Complete a circle map to show what you already know about careers within the theatrical industry. If you have no prior knowledge, predict what you think.

Bell Ringer Complete a circle map to show what you already know

about careers within the theatrical industry. If you have no prior knowledge, predict what you think some jobs may be.

Any information

know about Theatre Careers

you already

Point of View

Why is it important

?

How do you

know what you

know?

What wouldyou like to know more about?

Theatre

Careers

Review Bell Ringer Turn to your shoulder

partner and share your circle map with them.

Is it different than yours?

What did they know about that you didn’t? What did you know about that they didn’t?

Excerpts from 10 Ways Being a Theatre Major Prepared Me For Success

Article by Tom Vander When I chose my major, I had no pipe dreams about

becoming a professional actor. I did it because more than one wise adult had advised me that my actual major in college would have less impact on my eventual job search than having the actual degree. “Study what you love” I was told, “not what you think will get you a job.”

Fast forward 25 years and, like many people, I am no where near the waypoint on life’s road I envisioned I’d be back in college. Almost 20 years as a business consultant and now a business owner with a modestly successful track record in my business and blogging, I realize how much being a theatre major set me on the road towards success.

Here are 10 ways being a theatre major helped me succeed:

Example 1 Improvisation. The great thing about the

stage is that when it’s live and you’re up in front of that audience anything can, and does, happen. Dropped lines, missed entrances, or malfunctioning props require you to improvise while maintaining your cool. Theatre taught me how to focus, think quickly and make do while giving the impression that you’ve got it all under control. It’s served me well when clients, airlines, coworkers, or technology wreak unexpected havoc at the worst possible moment.

Example 2 Project Management. A stage

production is basically a business project. You have teams of people making up one team working to successfully accomplish a task on time, on budget in such a way that you earn the applause and an occasional standing ovation. Being taught to stand at the helm of a theatrical production was a project management practicum.

Example 3 Working with a Limited Budget.

Everybody who has worked on stage knows that it’s not the road to fortune. Most plays (especially small college shows) are produced on a shoestring budget. This forces you to be imaginative, do more with less and find creative ways to get the results you want without spending money. Ask any corporate manager and they’ll tell you that this pretty much describes their job. Mine too.

Example 4 Dealing with Very Different Human Beings. The

theatrical community is a mash-up of interesting characters. It always has been. From fringe to freakish to frappucino sipping socialites and everything in between, you’re going to encounter the most amazing and stimulating cross-section of humanity when you work in theatre. In my business career I have the unique and challenging task of walking in the CEO’s office in the morning to present our findings in an executive summary presentation and to receive a high level grilling. I will then spend the afternoon presenting the same data to overworked, underpaid, cynical front-line employees and get a very different grilling. Theatre taught me how to appreciate, understand and effectively communicate with a widely diverse group of human beings.

Example 5 Understanding the Human Condition. Most people have

the mistaken impression that acting is all about pretending and being “fake” in front of others. What I learned as a theatre major was that good actors learn the human condition intimately through observation and painfully detailed introspection. The better you understand that human being you are portraying from the inside out, the better and more authentic your performance is going to be. In my business I am constantly using the same general methods to understand my clients, their customers as well as myself and my co-workers. I believe that having a better understanding of myself and others has ultimately made me a better (though far from perfect) employee, consultant, employer, and ultimately friend. I didn’t learn methods of observing and understanding others in Macro Econ, I learned it in Acting I & Acting II.

Example 6 Doing Whatever Needs to Be Done. When you’re a theatre

major at a small liberal arts college there is little room for specializing within your field. You have to learn to do it all. Light design, sound engineering, acting, directing, producing, marketing, PR, set design, set construction, ticket sales, budgeting, customer service, ushering, make-up, and costuming are all things I had to do as part of my college career. Within our merry band of theatre majors we all had to learn every piece of a production because at some point we would be required to do what needed to be done. I learned that I can capably do just about anything that I need to do. I may not love it and I may not be gifted or excellent at it, but give me a task and I’ll figure it out. I now work for a small consulting firm that requires me to do a wide range of tasks. The experience, can-do attitude and determined spirit I learned in the theatre have been essential to success.

Example 7 Hard work. I remember creating a tree for one of our college

shows. We had no idea how we were going to do it, but we made an amazing life-like tree that emerged from the stage and looked as if it disappeared into the ceiling above the theatre. My team mates and I cut out each and every leaf and individually hot-glued them to the branches of the tree. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of them glued on while standing on a rickety ladder high above the stage. Sleepless nights, burnt fingers and a few brushes with tragedy were needed to get that tree done. But, we got it done. It was fabulous. And a few days later we tore it down, threw it out, and got ready for the next production. C’est la vie. In business I have periods of time with unbelievable workloads in which there are sleepless nights, seemingly endless days and tireless work on projects that will be presented and then will be over. The report will be archived and I’m onto the next project. C’est la vie. I learned all about that as a theatre major.

