is that once a prop has been used in a particular way, it can’t be used in the same way by another student. This is a great way for students to work on making clear acting choices and thinking creatively to use the prop in various ways. • Once your students feel confident playing the Props game, challenge them to try Speed Props. • Props can be used to create and animate characters, and can be a great way for students to explore using their voices and bodies in different ways. Try using props, puppets, and masks in your next classroom exercise. • Have your students try portraying their character using one single prop or costume piece. • A theatrical transition is the time between scenes during which actors and stagehands move props and set pieces on and offstage to prepare for the next scene. Transitions need to be quick and seamless, otherwise they bog down the pacing of the show. Prop Shift is an excellent group exercise for students to practice doing transitions safely and effectively. • In our Found Objects exercise, students are challenged to prepare and present a scene in one class period, using props found in the drama classroom.

If you’re working on a prop-heavy show, you’ll want to assemble a great team and get them to work right away acquiring all the items on the list, because it can be challenging and time-consuming to do so. And with some organization and planning at the start of the process, your props team will be able to divide and conquer the list in no time. Read on for some tips to help your team succeed. 1. Start by creating a master props list.Creating a thorough master props list spreadsheet is time consuming, but will save you a headache in the long run. The more details you can include, the easier it will be for your props team to make or acquire the items. For example, your script might say (Jennifer answers the phone). What kind of phone? A cell phone (smart phone or old clunky flip phone?), a home phone (rotary or push-button, corded or cordless?), an office switchboard system with a headset (modern or vintage?), or a space-age phone that doesn’t yet exist and will have to be created by your props team? Note the setting, time period, and day/month/season that the show is set in on your master props list, as that will affect the style of props needed. The more details and clearer descriptions you can give about each prop, the better. Write down how each prop is used and by whom, how many you need, how often it’s used, if it’s consumable or gets broken each performance, and any other important details about what the prop does or how it’s used onstage. If a prop is listed in the script and you aren’t actually using it in your production, list the prop on the master list, but cross it out/strikethrough it. This way your team is aware that you haven’t missed it; you aren’t going to use the prop in your version of the show. Finally, if you’ve added a prop that isn’t specifically noted in the script, be sure to include that prop on the list, in the page number order that you’ve added the prop to. For example, if you’ve added a “2L bottle of Sprite” and “two red plastic cups” to the party scene in Act 1, Scene 7 on page 42, indicate that prop with the rest of the props for page 42. 2. Label similar items in a logical manner.Create a column on your spreadsheet that is titled “Location” or “Notes.” In this column, indicate whether the prop needs to be pulled from stock, purchased, borrowed/rented, or made. You may want to colour-code each item (for example, props pulled from stock are blue, props to be purchased are red, props to be made are yellow, and borrowed/rented props are green) to know at a glance where items are coming from. The borrowed/rented section is especially useful to know, so items can be returned to the correct owner after the show. The person in charge of borrowing/renting items should indicate on the list where the item was borrowed from, as well as the name and contact information of the person they interacted with, to facilitate easy returns. If a particular prop is urgent or absolutely necessary for the show, be sure to note that prop with bold lettering or an asterisk indicating that it is * IMPORTANT , so it doesn’t get left until the last minute. You don’t want to get to dress rehearsal and find out that the giant tea set for *Alice in Wonderland isn’t quite complete or the Newsies’ newspapers are backordered. (See point #4 for more about due dates for props.) 3. Indicate who is in charge of acquiring each item.Create another column that indicates who on the team is in charge of acquiring each item. For example, Michael will be in charge of all the items that need to be made/crafted, Patricia and Aya will take on the props that need to be purchased, Jamal and Nattie will pull all the items from the drama class stocks, and Kelly will reach out to other schools and theatre companies to borrow particular items. Make sure every item has been assigned to someone. Note: Ensure that all team members who make purchases for the show keep their receipts so items can be reimbursed. Before any purchases are made, however, be sure that the team knows how much money they can spend so they don’t go over budget. If you have parent volunteers who wish to purchase items and donate them, encourage them to still submit receipts that are notated “donation” so you have a better idea of how much your show actually cost to produce. This will help you in subsequent years when you’re building your budget. 4. Set due dates.Now that all the props have been assigned, make sure everyone knows when they need to have the items at the school, ready to go. You don’t want all your props showing up during tech week and discovering that they aren’t quite right. You’ll likely want your student actors to rehearse with props as soon as possible, so make a note of which props are needed right away — so those ones take priority — and which ones can wait until later in the rehearsal period. If you’ve got some props that will take time to acquire, have to be customized, or are being ordered and will take a while to ship, you may need to ask your team to provide rehearsal props to use while practicing in the meantime. For example, you may have requested fancy gold plates with gemstones for the “Be Our Guest” scene in Beauty and the Beast, and the props team will need time to spray paint and glue the stones to the plates. In the meantime, have the team get some basic plastic plates or something similar for the actors to rehearse with until the actual props are complete and ready to go. Rehearsal props are also useful if certain props are particularly delicate or expensive, and the props team doesn’t want the items to get overly handled prior to showtime. Check in with your team every so often to see how they’re doing and if they need assistance. Encourage them to keep you up to date with their progress and to bring in props as soon as they’ve acquired them, so your actors can start working with them as soon as possible. Clear communication on all sides is vital. Additional Resources: Props Challenges and How to Overcome Them Creating and Maintaining and Organized Props Area

