STAGECRAFT
MPAET-UE 9-001
Fall, 2011 Syllabus
Instructor: Daryl Embry
Phone: 917-319-7101
Email: daryl_embry@yahoo.com
Regular Class Meeting Times and Places:
Mondays and Wednesdays 4:55 - 6:35
Locations: East Building, Room 420
*Other Locations: Scene Shop (Basement of Education Bldg., 35 W 4th), Loewe Theatre
Introduction:
Stagecraft is designed as an introduction to essential skills in the technical areas of theater production.
Specific topics include scenic construction, props, lighting, wardrobe, drafting, and production organization.
There will be opportunity to learn about and practice the use of commonly used tools and equipment in the
scene shop, backstage, and in the lighting lab. Although the course will make use of the NYU Theatres and
shops as a laboratory, the skills and techniques will transfer to other theatres. In each area there will be
emphasis on both efficiency and safety in carrying out the duties of members of technical crews.
Course requirements:
■ Class: The class will meet twice a week. Because of the Lab component, not everyone will be meeting
every day.
■
Independent Production Reaction Papers: All students will be required to seek out and attend
theatrical productions and write a short review of the technical aspects of the production. Students
enrolled for in the class for 4.0 credits will see and review 3 shows, students enrolled for 3.0 credits
will see and review 2 shows, and those enrolled for 2.0 credits will see and review 1 show. Papers can
be handed in throughout the semester, but must be turned in no later than December 12th.
■
Steinhardt Production Reaction Papers: In addition to attending independent productions, you must
also attend 2 of the 5 shows produced by the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions
this semester. In some cases, you will be given complimentary tickets to an invited dress rehearsal—if
you cannot attend the invited dress, you will be responsible for purchasing tickets to another
performance. Short papers containing a review of the technical aspects of the production will be due
the Wednesday after a show's strike. These papers will not be accepted late! The shows and dates
are as follows:
■
The Sweet Smell of Success: Sept 29 – Oct 3 (Invited Dress
Sept 28th), Loewe
■
The Triangle Project: Oct 28 – Nov 6 (Invited Dress, Oct
27nd), Black Box Theatre
■
Masters Dance Concert: Nov 18 – 20, Loewe Theatre
■
New Student Cabaret: Nov 18 – 19, Black Box Theatre
■
Chamber Opera: Dec 9- 11, Provincetown Playhouse (133
MacDougal)
●
Final Presentations: At the end of the semester, each student will select an area of technical
theatre that he/she wants to know more about and prepare a 5-7 minute presentation on this
subject. This can be a topic that we have not discussed at all, or it can be a deeper
investigation of a topic that we covered at some point during the semester.
Text and apparel:
STAGECRAFT
MPAET-UE 9-001
Fall, 2011 Syllabus
You are responsible for showing up to all classes and crew calls with appropriate equipment and
clothing. Anyone not prepared for the day's activities will be dismissed and be counted absent.
RECOMMENDED TEXT: John Holloway, Illustrated Theatre Production Guide, Second Edition.
We will be using this text as a supplement to explore the process of bringing a production from the
text to the stage.
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXTS: J. Michael Gilette, Theatrical Design and Production
Paul Carter, Backstage Handbook
There is a dress code for lab: Wear lightweight clothing you don't mind ruining. Dresses and skirts
are not appropriate! An old t-shirt and jeans usually does the trick. You must have appropriate
footwear: no sandals, platforms, heels, or any open-toe footwear. Tennis shoes are fine, but won’t
protect your toes. Boots are great. Steel-toe boots are the best. No dangling jewelry allowed, rings
that catch on things must be removed, and long hair must be restrained and tied up.
Assignments, Projects & Tests
This class covers a lot of material very quickly.
Assignments are given in conjunction with the material covered. These are to help you comprehend the
information.
Projects are given in virtually every area that we cover. These are hands-on application exercises designed to
give you a basic experience with aspects of technical production. The projects may require a significant
amount of work outside of class (depending on the project, your comfort level with the skills, and your
efficient use of time). The shops are generally only available during the daytime hours—plan accordingly!
My tests tend to consist of matching/identification, short answer questions (fill in the blank or short phrase
answers), and short essays (requiring a paragraph to answer the question fully—these are usually applicationtype questions). The evaluation for this class includes one midterm and one final. Tests cover all material
presented in class, lab, lecture, text, and the required shows up to the date of the test. Without prior
arrangements or documentation of sudden illness, missed tests may not be made up—nor may papers be
turned in late.
Grades
Individual projects, assignments & tests are graded on a point basis. You will be told how many possible
points for each particular activity. My grading scale is below—you can figure your percentage & keep track
of your progress (your score/total possible=%). Final grades are calculated according to the following
weights:
Grade breakdown
Class Participation / Attendance
Written Assignments
Mid-Term Exam
Final Exam
Projects
Final Presentations
Penalties and extra credit see below
15%
20%
20%
15%
20%
10%
STAGECRAFT
MPAET-UE 9-001
Fall, 2011 Syllabus
Grading Scale
A
A-
95%
90%
B+
B
B-
87%
85%
80%
C+
C
C-
77%
75%
70%
D+
D
D-
67%
65%
60%
F
below 60%
Extra credit and penalties
You may earn extra credit by putting in extra crew hours as a building or paint technician, if
arranged with the teacher in advance. For every two hours of work you put in, your grade will go up
a percentage point.
For class and lab: you may miss one class and you may be late only once. After that, your grade
drops 4% for each class you miss and 2% for each class to which you are late. If you know you will
be late or absent, make prior arrangements with the teacher, so that these penalties will not apply. If
you are excused from a class or lab, you are, of course, responsible for knowing the material
covered that day.
Expectations
There are only a few things you must do to have success in this class:
1. Respect others. Treat everyone fairly. Have an open mind to understand other points of view and to try
new activities.
2. Come to class prepared. Bring your book, notebook, and something to write with.
3. Come to class on time.
4. Come prepared to learn. I expect that everyone wants to do their best & I do my best to run the class
efficiently and to concentrate on the task at hand. If you are focused, desire to succeed, ask questions,
and keep up with the work, then you will have success.
5. Be prepared to have fun. There are fun people in the class and theatre production work is fun!
6. Safety is the most important aspect of theatrical production, be sure you know exactly what you are
doing before you do it.