StageStruck CDROM -
created by NIDA - National Institute for Dramatic Arts
Volume 1 Number 19
Hi Folks,
Well, mid-year break is at an end and school starts again on Monday. I have 4 classes working on script development for their entries into the Youth on Heath Festival (performance heat on Sept 13), another class working on two one-act plays for assessment (directing both), my senior class is in the throes of devising their Solo Original Productions that will be showcased in a few weeks. My timetable include 2 Special Ed classes this semester and we get another group of Year 8's for Theatre and Movement. In all, I think I'm operating 12 or 13 concurrent programs of work. And just so I don't get bored I resume study towards my Master of Education qualification. The Drama Australia conference is on the agenda for the end of term and I'm hoping to present a workshop I've called "Cyborgs, Improv and Digital Drama in the Classroom" - I'll be going over the results of the Digital Drama Survey (see below) and looking at how you might use an avatar world to engage in Drama.
WEBQUESTS
Part of my learning for the "Cyborgs, Improv and Digital Drama in the Classroom" workshop has revealed that the 3D Avatar Worlds are are great way to facilitate a webquest! Last week I forgot to mention the other useful tool - TRACKSTAR. (see http://trackstar.hprtec.org/ )
DIGITAL DRAMA SURVEY
ENDING SOON!! A few people have queried the meaning of "digital environments" - really this just refers to any computer-mediated communication system. PLEASE: refer any colleagues to the survey, especially those who might not normally be browsing the web.
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LESSON/ACTIVITY IDEA
One of the many limitations in a high school drama program can be coming to terms with requirements in Technical Production. If you have a well equipped theatre space with an easily accessible lighting rig, functional sound system, maybe even access to a construction space for sets and costumes then you can probably tackle teaching technical stuff head on. If, on the other hand, you are teaching in a small classroom that serves every function - teaching space, rehearsal room, costume and prop store, teacher office and performance space... then you have to think more laterally about how you develop student knowledge and ability in the area of technical theatre.
As you might have gathered, I currently have very limited teaching resources - especially in terms of "space" - I tell my students we have plenty of two things: "Thin air and Imagination"... and in some classes imagination is in short supply!
I have had the luxury in other schools of being able to teach a very practical technical phase... however I am now faced with the challenge of finding alternatives. What follows are a few suggestions of how you might cope under similar circumstances. This is not an exhaustive list - simply a few suggestions.
Option 1 - Deconstruct existing designs.
Use websites to provide examples and virtual opportunities to explore the idea of light, sound, costume and set design. Visit sites like the International Theatre Design Archive mentioned below - find relevant set/costume/lighting designs - find excerpts of the scripts in question and attempt to replicate the process that the designers have undertaken. Of course you still need to teach and apply the basic elements of design (visit the Resources section of the Drama Education website for a handout sheet I use).
Option 2 - Use software
There are several ways of engaging in technical theatre in our virtual world. There is a good collection of software options - and as always these are dependent upon available resources, computer competence of teachers and students, etc.
StageStruck CDROM -
created by NIDA - National Institute for Dramatic Arts
Many Drama teachers in Australia will have at least a passing familiarity with StageStruck - if not, check in your school library, there should be a copy or two there as every school operating when the Australia on CD-ROM collection was released received one or two copies. There are some good lesson plans and instructions on how to utilise the software at the NIDA website - http://www.nida.edu.au - I have had students use this software to create and present set designs and costume suggestions. As I also have my own copy (sent by NIDA when I reviewed the package - thanks!) students are able to submit to me a disk with their StageStruck file and I can peruse the results at my leisure. You do need the CD to access the files. (Look for Interactive Projects on the NIDA website)
Opening Night - a simpler type of software - structured as a theatre
game - it is quite possible with younger students to plan stage layouts
and basic costumes with this game. It is produced by MECC - the
software says there is a website at http://www.mecc.com
but I've not been able to find it operational. It could be that
the company has gone the way of many software developers - so you might
have to keep your eyes open around the traps for a copy of the
game. It is most suitable for younger students probably Years 4 -
9 depending on their level of knowledge and experience. I found
these sites that mention more about this software - I picked up mine via
eBay :
Manufacturers CDROMs - one of the more useful and less obvious resources has come in the form of marketing CDs from lighting and staging manufacturers - I have one from Selecon that allows students to examine specifications of various theatre lanterns and then use interactive elements on the disk to see how the lighting effects work, what the controls are, how to focus and adjust the light output... similar disks are apparently in use from most manufacturers. The Selecon website - http://www.seleconlight.com/english/products/theatrical.html - offers some insight into the lighting products and package I refer to. Other sites including Strand - http://www.strandlight.com/ - offer technical information sheets downloadable from their websites.