If you have students who are quick on their feet, great at math, and have a cheerful disposition, they might be excellent concession volunteers. Concession volunteers are responsible for selling snacks and beverages during the intermission of the show (sometimes before and after the show as well, if it’s deemed important) efficiently and accurately. Some schools choose to sell show merchandise, flowers for actors and crew, candygrams, or other items at the performances, so concession volunteers would be in charge of those as well. Volunteering to be in charge of the concession table for a school production is a great way for students to get involved in a non-artistic capacity. If you have students who want to get involved, use the following best practices to prepare them for the concession role. Note: Depending on what you’re selling and the requirements of your school/board/etc., concession volunteers may need to have a Safe Food Handling certification (or whatever your local equivalent is). Be sure to find out what the requirements are for your school before you start selling concessions. 1. Concession volunteers must arrive early and be dressed appropriately.When concession volunteers arrive will depend on when they are responsible for selling their wares. If they are only selling concessions during intermission, they can likely arrive just before the show starts, to have an adequate amount of time to set up their station. If they are selling before the show, they’ll need to arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to showtime to clean and set up properly. Feel free to adjust the start time as appropriate to your production and show needs. Students should be dressed neatly in an agreed-upon look, for example, wearing all black, white shirt and black pants, a show shirt, or a piece of school merchandise. Students should wear an accessory such as a lanyard or pin that indicates that they are a concession volunteer. If the items they are selling are open to the air (e.g., unwrapped baked goods), concession volunteers must wear gloves and perhaps even a face mask. In that case, you’ll need at least two concession volunteers: one to handle the items and one to handle the cash (do not let students touch both, even if they are gloved!). If students have long hair, it must be tied back neatly or controlled with a hairnet if required. 2. Concession volunteers must be efficient, organized, and immaculately tidy.The first thing concession volunteers need to do is ensure they have enough inventory to sell. There’s nothing worse than going to open your concession stand, only to discover you have three bottles of water and eight chocolate bars for a sold-out audience. Unless your students are in charge of providing concessions, the responsibility for getting the items will usually fall on a parent volunteer or the teacher/director. Don’t leave your students hanging; keep an eye on your supplies. Concession volunteers must have everything they need arranged in a way that’s easy to access: food together, drinks together, supplies together, and so on. Students don’t want to be scrambling to find what they need during a rush of customers. If you’re selling items that need preparation or specific equipment, such as coffee or tea, students need to be trained on how to prepare and use that equipment properly. Depending on what you’re selling, think about what items might be needed, for example, napkins, cups, lids, and/or straws, disposable utensils, disposable gloves, serving tongs, cling wrap or Ziploc bags for storage, or a means of refrigeration for cold items, whether that be a fridge or a cooler with ice. The concession area needs to be immaculately clean and tidy — students are handling food, after all. Surfaces must be carefully cleaned before setting out items to sell, and any cleaning supplies must be safe to use around food. Adequate trash and recycling bins should be available. 3. Concession team members must know how to accurately and responsibly handle money transactions.Concession volunteers have a very short time to serve patrons (generally between 10–20 minutes, depending on how long intermission is), so they have to be efficient, while still being pleasant to patrons. They need to know what the price point of each item they sell is, be able to add up the total cost of each patron’s order quickly, and count the correct change without using a calculator. If you’ve got a cash box, students must know how to keep the box tidy, accurately count change, and document what’s been sold for inventory purposes. If you also have debit or credit card sales options, students will need to accurately report the different types of payment. Again, ensure that you’ve got at least two students working the table, so the student handling the cash is not also handling the food. When the concession stand closes will depend on whether you allow food and drinks in the theatre. If items are allowed in, feel free to keep the concession area operating until the theatre doors close. If not, it’s best to close the concession stand a few minutes prior to shutting the theatre doors for Act 2, so patrons have time to eat their snacks and dispose of their trash. Once the concession stand is closed, volunteers should count the cash box, prepare a report of what was sold (so you can restock prior to the next performance as necessary), and then place the box in a pre-approved place for safekeeping. 4. Concession volunteers assist with other tasks as needed.Concession volunteers often double as box office team members or ushers or are asked to help out with those duties. It’s great if your front of house volunteers are cross-trained on each role, in the event that you are short-staffed for a performance. As a perk, you may wish to offer students who volunteer as a concession team member the opportunity to watch part of the show when they aren’t completing tasks, or a complimentary ticket to another performance. Just be sure to instruct your students on how to enter the theatre as unobtrusively as possible, if they are entering while the show is in progress. What are your best practices for your concession team members? Share them with us on our socials!

Ushers are a cheerful, welcoming presence at any theatrical performance. Their job is to check tickets, answer patron questions, and keep the theatre clean and tidy. Volunteering as an usher for a school production is a great way for students of any experience level to get involved in a non-artistic capacity. Students who wish to volunteer as ushers must be personable, knowledgeable, confident, and able to solve problems independently. If you’ve got some students who want to get involved, use the following best practices to prepare them for the role. 1. Ushers must arrive early and be dressed appropriately. Volunteer ushers should arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to showtime. They may need to help fold programs, set up concessions, or whatever else needs doing. They also must ensure the theatre and surrounding area is clean and tidy before patrons arrive. Feel free to adjust ushers’ start time as appropriate for your production and show needs. Students should be dressed neatly in an agreed-upon look, for example, wearing all black, white shirt and black pants, a show shirt, or a piece of school merchandise. They should also wear an accessory such as a lanyard or pin that indicates that they are a volunteer usher. 2. Ushers must be efficient, knowledgeable, and great communicators. Ushers are responsible for checking patron tickets, guiding patrons to their seats (if there’s assigned seating), and giving patrons their programs. If your theatre has special seating or supports, such as wheelchair accessible seats or booster seats for young children, ushers need to help patrons access those as well. Ushers need to complete all these tasks efficiently (the house usually opens only 10–15 minutes early) to ensure the performance starts on time. Ushers are also the ultimate source of knowledge about the full show experience for the audience, so they need to be able to answer patron questions while they help get everyone seated. They need to know the length of the show; if and when intermission will occur; the content of the show (without giving away any surprises or major plot points); any trigger warnings that need to be communicated to patrons, such as flashing or strobe lights, startling sounds, or content warnings; the location of the nearest washrooms; and any theatre rules, such whether or not food and drinks are allowed in the theatre. 3. Ushers must be able to solve problems in a tactful manner. Once the doors close and the show starts, ushers are responsible for seating any latecomers in a quiet and unobtrusive manner. Patrons will want to get to their seats quickly so they don’t miss anything, but ushers need to ensure that they do so at an appropriate time in the show, such as during a scene change or during applause following a musical number. This is to prevent patrons from disturbing other patrons or distracting the actors onstage. Ushers should have a small flashlight if the house seating is low, to ensure patrons don’t trip while they’re getting to their seats. If your theatre has assigned seating, occasionally you’ll have patrons who purchase tickets for the wrong performance date or time, or patrons who sit in the wrong seat. Ushers need to be able to politely guide patrons into the correct seats or find them unoccupied seats. They may have to direct the patrons back to the box office to see if they can switch their seats to the correct show date/time, especially if the show is sold out. If the performance is sold out but your theatre has unassigned seating, ushers will be responsible for ensuring that no empty seats are left between patrons (“No, sir, your coat does not get its own seat”) so everyone can fit. One of the more challenging parts of the job is ensuring patrons follow the rules of the theatre. Three of the theatre rules audience members most commonly break are: • No taking photos or videos of the performance • Turn cell phones off • No eating or drinking in the theatre Ushers need to be confident enough to quietly approach patrons right away during the performance and ask them to stop filming/turn their phone off/put their snack away, even if the patron is an adult. 4. Ushers assist with other tasks as needed. Ushers are responsible for tidying the theatre before and after the show — picking up and disposing of any garbage or recycling, placing any personal items left behind in the lost and found, putting seats back up, and sweeping, vacuuming, or mopping the floor as appropriate. During intermission, ushers must keep patrons from going onto the stage or trying to go backstage (it happens sometimes!), direct patrons to the concession area or restrooms, and re-seat patrons for Act 2 efficiently. Ushers might also be asked to help out with box office prior to the show or as concession assistants at intermission if those teams are short-staffed. At the end of the show, ushers should expect to stay approximately 10–15 minutes to tidy the theatre. Ushers generally get to watch the performance they’re volunteering for at the back of the theatre as a perk of the role, with the understanding that they cannot get so engrossed in the performance that they neglect their tasks. What are your best practices for your ushers? Share them with us on our socials!