Example 8 Making Difficult Choices. You’ve got four parts and twenty four

schoolmates who auditioned. Some of them are your best friends and fellow theatre majors. Do you choose the inexperienced jock because he’s best for the part or the friend and fellow theatre major who you fear will never talk to you again if you don’t cast him? My senior project was supposed to be performed outside in the amphitheater but the weather was cold, windy and miserable. Do I choose to stick with the plan because it’s what my actors are comfortable with and it’s what we’ve rehearsed and it will only stress out the cast and crew to change the venue at the last minute? Or, do I choose to think about the audience who will be more comfortable and might actually pay attention and appreciate the performance if they are inside away from the cold, the wind and possible rain? [I changed the venue]. Any business person will tell you that difficult decisions must sometimes be made. The higher the position the harder the decisions and the more people those decisions affect. Being a theatre major gave me a taste of what I would have to digest in my business career.

Example 9 Presentation Skills. Okay, it’s a no brainer but

any corporate employee can tell you horror stories of having to endure long training sessions or corporate presentations by boring, unprepared, incompetent or just plain awful presenters. From what I’ve experienced, individuals who can stand up confidently in front of a group of people and capably, effectively communicate their message while even being motivating and a little entertaining are among the rarest individuals in the business world. Being a theatre major helped me be one of them.

Example 10 Doing the Best You Can With What You’ve Got. Over the

years I’ve told countless front line service reps that this is rule #1 of customer service. You do the best you can with what you’ve got to work with. I remember an Acting I class in college in which a pair of students got up to present a scene they’d prepared. They presented the scene on a bare stage with no lighting, make-up, costumes, props or set pieces. It was just two students acting out the script. It was one of those magic moments that happen with live theatre. The rest of the class was transfixed and pulled into the moment, reacting with surprising emotion to what they witnessed. You don’t need Broadway theatrics to create a magical theatrical moment on stage. You don’t even need a stage. The same is true of customer service. You don’t always need the latest technology, the best system, or the greatest whiz bang doo-dads. A capable employee doing the best they can and serving a customer with courtesy, empathy, friendliness and a commitment to resolve can and does win customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Scale4 – In addition to a level 3, I can market myself and

the skills I have in a way that I would be able to receive a job.

3 – I can identify all of the theatrical careers and what skills are necessary to those positions.

2 – I can identify some of the theatrical careers.

1 – With help, I can understand some of the theatrical careers.

0 – Even with help, I don’t understand any of it.

Review Learning Goal Learning Goal: The student will

understand the pertinent skills necessary to pursue a career within the theatrical field.

Where are you in your learning goal?Number yourself now in your scale.How hard have you been trying?What can you do to improve your score?

What are we Learning About Today?

Objective: Students will be able to identify what careers are in the theatrical field and what skills are necessary for them with 80% accuracy as seen with group activities.

Let’s Make Some Connections Learning Goal: The student will understand

the pertinent skills necessary to pursue a career within the theatrical field.

Objective: Students will be able to identify what careers are in the theatrical field and what skills are necessary for them with 80% accuracy as seen with group activities.

How does today’s Objective relate to our Learning Goal?

Essential QuestionWhat careers are available

in theatre?

Predict the answer to the essential question. Write your thoughts on the back of your bell ringer and see if this changes at all by the end of the lesson.

Theatre Careers

Career Title Responsibilities Skills Required Would I want this job? Why or why not?

Actor

Director

Playwright

Set Designer

Costume DesignerLighting Designer

Sound Designer

ChoreographerPublic Relations/Marketing

Producer

Stage Manager

Previewing Activity

1. What are the responsibilities of an Actor?2. What are the responsibilities of a Director?3. What are the responsibilities of a Playwright?4. What are the responsibilities of a Set Designer?5. What are the responsibilities of a Costume

Designer?6. What are the responsibilities of a Lighting Designer?7. What are the responsibilities of a Sound Designer?8. What are the responsibilities of a Choreographer?9. What are the responsibilities of a Dramaturg?10. What are the responsibilities of a Producer?

Keep an eye out for the answers to

these questions

throughout the powerpoint!

So you want a job in theatre?

Many people want to be a leading actor or actress within the theatre or film industries.

“A career in the performing arts is not an easy one. Younger performers (and many others) are still continuously surprised to learn that only 14.4% of all members are employed in live theatre in any given week or that their median earnings are less than $7,000 each year. Yet, despite this, each year thousands of individuals remain undeterred in their desire to become part of the artistic and cultural life of America. Why? Because they instinctively know that the arts have the power to enhance not only their own lives but to illuminate the human condition and that a life in the theatre is not just about entertaining – it is ultimately, about the power to elevate and transform the human spirit.”

If these numbers do deter you from seeking a position as an actor, luckily there are many other positions within a theatre that are not quite as difficult to break in to. While there are many, many positions, this week we are going to focus on ten of them.

Why is this important? Obviously not all of you will want to work in the

theatre industry, but through this lesson you will not only learn about specific theatrical careers, but you will also learn about the skills necessary for them and how to market yourself to obtain a position.

The skills we will review for each position and the ability to market yourself will all carry over into any position you may want in any industry there is.

