Technical Theatre

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”...

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...

We reached out to you, our amazing community, through social media to ask, What are your biggest props/costume challenges for your productions or upcoming show?.Turns out, there are lots of...

In the drama classroom and rehearsal space, drama teachers work with students to express themselves in a variety of ways. We encourage our students to push their boundaries, to explore new...

The backstage area can be chaotic enough without having to worry about all the props for the show. Help to reduce backstage stress by using these seven tips to help keep your props area neat, tidy,...

Full disclosure – lighting design is NOT my forte. I am in awe of those wonderful people with skills in creating atmosphere with just the right shade of lighting gel, an artfully angled instrument,...

Lights, sound, special effects – these are the cherries on top of the sundae of your already amazing production. And for each fabulous effect that you add to your show, you’ll need an equally...

When working on a musical with your students, you will need to decide whether you will use a live band or backing (karaoke) tracks for the music. Whether you use a live band or backing tracks,...

That is the question…and it is yet another decision you must make while producing your upcoming school show. Yes, your students are making smart character choices and acting their hearts out; yes,...

“The show must go on” is a common phrase in the theatre world, and a stage manager is one of the crucial people who ensures that the show does go on. The stage manager works side by side with the...

Do you consider yourself a theatrical specialist with one definite focus? Or are you more the multi-passionate type? I certainly don’t ascribe to the “jack of all trades, master of none” train of...

Costumes, whether fabulously extravagant, simple and functional, ragged and threadbare, or anything in between, are lots of fun. Costumes help to tell the story of the show visually, and really...

Teachers, the following list of dos and don’ts is a great way to introduce costume care etiquette to your students. Whether your students are beginning actors or seasoned drama department pros,...

Costumes are such a fantastic way of making the story of a show come alive. Costumes help students really understand and embody their characters. Costumes can also clearly and easily demonstrate...

Getting to try on a new costume for the first time is one of every student’s favourite parts of the rehearsal process. A costume helps so much to tell the story of the show, and helps students...

It’s never a question of “if” something will go wrong during a theatrical production…it’s completely a case of “when” something will go wrong! But when things do inevitably go wrong, will you and...

Show programs (also known as playbills) are the easiest way to share important production information with the audience. Programs are a method of acknowledging all the hard work done by the cast...

Real talk: Teachers, it is likely you won’t have every item on your props, costume, and set wishlists for the show. It is also unlikely that you are staging your show with an unlimited budget, a...