Option 3 - Online Applications
It is possible to use a variety of online applications to explore technical theatre. VRML worlds are one possibility and Mark Reaney has made good use of that type of material. There are interactive lighting applications that simulate lighting effects - search for Radiance or visit my Technical Theatre links on the Drama Education website. The Virtual Design Lab - http://dolphin.upenn.edu/~pacshop/lab/lab.html - Stage Lighting Design online book - http://www.mts.net/~william5/sld.htm
Option 4 - Stand alone computer applications
It is also possible to use CAD, 3D modelling and graphics software to complete designs tasks.
Option 5 - Popsticks and Shoe boxes
This may seem very retrograde but it can be a very useful process - students actually build a scale model of a set using whatever is available - if that means toothpicks, glue and cereal boxes - so be it.
Option 6 - Theatre visits
Many theatres allow you to visit back stage - I know His Majesty's in Perth has run guided tours - as these tours are often conducted by technical and production crew it is a great way for students to get some insight into the technical operations of a working theatre. Whenever I'm travelling abroad I search out the major theatres and opera houses and ask if they run guided tours - very often there is a small fee involved and often accompanied by a very useful set of resource materials that can be used to build a technical theatre library at school. These days many theatres make all this material available via their websites.
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
16th and 17th Century Clothing: Renaissance tailoring techniques, manuscript sources, and technical advice. Also includes discussion of Tailor's pattern books from the 16th and 17th Centuries. This website and a majority of the information on it was authored and designed by Tammie L. Dupuis, who lives and works in the Pacific Northwest as a Designer/Developer for an Internet consulting firm. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology/Archeaology from Montana State University and has published articles on the various topics covered on this website in several costume newsletters both nationally and internationally over the last decade.
From the School Shows site a 14 page document in two chapters and plain English - downloadable as a text file of a zipped archive. The Guides may be used for any educational purpose, including use in a classroom or for the training of theatre students, free of charge, provided that the name of the author is prominently displayed on every copy - also available Directing the School Show --- Lighting the School Show --- Sound for the School Show
"The International Theatre Design Archive" is a venture of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology whose mission is to actively promote the advancement of knowledge and skills in all aspects of design and production in the performing arts.
The Backstage information guides are packed with useful information, not just in general but also tailored to precise piece of equipment you are most likely to come into contact with during your time with Backstage. The safety guide also contains vital information and is a must read for anyone wishing to familiarise themselves with the way things should be done. Guides to safety, lighting, sound and stage management.
PROFESSIONAL NEWS
IDEA
5th World Congress in Ottawa, Canada 2004 Download the necessary paperwork at the website.
The next world congress will take place 2-8 July, 2004 in Ottawa, Canada. Hosted by Theatre Canada, this congress will follow a theme of: "The Universal Mosaic of Drama: walking diverse pathways together; finding new directions".
For further information about this event, please contact the organizing committee at the following address.
Wayne Fairhead wfairhead@oise.utoronto.ca
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
eBOOKS - Can be downloaded immediately - A full listing of available eBooks.
Stage
Lightingstep-By-Step : The Complete Guide on Setting the Stage With
Light to Get Dramatic Results
by Graham Walters
Table of Contents includes
The empty space
Theater shapes
Making a lighting plan
Stage sections and light
Lighting angles
Creating atmosphere
Color theory
Unusual lighting positions
Stage
Management The true bible of the field for novices and experienced stage managers, this revised edition includes all the latest theatre advances. It can take an individual with no prior theatrical experience and give them all the know-how needed to function as a stage manager.
The
Phaidon Theatre Manuals
This set of books combine to create a useful resource
on most aspects of technical theatre production.
Costume
and Make Up - Michael Holt
Directing
a Play - Michael McCaffery
Lighting and Sound - Neil Fraser
Stage Design and Properties - Michael Holt
Stage
Management and Theatre Administration - Pauline Menear
Play
Directing in the School : A Drama Director's Survival Guide
by David Grote, Arthur L. Zapel (Editor)
Directing plays in schools requires knowledge and talents far different than directing for community or professional theatre. In ten comprehensive chapters the author explains the "real world" of producing effective theatricals in the school environment. He details the pitfalls and the problems while providing ideas for consistently successful shows. He covers budgeting, scheduling, faculty politics, motivating and disciplining students and many other school-life realities beyond a director or teacher's job description. Anyone faced with producing a play needs this book as a "Bible" for guidance and fulfillment of objectives. A drama director's survival guide.
Kim Flintoff
Copyright © September, 2004