THE1010 Introduction to Play Production Fall Semester Monday 7-9PM       Attendence Policy Attendance in the course is mandatory; roll will be taken. Class meetings will begin and end on time. Repeated absences and tardiness will result in the drop of one letter grade, but before that drop of the letter grade, the instructor will try to have a conference with the student. Class Texts Required: The Theatre Experience, 7th Edition, Edwin Wilson New York: McGraw-Hill. Optional: The HBJ Anthology of Drama, W.B. Worthen, Orlando: Harcourt Brace. Jovanovich, Inc.     Schedule       Week 1 Introduction, tour of our theatre, production, organization, types of theatre. Origins of theatre, Pp. 1-9, Chapter 15. Week 2 Audience, elements and types of plays, the playwright. Their change and development over the centuries, Chapters 1-4, 8-14 Week 3 The actor, methods/techniques of acting. Where did the actor come from, Chapters 5 & 6 Week 4 The director, the producer and their history, Chapter 7 Week 5 Design concepts and where it all stated, the scene designer, Chapters 16 & 19 Week 6 Technical director, scenery, construction, props Week 7 Midterm Week 8 Design concept the costume designer, history of costume, Chapter 17 Week 9 Design concepts, the lighting designer , history of lighting. Chapter 18 Week 10 Sound and special effects. Chapter 19 and pp. 352-353 Week 11 The stage manager, crew organization, and their development Week 12 Theatre management, the business manager, publicity and how this area has developed through the ages Week 13 Strike and critique Week 14 Presentation, production analysis Week 15 FINAL EXAM     Grading Policy A cumulative point system is used to determine grades as opposed to the traditional percentage point system. That is, your grade is determined by adding up points that you have collected throughout the semester. There are 1000 possible points you can receive through the normal course of the semester. The breakdown is as follows:     Assignment Points Possible Class Attendance & and Quizzes 100 (5pts per class, 5pts per quiz) Class Assignments 100 (10 assignments at 10pts each) Midterm 100 Final 200 Lab 300 (6pts for each [non-acting] hour) Show Reviews 100 (Must have ticket stub and program) Final Project 100 (All items must be accounted for)     Extra Credit You may also earn extra credit by doing extra work as outlined below. However, 600 points of your grade MUST come from a cross section of each of the above (at least 2/3 of your total points from each type of assignment) Name Reports (One Page) 5 points each Article or Chapter Reports 5 points each Show Reviews (Beyond the Two Assigned) 10 points each Reports on Plays 5 points each Work on Outside Productions Variable points   All reports for extra credit must be in the MLA format with a proper works cited page, at least one page in length, typed, and provide photocopies of the articles used. Ticket stubs and programs are required for the Show Reviews. Work on outside productions MUST be PRE-APPROVED BEFORE the work is started. If pre-approval is not given, no points will be allowed. Work on outside productions CANNOT interfere with CSM productions. Shows in production on the CSM La Plata campus take priority over those on other campuses (Calvert, St. Mary’s, etc.) You must also write a (minimum) 3 page report on the work that you did with an additional signature page included. This signature page is to be signed by a person in authority who can verify the work that you described in your report. A telephone number of this person must also be included. NOTE: VERY MINIMAL POINTS ARE GIVEN TO OUTSIDE PRODUCTION WORK. YOU ARE TAKING THE THEATRE CLASS ON THIS CAMPUS, THEREFORE, YOU MUST MEET ALL REQUIRED LAB HOURS HERE BEFORE YOU CAN START WORKING ELSEWHERE FOR EXTRA CREDIT POINTS. All extra credit work is due two weeks before the end of the semester.     Explanation of Assignments   Lab Hours The student is expected to spend a minimum of 45 hours of lab time over the course of the semester. Lab hours are accumulated through pre-approved participation in any area of production. The area of participation will be chosen in consultation with the instructor. The technical area will be split between pre-production and running crews. The student may participate in either or both. Lab participation is graded on attendance, preparedness, and performance. Just showing up to hang out and occasionally swing a hammer is not acceptable. All work done that day must be approved by the instructor before lab hours can be recorded. If you are on a running crew, it is essential that you be present for all rehearsals and performances. There are no exceptions. To ensure the timely accumulation of your lab hours, you should average a minimum of 3 hours per week. Assignments   Production Reviews Students will attend two different types of productions at theatres in the area. A written review for each play needs to be turned in after seeing the show. Remember, a ticket stub and program is required for each show. Final Project (Production Handbook) Each student will choose a play, inform the instructor of the title, read the play, and develop a production handbook for it. The student will write a director’s approach, character analysis, and rehearsal schedule; block one scene; come up with a ground plan, a prop list, a light plot, a costume sketch, a make-up design and 3 elements of publicity for the play. You may add additional information if you wish. Explanations of the requirements will be given as each of these topics is covered in class throughout the semester. The project will be shared with the class at the end of the semester. Each day that the project is late results in one letter grade being dropped. Objectives   I. Production Organization A. Identify the various members of the production staff. B. Describe each of their duties. C. Describe their relations and interactions. II. Audience A. Identify who the audience is and what their role is. B. Describe their responsibilities and needs. III. Elements A. Identify the different types of characters. B. Identify and describe the conventions of the dramatic structure. C. Describe the idea of the point of view. D. Identify and describe tragedy and comedy and their various forms. IV. Playwright A. Identify the role of the playwright. B. Describe the process of the playwright. V. Actor A. Identify the different roles of the actor. B. Identify and describe the various methods of acting. VI. Director A. Identify the duties of the director. B. Describe the casting and rehearsal process. VII. Set Designer A. Identify the duties of the set designer. B. Describe the design process. C. Identify the materials of the set designer. VIII. Technical Director A. Identify the duties of the technical director. B. Describe the relationship and the interaction of the TD and the production staff. IX. Lighting Designer A. Identify the duties of the lighting designer. B. Describe the design process. C. Identify the materials of the lighting designer. X. Costume Designer A. Identify the duties of the costume designer. B. Describe the design process. C. Identify the materials of the costume designer. D. Identify the various elements of theatrical make-up and their uses. XI. Stage Manager and Crew A. Identify the duties of the stage manager and the running crew. B. Describe the interaction of the stage manager and the production crew. XII. Theatre Management A. Identify the people who work in theatre management. B. Describe the duties of the theatre manager, business manager and the publicity staff. C. Identify and describe the elements of theatre management.