Majoring in Theatre Technology

<p>Hi, I'm going to be a senior in high school this coming school year, and am very interested in pursuing theatre tech or stage management when I graduate next year. What type of experience do you need in order to get accepted into those types of programs? And would having only high school experience be acceptable?</p>

<p>My experience is fairly limited, as I have only had high school experience, and I'm afraid that universities would not consider me for that reason. That being said however, I have spent over 570 hours participating in drama over three years, I've been a part of every show since my freshman year (we do two mainstage shows, and one 10 minute play festival a year), I've been on sound crew five times (four of which I've been the head), grips, I was the ASM for the musical my junior year, and was elected SM the end of this year, which means I'll be stage managing the two mainstage shows next year. I have also learned how to operate a lightboard, set construction, and other things like that. Would this be considered enough or not enough experience to get accepted into a good program?</p>

<p>Also, what could you do with a BFA in stage management or theatre technology? If you got a BFA in stage management, would you be strictly limited to stage managing, or would you be able to do other things relating to crew (backstage work, lighting etc.) ? Thanks!</p>

<p>The other people you are competing with are also people just like you, who have just come out of high school and so their experience is almost entirely going to be high school productions.</p>

<p>Make sure you let the colleges know about all this experience you have. Don’t leave anything out. You will probably also need a “portfolio”, a collection of documents, photos, etc that can show people what tech work you have done. So start organizing that, and in the meantime keep getting as much tech experience as you can.</p>

<p>I have always heard that folks with theatre tech degrees have an easier time finding work than folks with acting and directing degrees–there are simply too many aspiring actors and directors for the few jobs available, while there is often a shortage of trained tech people.</p>

<p>In small theatres, everyone has to help out, and “job descriptions” tend not to be very strict, so you will indeed find yourself doing everything. Later (maybe not much later!) in your career you will be working for union theatres, that will have strict rules about what folks can or can’t do. But for a job like “stage manager” or “technical director” a good overview of all theatre tech is only going to help, not hurt.</p>

<p>Look for posts by KyndCookie. you will defntely need a portfolio and should begin working on preparation of that now. You’ll find info on what to nclude on various postings on the drama major forums and also search the Internet for some good resources and examples. You will need to interview and present your portfolio so begin checking the websites for schools you are interested in so you can get a jump on securing your interview date Now, some programs are non-interview/audition based, so in those cases, you just apply to the school and that’s it. For audition-based programs, you must be accepted to the major (theatre). Design/tech is very different from SM so investigate each school you’re interested in to make sure the have ample coursework and opportunity for experience in your area of interest Most audition-based programs will let you learn about tech/design and SM the first year and possibly part ofthe second, then after that you designate a concentration and focus on your specialty. When looking at college websites you’ll search for the theatre department and the look for Design and Production.</p>

<p>Your portfolio is important, but not the end-all of your acceptance into a stage management program. Your basic personality type, and your ability to be both articulate and diplomatic will also be a strong factor in the decision. </p>

<p>Don’t spend a lot of time worrying about your experience. From the sound of it You have a good deal of academic theatre experience already. Since you are heading into your senior year, I would suggest you try to work outside your school. I don’t know where you are located, but you could contact the production manager or production stage manager of the largest theatre company in your town to see if there are any volunteer opportunities available. Make sure they understand that you are going to pursue production in college and would like to get some professional exposure. If they are not interested, move on to the next largest company, etc. Most of the scene shops will likely not want to bring on a volunteer for liability purposes, as shops can be dangerous places. You may have more luck getting an unpaid “production assistant” or “shadow” position working for a stage management team. Since you are in school you won’t be able to attend most rehearsals, but you can ask to spend time in rehearsal on the weekends. Most good size regional theatres will already have stage management interns who are college students, so you may get some reluctance to bring you on, but if you explain that you are keen on becoming a professional stage manager and want to see what it’s really like you may get some traction.</p>

<p>For more information, read this thread, and the subthread mentioned at the beginning of it:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/1514534-qestions-about-stage-management-technical-production.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/1514534-qestions-about-stage-management-technical-production.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;