Whether your box office is a dedicated space with a sleek point of sale system, or a simple yet effective cash box at a folding table, you’ll need someone trustworthy and responsible to sell tickets and assist patrons. Volunteering as a box office team member is a great opportunity for students to get involved in your production in a non-artistic capacity, and to demonstrate their leadership skills. Students who wish to volunteer as box office team members must possess many traits: they must be responsible, trustworthy, detail-oriented, organized, and personable, with the ability to work independently and solve problems. If you’ve got students who would be great candidates for this role, use the following best practices to prepare them for the job. 1. Box office team members must arrive early and be dressed appropriately.Determine what time the box office will open; at minimum, ticket sales should start no later than one hour before showtime. Students will need time to get their supplies, get set up, count their cash box and make sure they have enough change, and ensure they have adequate show programs available. They may be responsible for assisting with folding and handing out show programs before the show starts as well. Therefore, you might have box office students arrive 90 minutes prior to showtime; this allows 30 minutes of setup time and 60 minutes of ticket selling time. Feel free to adjust these times as appropriate for your production. Students should be dressed neatly in an agreed-upon look; for example, wearing all black, white shirt and black pants, a show shirt, or a piece of school merchandise. Students should wear an accessory such as a lanyard or pin that indicates that they are a box office team member. 2. Box office team members must be great communicators.Box office team volunteers are one of the first points of contact for audience members. They need to be able to confidently answer patron questions, such as what the show is about, how long the show is, the location of the nearest restroom, whether or not there is an intermission and if so, how long into the show it will occur, and if there are any trigger warnings regarding the show’s content. They also need to be able to step up and solve problems in a calm and efficient manner within their capacity as a student leader, while also being aware of when they should reach out to a teacher for help. 3. Box office team members must know how to accurately and responsibly handle money transactions.If you’ve got a cash box, students must know how to keep the box tidy, how to accurately count change, and how to document the number of tickets sold, ensuring that the number of tickets sold corresponds to the amount of cash in the box, especially if you have different ticket price points. If you also have debit or credit card sales options, students will also need to accurately report the different types of payment. Once the show starts, the box office should remain open for a short amount of time to assist any latecomers. Once an appropriate amount of time has passed, box office students should count the cash box, prepare a report of how many tickets were sold, and then place the box in a pre-approved place for safekeeping (such as locked in the drama teacher’s office or the principal’s office). 4. Box office team members need to be ready to assist with other tasks as needed.Box office team members often double as concession assistants at intermission. There should be a separate float and cash box for concessions. (We’ll be talking more about concession team members in an upcoming article!) Box office team members may help latecomers enter the theatre in a safe and unobtrusive manner. They’re also responsible for keeping their area of the school clean and tidy, and for completing any other tasks as assigned. As a perk, you may wish to offer students who volunteer as a box office team member the opportunity to watch part of the show when they aren’t completing tasks, or a complimentary ticket to another performance. Just be sure to instruct your students on how to enter the theatre as unobtrusively as possible, if they are entering while the show is in progress. What are your best practices for your box office team members? Share them with us on our socials!

It’s always exciting to have action-packed sequences in your show, and chase scenes are both great fun and challenging to stage. Whether a character is being chased by a villain, chasing after a lost love, or participating in any kind of chase in between, you’ll want to ensure your choreography is exciting and engaging while also being repeatable and safe. First, consider what tempo your student actors will be moving at. Are they running full out, are they doing a slow-motion sequence, somewhere in between, or a combination of both? They can all be used in comedic or dramatic shows, depending on how you block the actors’ body movements and facial expressions. As well, consider where in the performance/audience space your actors are. Are they actually moving throughout the staging area (which could potentially involve the stage itself, as well as the surrounding area such as through the audience) or are they moving in place? What concerns, risks, or safety issues might arise? Be sure to check out our safety considerations document in the giveaway below. Here are several ideas for staging chase scenes creatively. If you’ve got more ideas, please share them with us! • For chase scenes that are staged by having actors run or jog in place, create the illusion of movement through imaginative lighting, projections, sound effects, and/or special effects, such as a fan or wind machine. Slow-motion chase scenes can be extra funny with the addition of exaggerated movements, facial expressions, and slowed-down vocalizations. • Create a side-scrolling video game effect by having actors face directly to one side of the stage and run in place. Have ensemble members or stagehands “scroll” by in the background — crossing the stage with set pieces or puppet-style props, running backstage or behind a curtain, and coming through the stage again as many times as you wish. Great for comedies. Explore different tempos with both the chasing characters and background performers to find a speed that works well. • You can create car or motorcycle chase scenes by having actors sit on rehearsal blocks with prop steering wheels (plates also work well for this!), with the target placed further downstage and the chasers placed further upstage. You could also try having students sit or kneel on small, wheeled platforms or hand carts, and have stagehands dressed in black move them around the space. • For chase scenes where the actors actually move throughout the space, you must ensure that every moment of the chase sequence is choreographed and well rehearsed. Draw a bird’s eye or top down map of your space and make a diagram of the movement path(s). You may want to use transparency sheets if you have multiple actors travelling in different directions to ensure there are no collisions. If the chase scene is part of a musical, you may wish to indicate on the sheet music exactly where students should be at a particular moment in the scene, circling or highlighting the lyrics or notes where students move. • Consider how you could use every inch of your space. How can you use your performing area(s) to its best advantage? Can you have actors go through or around the audience? Are there different entrance/exit points in your space, and how can you access them? Can you create additional entrance and exit points with flats, curtains, or other set pieces? Are there areas that students can climb around, go over, or sneak under? • Use puppets, dolls, stuffed animals, or shadow puppets to create a funny chase sequence. This can be useful if your chase sequence has magical moments, stunts, or any other risky movements involved, such as big leaps, tackles, or flying — it’s better to toss a doll across the stage than to risk a student’s safety. • Create the illusion of a super-fast movement by having multiple actors appear as the same character. Dress three or more actors in the same costume and have them pop in and out from different places on the stage at specific times, while the other actor(s) in the scene moves their head and body to indicate that the fast character is moving in a particular direction. For example, you could have Actor A pop out from stage right, and Actor B look at them. Actor A quickly moves backstage while Actor B makes a big movement to look out behind the audience, where Actor C has popped up from behind a door or an audience seat at the back of the auditorium. Continue for as long as you wish and for as many actors as you want to have involved in the sequence. As mentioned above, be sure to do a thorough safety assessment of your blocking, set, costumes, footwear, and props to ensure that your students can maneuver through their chase sequences as safely as possible. Check out the free simple safety considerations resource in the giveaway below.

The visual of blood onstage creates an immediate visceral reaction for audience members — it evokes feelings of fear, pain, injury, life and death. But using fake blood onstage can be challenging, and this is coming from a fight director who works with fake blood often. Even the highest-quality fake blood is messy, sticky, and gets everywhere, no matter how carefully you use it. It can be expensive (depending on how much you need), time-consuming in terms of laundry, and carries safety risks, such as slipping onstage and potential allergic reactions. However, there are many great alternatives for staging scenes that call for blood. Let’s take a look at some of them: 1. Lighting and projections can be very effective for creating the image of blood onstage. Use a focused spotlight with a red gel to make a small pool of blood appear in a specific area onstage; or have an actor stand, sit, or lie in the red spotlight for a dramatic visual. A red wash across the entire stage is great for war, battle, massacre, or major death scenes. Using blackouts or strobe lighting effects can increase the feeling of tension in an already frightening atmosphere. A video projection of blood dripping, pouring, splashing, or spattering (combined with some startling sound effects or spooky music) is a great way to create a terrifying or dramatic effect onstage. 2. You can create wounds of all types — cuts, gunshots, blisters, scars — with makeup. There are many techniques and appliances you can use that don’t require students to go onstage with wet fake blood on them. The Drama Teacher Academy has many lessons about makeup application, including a full unit on blood, blisters, and bruises. Before working with makeup, be sure to have students do a patch test to check whether their skin will react to any products. 3. Costuming is a great way to create a blood effect onstage with less mess. Use fabric paint to create wounds, cuts, slashes, or spatters on costumes. Allow lots of time for the costumes to dry before putting them on the actors. Be sure to do a test swatch on a similar type of fabric to check for colourfastness (especially if you’re working with particularly sweaty students) and to ensure the blood effect looks realistic. If you’re picky, oxygenated (arterial) blood is bright red, while deoxygenated (venous) blood is dark reddish-purple. One way to use costuming for blood effects is to layer your costume items, as in, have a pre-made bloody undergarment like a t-shirt or muscle shirt under a jacket or hoodie, and open the outer garment to reveal the blood. Or, you can have two identical costumes: one clean and pristine for before any violence happens, and one for after the violent moment that the actor will change into. Alternatively, you can have the actor using a bloody costume hold their hands over the wound, and slowly lower their hands to reveal the bloody patch. When I directed a production of Carrie: The Musical with high school students, for the famous blood-drop effect, our costume team made a special double-layered prom dress for the actress playing Carrie. The bottom layer was pre-bloodied using fabric paint, and an identical clean dress was opened down the side seam, layered on top of the pre-bloodied dress, and attached with magnets. When the moment occurred, the lights flashed and then blacked out, and the actress quickly whipped off the top dress layer (assisted by the actor playing Tommy Ross) and handed it to an ensemble cast member, who whisked it offstage to an ASM. When the lights came back up, Carrie appeared suitably bloodied up. It was an awesome moment, and we rehearsed it a lot to make it as seamless as possible. For a more stylized production, an actor could add a red accessory to their costume, such as a sash, cape, or jacket, or change a different coloured accessory they’re currently wearing to an identical red accessory, to indicate that they have been wounded or killed. 4. You can also create great bloody imagery using props. Weapons can be painted with red spots and spatters to create a frightening effect. A handkerchief painted with red fabric paint can be tucked into a pocket, whipped out, and held against an actor’s body to make it seem like they’re stanching or cleaning a bloody wound. If you have students who are great dancers, they could use large pieces of red fabric or red gymnastics ribbons to choreograph a “dance of violence” or “dance of death.” If you want a dramatic or stylized representation of blood, you could use long red ribbons or streamers, red silk handkerchiefs or red play silks, large red mylar or foil confetti, or even rose petals (silk or real). If you’re dropping the items from a height, do tests with the materials to see how the items fall (or float) and how much of each item you’ll need for the run of the show. It may take a combination of materials to make the blood drop work at the speed you want it to appear. If none of these suggestions appeal to you and you still want to use actual fake blood for your upcoming production, I strongly suggest you contact a qualified fight director to assist with acquiring a good-quality fake blood product, teaching students how to safely use it, and choreographing the blood moments so they are safe, repeatable, and look great.

Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and The Wizard of Oz are just some of the wonderful stories featuring characters that can fly. Many great plays feature flying sequences, but how do we stage those fantastical moments? Most schools do not have the budget or resources to use wire rigs, nor would the administration likely permit a high-risk venture like that. (Parents also likely wouldn’t be keen on having their children suspended from wires at school.) First, have a discussion with your students about “suspension of disbelief,” which is the idea that audiences are willing to set aside critical thinking and logic to enjoy a story. We know that students cannot actually fly. Even in hyper-realistic movies, students understand that flying effects are created with green screens, computer animation, and all sorts of practical effects. In the theatre, we are generally even more limited, because even with the most sophisticated flying rigs and hydraulic systems, audiences can usually see them, and know they’re there regardless. However, that doesn’t detract from the audience’s enjoyment of the show as a whole. It’s no different in educational theatre. The audience knows going in that they’re going to be seeing something interesting and creative, and they’re looking forward to seeing what these moments will be onstage. With that in mind, try the following ideas for creatively staging a flying sequence. They’re safe, effective, and a lot of fun. Some of the ideas could be combined to make an even more exciting sequence. You can use them in your next school production, or challenge your students to come up with a creative solution to stage a flying sequence of their own. See the giveaway below for instructions for this creative challenge lesson. 1. Build a platform with casters and push/pull your actor on or offstage to make it look like they’re floating. Be sure to include a handhold or harness system so the actor doesn’t fall while starting or stopping the movement. 2. Have your actor enter on a balcony, scaffold, or raised platform (with safety railings in place) while the rest of the cast looks up at them from below. 3. Have your actor stand on a rehearsal cube painted the same colour as the floor or the set, while other actors with cutouts of clouds or birds move around them. Have another student nearby in case the actor standing on the block needs a hand to get up or down, or if they’re feeling unsteady. 4. Choreograph a dance sequence with lots of leaps and jumps. You can use large strips of fabric, gymnastics ribbons, or play silks to add some whimsy and colour to the sequence. 5. Hire a fight or dance choreographer (or even a cheerleading coach) to teach your actors to do safe lifts, and lift your actor high in the air. 6. Use miniatures or puppets (highlighted by a super-focused spotlight or “pin spot”) of the actors who are flying. 7. Use a fog machine to mask actors’ feet while they move around the stage. 8. Use a mirror ball to create the effect of moving through the stars in the sky. You might also use a fan to make it look like the wind is blowing through the actors’ hair. 9. Use a video or photo projection of the flying moment, either by itself, or have the actual student actor stand in front of the projection to make it look like they’re the one flying. 10. If the scene features an actor flying in a plane or helicopter, have the actor hold a miniature or toy plane or helicopter above their head while they move across the stage. Or, build a large propeller on a stick and have another actor puppet the propeller near the flying actor. For a comedic scene, have the actor wear a propeller cap.

Stage makeup isn't just an optional extra in the drama classroom; it's a game-changer. Whether you're taking your first steps into the world of theatre tech or you're already a seasoned pro, mastering stage makeup opens up a world of creative possibilities. That's why we're here to share our best tip and tricks to help you navigate the ins and outs of stage makeup with confidence. From must-have resources to fundamental techniques, advanced tips for creating convincing old-age makeup, and the all-important clean-up procedures, we've got your bases covered in one handy toolkit. So why wait? Click the link below to download your free Classroom Stage Makeup Toolkit and get ready to enhance your program and elevate your productions!

There’s nothing like a big, beautiful set to really create the mood and tone of a theatrical piece. With a little creativity, big and beautiful can also mean striking and singular. Sometimes the most interesting sets focus on one signature set piece. A singular set piece can be simple or elaborate, highly detailed or quite plain, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. Selecting one signature set piece can be challenging. Since there is only one piece, it has to be chosen with care and consideration. What story are you trying to tell with this set piece? How much of the stage does it take up? How does it contribute to the overall look of the piece? How much is it going to cost in terms of money, time, and effort to assemble it? These are all valid questions no matter what type of set you choose. First, let’s think about what signature set piece you might select. What you choose will depend on the show title, your budget, the story you wish to portray onstage, and the tone or mood you wish to suggest. Here are some ideas you might consider: • A single painted flat or curtain. This can portray anything from the sky to a cityscape to a house to a landscape. If it’s double-sided and can be turned around or covered up for certain scenes, that would be a bonus. • A periaktos, which is a revolving, three-sided prism, usually made of wood. A different scene is painted on each side and it’s turned by actors or stagehands so the appropriate side is facing the audience. • An item such as a shelving unit or a trunk, which is mounted onto a platform with casters and wheeled about. If it can be opened and/or used for storage, even better. You might also consider a flat object mounted on casters, such as a wall unit, blackboard, or costume rack that could be moved around, hidden behind, or have smaller items attached to it. • A single, large statement piece, such as a throne, tree, statue, sofa, or piano. A statement piece is generally stationary but still interacted with, such as by leaning against it or hiding behind it. • Good ol’ reliable rehearsal blocks. These can be painted or left plain, used individually or stacked together, and can be moved (or removed) to create pretty much whatever you need onstage. Always keep in mind that whatever set piece you choose, it should enhance the overall look, mood, and tone that you’re trying to portray onstage with your students. Once you have considered what the piece might be, you’ll need to think about how it is going to be used onstage. Is it meant to be looked at, or will it be interacted with? Will it be stationary or moved around? If students will interact with it, how will they do that specifically? Will actors or stagehands move it, or both? Does it need to move with a student on top of it, in it, or beside it? Does it need to hold or conceal smaller items? Does it need to perform an effect, such as light up, display shadows, glow in the dark, or play music? How can the piece be used differently in different scenes? Could it be lit differently, turned around, used by a different actor? Then, all these things considered, how much is it going to cost? Keeping these needs and desires in mind, the next step is to design and build the piece. (You can use the worksheet below to help with this.) Is it a piece that you already own and can modify, or does it need to be built from scratch? If it needs to be built from scratch, can the materials be donated, discounted, or sponsored to keep costs down? Once it’s built, use the piece as much as you can! Feature it in photoshoots for headshots and social media posts. Use images of it for the show poster and programme. If you can reuse it for class work or store it for future use, do it. You might also want to consider renting it out or selling it to another school or company for their upcoming production, and using the money towards creating a new signature set piece for your next show. You can use the worksheet below with your students. Have them come up with different ideas for a signature set piece for the play you’re currently studying. Have them describe and/or sketch out their piece and list three different ways it can be used for the show. Additional Resources: Set Design: How to cut a big musical down to size Full Class Project: Complete Show Design Creative Fundraising Ideas for Your Upcoming Production

If you have been blessed with a huge costume inventory, ample storage space, and a head of wardrobe to keep tabs on everything, feel free to skip this article. For the rest of us, keeping our costume stocks in order can feel like a full-time job. Implementing some storage systems and being very specific about what costume items you keep in your inventory can help immensely with keeping you organized. Read on for some helpful tips! 1. Be specific about what you store.No matter how large or small your storage area, there will always be a limit to the number of items you can store. Be aware of what you have in stock and reassess your inventory frequently. You’ll always be adding items as you do more shows, through purchases, donations, or sewing new pieces, so you’ll need to leave some room in your stocks for growth. A yearly purge can keep your storage space looking good. If you’re having trouble deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, ask yourself these questions: • Does the item need repairing? Are you actually going to take the time and effort to repair it? (If an item is beyond repair, get rid of it!) • Can you replace the item for less than $20? Can you easily acquire the item at a thrift store? • Do your students have something like it in their closets? (This could be a basic costume item drama students should own, or their own clothes for shows set in modern time periods.) • Have you used it in the last five years? • Are you likely to use it again or is it super specialized? For the last question, think about items like the Enchanted Objects from Beauty and the Beast, or the full-company set of band uniforms from The Music Man. Those costume items may be oversized and difficult to store, or there may be a large quantity of the items that takes up a lot of precious storage space. However, if you anticipate being able to loan costume items to other schools, it may be worthwhile to keep certain items in your stocks. Check out the bottom of this article for a free giveaway: Does It Stay or Does It Go? 2. Keep like items with like.Rather than putting things away willy-nilly, separate your items in a way that makes sense. Store aprons in one box, neckties in another, shawls together. If you have a lot of items in a similar category, such as hats, break down your storage further — one box for baseball caps, one box for cowboy hats, one box for fascinators, and so on. The same goes for hanging items. Put jackets with jackets, and gowns with gowns. Short-sleeved and long-sleeved shirts and blouses should be separate. How you organize items within each category is up to you. Some teachers like to separate items by colour; some prefer to put items of similar time periods together; some prefer to organize items by size. Whatever you decide, make sure that anyone who has access to the storage space (students, other teachers, volunteers, etc.) knows how to put things back properly. 3. Clear, labelled bins and hanging costume racks are your friends.If your storage space allows, you’ll need two sections: one area for hanging items and one for bins and boxes. Items like gowns and jackets should be hung up, while items like t-shirts can be folded and stored in bins. A plastic rolling drawer unit is useful for small items such as jewellery, glasses and frames, and suspenders. If your budget allows, invest in clear storage bins (much easier to see what’s inside) and sturdy, non-slip clothing hangers. A basic closet bar can suffice for hanging storage, but a rolling rack allows you to move items around more efficiently. Label EVERYTHING. Labels can be as simple as a piece of painter’s tape on the front of a bin labelled with a marker. For hanging items, you can divide sections using paper plates — cut a circle in the centre of the plate, as well as a vertical slit from the outside edge of the plate to the centre, and pop it on the bar. Or, you can get fancy with a Cricut machine or similar. Just remember: no matter how fancy your labels are, they’re no good if people still don’t know where to find an item. 4. Be selective about receiving donations.When you’re first building your costume inventory, you might be thrilled to receive donations from other schools, community theatre groups, dance companies, or families cleaning out their closets. However, there is no rule that says you have to keep everything. It can take a lot of time to go through donation items, so make decisions as quickly as possible. Look back to the questions in section one when deciding what donations to keep. Immediately let go of items that are clearly the wrong size (for example, don’t keep child-sized items for a high school), items you already have duplicates of, and anything stained or dirty. Bonus Tip: Put together a costume repair kit. A fishing tackle box is a good size. Add items like thread in various colours, sewing needles, scissors, safety pins, velcro, extra buttons, two-sided tape, a few measuring tapes, a seam ripper, and a stain remover pen. Additional Resources: Best Costuming Advice for a New Director Common Costume Concerns The Great Storage Struggle: What to Do With All That Stuff Costume Care: Dos and Don’ts How to Effectively Communicate With Rental Sources

The following exercise is a large-scale culminating project for your entire class. Students will form small groups and work together to create design concepts for a play in six areas of technical theatre: sound design, lighting design, set design, costumes, props, and hair/makeup. Each group is responsible for completing four components: • an inspiration component • a research component • a practical component • an analysis component This is a great way for students to demonstrate what they’ve learned throughout the semester or challenge themselves to explore a new technical area. Students will gain a broader appreciation of all the factors that go into creating a cohesive theatrical design. Before you start: Don’t worry if you’re not a technical expert! Check out our Technical Theatre section in the Theatrefolk Learning Centre for lots of technical advice. Three good articles to start with are: Tech Exercises for the Non-Technical Teacher Tips for Success When Tech Isn’t Your Specialty Tips for First-Time Lighting Designers Instructions:1. Select a play that the entire class will design for. 2. Divide students into six groups. Assign each group one of the following areas of technical theatre: sound design, lighting design, set design, costumes, props, and hair/makeup. 3. In this exercise, you (the teacher) will act as director of the selected show, and share your overall vision/concept with your design teams (your students). For example, Romeo & Juliet under the sea, Alice in Wonderland in outer space, a steampunk Beauty and the Beast, or a film noir Antigone. Feel free to give as many or as few details as you wish. If you’d like to give students more artistic freedom, try one of the following options: Option B: Have each group pitch a vision/concept (for example, Romeo & Juliet in the jungle, Wild West Romeo & Juliet, or Romeo & Juliet in the year 3000) and allow the class to vote on one. Option C: Scrap the director idea and have each group come up with their own original design concept for the selected play, without consulting other groups. 4. Once the design concept is settled, each group must complete their design projects, which will consist of the following four parts: a) Inspiration: An inspiration collage or mood board featuring colours, textures, sketches, photographs, or cutouts that illustrate the concept. (Minimum size: 12 inches by 12 inches) b) Research: A written (or audio/video recording if that works better for your students) research component on one aspect of the concept. For example, if the concept is “in the jungle,” which specific jungle is the group focusing on? What plants and animals are native to the area? Are there any films, television programs, or documentaries set there? Are there any major current events or important historical events that occurred there? Tailor the questions as appropriate to the selected design concept. (Minimum length: 1 page) c) Practical: A practical sample element that is relevant to the technical design area, such as a sound playlist, a lighting plot and gel sample display or a found lighting demonstration (live or filmed), a scale model set, an original costume design or built costume, a built prop, an original hair/makeup design, a designed wig, or a makeup demonstration (live or photographed). Students may have their own suggestions as well. d) Analysis: A written (or audio/video) component describing how and why the group made the design choices they did. (Minimum length: 1 page) 5. Have your students share their projects with the rest of the class, either as group presentations or as a fair-style presentation around the classroom. 6. Discuss how each group approached their design work. Do the different theatrical areas work together as a whole? Why or why not? Do they support the director’s overall vision? What could be adjusted to work better together? 7. Each student will complete and submit an individual reflection (found below).

In our previous post (Performing Outdoors Part 1: Technical Considerations), we discussed technical concerns that may arise when selecting a venue to perform outdoors. Today we’re tackling safety considerations. These may have already come up in discussions with your students when talking about the differences between indoor and outdoor theatre, or if you’re planning to perform outdoors. The purpose of discussing safety concerns is not to scare, deter, or make students worry about all the “what-ifs,” but to make students aware of their surroundings. Safe stagingIf you’re erecting a stage, tent, or backdrops outdoors, you need to ensure that all the pieces are level, sturdy for students to stand on or near, and won’t fly away if a strong wind comes by. You may need some sandbags or tent pegs to anchor items to the ground. Physical terrainInspect the perimeter of the playing space and audience area. Look for uneven terrain and tripping hazards. Is the space accessible for wheelchair or walker users? Ensure that the area is adequately lit as well, both for students to be seen by the audience, and for actors and crew to see where they’re going. Privacy and personal concernsIs there a private area for students to change? Will you need to purchase a portable changing tent or similar item? Where is the nearest bathroom facility? Where will students keep their personal items so they don’t go missing? Is there a place to go if students suddenly feel ill? As well, make or purchase a simple first aid kit to have handy if someone does get sick or injured. WeatherWhen performing outdoors, you’re always at the mercy of the weather report. If it suddenly rains or thunderstorms, or is super hot, you need to ensure there is a safe location for students and audiences to go. Alternatively, if the weather is already inclement before the performance, will you postpone or cancel? Do you have a rain date policy or an alternate venue available? Have plenty of water available if you’re performing outdoors in the summer or in a hot climate, and avoid costumes and wigs that may overheat students. Make sure students are applying sunscreen as well! Dealing with the publicWhen performing outside, anyone could be in the area. Are you performing in a place where students could get shouted at, catcalled, or interrupted by passers-by? Is there a risk of a strange person trying to get involved in some way? What security measures can you put in place to protect your students and staff? COVID-19 measuresCOVID-19 measures will vary depending on your city/province/state, and they can change at any time. Contact your local health unit to devise a plan for your particular area and school. Be prepared to be flexible and have backup plans ready (such as streaming or performing on Zoom) as cases increase or decrease. You may want to consider having a small cast and crew so there are fewer opportunities for transmission. Many schools normally wish for as many students as possible to participate in productions, but right now you’ll likely want to limit the number of students involved. You may also consider things like limiting the number of audience members at a given performance, distanced audience seating (indicated by flags, benches, etc.), pre-screening procedures, temperature checks for students and audience members, and sanitizing props and high-touch items or areas between scenes. In terms of costumes, you may want to look into getting themed masks that go with the actors’ costumes, masks matching the skin tone of the actors, or branded masks for your school/theatre company.

Performing outdoors can be a lot of fun — Shakespeare in the park, anyone? But as with any theatrical undertaking, there are some things to consider before getting started with rehearsals. The following exercise gives students the opportunity to act as “location scouts” and discover the technical pros and cons of doing theatre outside in nature. 1. Introduction & DiscussionIf you wish, you can start the lesson with a brief discussion of historical outdoor theatre. 2. BrainstormBrainstorm with your students some pros and cons to working outdoors. Some technical considerations may include: • Space for performers – How will you separate the playing space from the audience? Will you erect a stage? How far away should the audience be from the performers? • Space for the audience – Will the audience stand? Will you provide seating such as chairs or benches? Will audiences bring their own chairs or blankets? • Is there a place for a backstage area, a changing area, or storage for props and costumes? • Accessibility – How do performers and audience members get to the location? Is there parking available? Where are the nearest bathrooms? What is the terrain like (uneven ground, potholes, etc.)? Do you need a permit to use the space? • Sound concerns – Think about vehicle and foot traffic or ambient noise such as a nearby playground. Will the audience be able to hear the performers? Will you need microphones or will students just have to project? • Lighting concerns – What time of day is best to perform, before it gets too dark? Will you need to provide lighting? Where are the nearest plugs? • Weather concerns – What if it rains? What if it’s ridiculously hot? • Safety concerns – This will be discussed in an upcoming post, but will likely come up in your brainstorming. 3. Get outsideIf you are in person, take your class outside and look at the space around your school. If your students are studying via distance learning, have them walk around their neighbourhood. Have students find a location that could potentially work as an outdoor performance space. If possible, have them take a photo of the location with their phone. 4. AnalysisUsing the technical considerations discussed above, have students analyze the potential location. What are the pluses and minuses? What kind of show might work well for this location? Feel free to use the handout download for students to refer to when doing their analysis, including any additional thoughts from the brainstorm. 5. SubmissionHave students type up their notes (maximum length: 1 page) and submit them to the teacher along with their photo. As well, have them respond to the following exit slip question: What do you think is the most important technical concern when considering an outdoor performance? Why?

The purpose of this group exercise is to see how technical effects can change the mood and atmosphere of a performed scene. Students will have the opportunity to perform and observe others, while figuring out two simple yet creative technical effects using only resources available in the drama classroom. They are also challenged to keep their acting consistent between the two presentations of the scene, without letting the change in technical effects change their performance. Instructions:1. Students will form small groups and each will prepare a short scene (1-2 pages). Scenes can be performed with script in hand or memorized, as time permits/teacher wishes. You can find some great two-person scenes and group scenes on our Free Resources page. 2. Each group must use a simple yet clear technical effect in their scene, using resources available in the classroom. Some examples might include: • • Dimming the classroom lights • Background music played on someone’s smartphone • A few simple props from around the room or their own personal items • Having one group member make live sound effects using found objects 3. Each group will present the scene for the rest of the class. 4. Each group will then present the scene again, without changing any blocking, acting choices, voice volume, and so on. This time, however, they must create an entirely different effect while using the same equipment (lights, music, props). Using the above examples: • • Dimming the classroom lights > performing with very bright lights, or entirely in the dark • Background music > performing with no music, or with music of a totally different genre (classical vs. disco vs. EDM vs. rap) • Using a few simple props > miming props • Having one group member make sound effects > no sound effects, or exaggerated sound effects, or sound effects at different times (a “boing” sound when someone stands up, for example) 5. After all the students have presented twice, they will discuss and/or write a reflection on the following questions: • • For the students performing: How did the group decide what technical effect to use in their scene? How did changing the effect between the two performances change the scene? Was it easy or difficult to keep the scene consistent with the change in technical effects? • For the students observing: How did the scene change with the change in technical effect? How was the mood or atmosphere different? Did the effect add to the scene, or distract from it? Which technical choice worked better for the scene? What might they have done differently?

The exercises listed below can be adapted to distance and online learning opportunities. Students work individually (rather than with partners or in groups). Group work and discussions can be completed using video conferencing programs (such as Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom). Written work can be submitted electronically via email or uploading to Google Drive or similar. Performances can be done live via video conferencing programs, or filmed on a smartphone or digital camera and uploaded to a service such as YouTube or Vimeo (privacy settings can be adjusted to accommodate your school’s internet safety policies). Check out our round-ups of exercises for Vocal and Physical Performance, Monologue and Individual Performance and Playwriting & Written Drama and Analysis Exercises as well. Technical Theatre ExercisesThese technical theatre exercises sometimes require a bit of adaptation or creativity to complete, but most can be done at home and submitted in a variety of ways, including via submitting a PowerPoint presentation, submitting digital photographs of physical creations (such as costumes or props), or presented via video conferencing. Many group exercises can be completed individually, with allowing more time for students to complete the tasks outside of class time. Since you are doing learning by distance, in many cases, your students will be doing their projects for a fictional or hypothetical production. 1. Costuming Your Show for $50 or Less 2. Create a Costume Vision Board Focus on the “Digital” vision board suggestion, using Pinterest or Photoshop. Alternatively, students can create physical boards and photograph them, or present via video conferencing. 3. Creating Atmosphere Using Music 4. Found Objects You can adapt this exercise by having students present monologues and use objects and clothing/costumes from their own homes 5. Getting Other Departments Involved in Your Production (Producing) Focus on the “ask” letter 6. How to Create a Budget When You’ve Never Done It Before (Producing) 7. How to Create a Master Props List 8. How to Create a Program for Your Production (Producing) 9. How to Prepare a Stage Manager’s Prompt Book 10. Lighting and Sound = Ambiance 11. Rehearsing In Layers (Directing / Stage Management) Students will practice creating a rehearsal schedule for a hypothetical show 12. Respect the Tech! A Technical Performance Challenge Students will create individual performances using items from around their homes 13. Shakespeare Set In Another Time (Design) Focus on DESIGN activity 14. Taking on the Producer’s Role: Elevator Pitch 15. Telling the Story Through Clothing: Choosing a Colour Palette for Your Show 16. The Running List: What It Is and Why You Need It (Props / Backstage) 17. Using One Item to Show Character (Costumes) Focus on THEORETICAL activity 18. 5 Props Challenges and How to Overcome Them Focus on prop problem-solving challenge (giveaway) 19. 10 Ways to Publicize Your Show (Publicity / Producing) Create a hypothetical show and challenge students to figure out how to get the word out.

The phrase “technical theatre” can be intimidating for some drama teachers. They may feel that they don’t have adequate experience to teach technical theatre, or that they just aren’t “tech-y” enough to succeed in this area. Some teachers may also have a less-than-idea technical theatre situation in their school, due to budget restraints or lack of funding, outdated or non-existent technical equipment and technological resources, or unfortunate theatrical spaces (cafegymatorium, anyone?). However, technical theatre does not have to be intimidating, expensive, or state-of-the-art. Here are 15 examples of simple technical theatre exercises that you can do with your class. They don’t require a lot of equipment or extensive technical theatre knowledge – they’re more focused on using found materials and resources, a dash of willingness to experiment, and a dollop of creativity. They’re a lot of fun, too! 1. Have your students find and share YouTube clips of a scene from a movie, a television show, or a filmed theatre production that has interesting lighting. Discuss – what is interesting about the lighting? What made it stand out to you? How do you think they achieved that effect? How could you recreate that kind of lighting in your classroom or performance space? 2. Light a scene using only found lighting – overhead lights, cell phone lights, flashlights, light from a projector, fake candles, light from a window, etc. 3. Create a playlist of ten songs inspired by a play or musical that would be appropriate to use as pre-show or intermission music. For example, if your students are creating a playlist for a production of The Wedding Singer, they might choose popular wedding songs from 1985. However, students can’t use any music that is actually from the play or musical! 4. Create a soundscape, radio play style for a scene, using found objects within the classroom. 5. Use shoe boxes, popsicle sticks, magazine cutouts, and other craft materials to create diorama-style 3D scale model set designs. 6. Partner with the visual art teacher at your school and have them teach your students different scenic painting techniques, such as creating wood grain, brickwork, sand and stone effects with paint. 7. Create a costume colour palette for a show you’re studying. Have students explain how the colours they chose demonstrate different moods or character statuses. 8. Create a costume vision board for a show you’re studying. Divide students into small groups and assign each group a different character from the show. 9. Challenge students to show a character using only one costume piece. What costume piece would they choose and why? Take this challenge a step further and have students create or acquire the costume piece. Have one student model the piece for the rest of the class. (The rest of the costume should be basic black clothing pieces.) 10. Have students learn and practice how to take proper costume measurements. 11. Create and/or design a method for an organized props area. Use your own theatre space as a model and have students figure out the most effective use of the space. 12. Create a master props list for a show you’re studying. If you’re actually doing a school production, give the list to the props head to save them time! 13. Have students design makeup looks for a play you’re studying, using a blank face template. Take it a step further and have students try to create the makeup looks on each other with actual makeup. 14. Find three different recipes for stage blood and test them on different kinds of fabric to see which recipe is most realistic-looking and which one washes out the best. 15. Try the following exercises here on the Theatrefolk blog – all instructions included! • Found Objects • Respect the Tech! • Create a Program for Your Production • Costume Quick Change & Prop Switch Don’t forget to check out the Drama Teacher Academy for even more technical theatre lesson plans and classroom resources, as well as professional development courses to increase your technical theatre knowledge, skills, and confidence.

Technical theatre is not my specialty. I admire the creative types who create artful mood lighting, whip together fabulous costumes, make props with little more than glue and glitter, and build sets that transport audiences to all manner of wonderful places. So the following tips come from my own learning process within the world of technical theatre. It is possible to succeed when tech isn’t your specialty. It’s important to learn as much as you can about various technical theatre disciplines, not only so you know what is achievable for your classes and productions, but also so you can appreciate the work of technical experts and share that appreciation with your students. Read on for five tips for your technical theatre discovery process. 1. Admit you are learning and learn together with your students.Yes, you are the teacher, but that doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers. This is a great opportunity to learn about technical theatre along with your students. Watch clips from filmed plays or musicals and analyze the technical work. Discuss what was most effective, and how they might have created the effects. Learn about your school’s technical equipment together – read the instruction manuals, and then practice making the equipment work. Create simple documents giving step-by-step instructions on how to use the equipment – how to turn it on and off, troubleshooting, and so on. Read and share blog posts about technical theatre – you can start right here. 2. Narrow your focus.You don’t need to focus on every single area of technical theatre at the same time. Choose one area to start your focus – for example, just focus on sets for this semester. Or, if you teach different grade levels, select a different discipline for each grade – grade 9s learn about costumes, while grade 10s learn about sound design, for example. This can encourage students to continue drama studies throughout their time in school, as they’ll learn about a new technical area in each grade. 3. Learn from an expert.Whenever possible, bring in guest speakers, host workshops, and engage experts in your learning process. Reach out to technical theatre specialists – perhaps you can arrange for a backstage tour of a nearby theatre, or have a professional theatre technician come in and speak to your students about what they do for a living. If you hire technicians to help your school production, observe them as they do their work and ask questions. If possible, take a course or workshop yourself and share your new knowledge with your students. And what better way to get hands-on experience in a new technical theatre area than to get involved in a production? If you’re not already involved with your local community theatre group, get in touch with them and join the crew of their upcoming show. While you’re learning, see if these experts would be willing to help out with your upcoming production in their area of specialty! 4. Let your students take the lead.Switch things up and have your students become the experts. Divide students into groups and assign each group a different technical theatre discipline – sound, lighting, sets, props, costumes, hair and makeup, and so on. Have each group complete a research project on their technical area and present it to the class. There are many different topics to explore, such as what tasks their technical theatre area involves, why it’s important in the theatre, the history of their discipline, common equipment used in their discipline, safety concerns, and training/education necessary to work in that area. Have them show what they’ve learned by demonstrating how a piece of technical equipment works (sound or lighting) or creating a piece to share with the class (set mock-up, costume piece, hair/makeup demonstration). 5. Keep it simple.You may have grand technical plans for your class production or extracurricular show, but productions can be just as entertaining and spectacular with little or simple technical aspects. You could set your show on an empty stage, have students perform in simple black pants and shirts, mime props, create live sound effects, or even all of the above. Challenge yourself and your students to create an interesting and engaging low- or no-tech production. Add additional technical elements as your confidence and skills grow.