The basic things you need to ask yourself are: What do I want to do? What skills and training does that position require? Do I have what it takes to do this position?

Jobs in Theatre Actor Director Playwright Set Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Sound Designer Choreographer Dramaturg Producer

Actor Most successful actors and actresses have

paid their dues by performing in a variety of situations including local, community and school productions, summer stock, touring companies which are usually non-paying performances.

Skills Required: Actors and actresses should be articulate, with clear,

pleasant speaking voices. They should be poised and have the ability to perform

in front of people. Individuals working in any field of entertainment need a

thick skin. They should be able to deal with rejection that everyone runs into at one time or another in their career.

Activity Cold Read Audition

If a memorized monologue is not required for an audition, you will most likely have to do what is known as a cold read. This means that they will give you a script, give you a few moments to look it over, and then watch you perform it.

You will then be judged based on your ability to comprehend and analyze the script with very little preparation.

Most of these auditions are open calls or “cattle calls.” This means that anyone who wants to can come to the audition. You wait in lines for hours to be seen for an average of 60 seconds.

Volunteers will reenact a cold read audition.

Director A Director brings plays to life. S/he

coordinates all aspects of the production to give the play a unified look and feel.

Skills Required: Directors need to be creative people who have

the ability to guide actors and actresses in their speech and physical movements

Directors need to be strong leaders that people are willing to follow.

They need to be confident and clear in the portrayal of their vision within the production.

Activity Director Improv Game

A scene will be acted out by the actors. The director will stop the scene at any point and have the actors change emotions, genres, or speeds within the scene. The script of the scene will be similar each time, but it will change as the directions change.

Examples: Emotions: Happy, Sad, Excited, Silly, etc. Genres: Soap Opera, Sci Fi, Musical, Action, Horror,

etc. Speeds: Slow, Super Slow Motion, Fast, Super Fast

Playwright This person is responsible for writing the

script for a theatrical production. Skills Required:

Playwrights should have excellent writing skills They should have a good command of the

English language. The should also be creative and have a clear

and interesting story to tell.

Activity Quick Write:

Modernize a fairy tale. It can be in play format or it can be a short story. The point of the quick write is to show that you can be creative and tell an interesting story.

Set Designer The scenic designer works with the director and other designers to

establish an overall visual concept for the production and design the stage environment. He is responsible for developing a complete set of design drawings that include the following: basic ground plan showing all stationary scenic elements; composite ground plan showing all moving scenic elements, indicating

both their onstage and storage positions; section of the stage space incorporating all elements; front elevations of every scenic element, and additional elevations or

sections of units as required. The scenic designer is responsible for collaborating with

the theatre director and other members of the production design team to create an environment for the production and then communicating the details of this environment to the technical director, production manager, charge scenic artist and prop master. Scenic designers are responsible for creating scale models of the scenery, renderings, paint elevations and scale construction drawings as part of their communication with other production staff.

Lighting Designer The role of the lighting designer (or LD)

within theatre is to work with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create the lighting, atmosphere, and time of day for the production in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety, and cost. The LD also works closely with the stage manager or show control programming, if show control systems are used in that production. 

Sound Designer Sound design is the process of specifying,

acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements Sound design most commonly involves the manipulation of previously composed or recorded audio, such as music and sound effects. In some instances it may also involve the composition or manipulation of audio to create a desired effect or mood. A sound designer is one who practices the art of sound design.

Costume Designer Designers typically seek to enhance a character's personality,

and to create an evolving plot of colour, changing social status, or period through the visual design of garments and accessories. They may distort or enhance the body—within the boundaries of the director's vision. The designer must ensure that the designs let the actor move as the role requires. The actor must execute the director's blocking of the production without damaging the garments. Garments must be durable and washable, particularly in extended runs. The designer must consult not only with the director, but the set and lighting designers to ensure that all elements of the overall production design work together. The designer must possess strong artistic capabilities and a thorough knowledge of pattern development, draping, drafting, textiles and fashion history. The designer must understand historical costuming, and the movement style and poise that period dress may require.

Choreographer A choreographer is one who designs dances. The

art of choreography involves the specification of human movement and form in terms of space, shape, time and energy, typically within an emotional or non-literal context. Movement language is taken from the dance techniques of ballet, contemporary dance, jazz dance, hip hop dance, folk dance, religious dance, pedestrian movement, or combinations of these.

Public Relations/Marketing Theatrical marketing is a specialty within the marketing and

sales profession. You need an intricate knowledge of theater and how a theater company works behind the scenes. This involved field requires more than advertising an upcoming show or selling tickets. You need research, analytical and decision-making skills, writing and design abilities, and the willingness to work closely with patrons of the arts.

Identify the Target Market The marketing professional researches the target audience in each

city where the theater company performs. He identifies potential donors and which segments of the population are most likely to purchase tickets. You need to know what other types of entertainment is scheduled for the same time as the theater company performances, and develop a strategy to entice people to attend the play instead.

Advertising

Producer A theatrical producer is a person who oversees all

aspects of mounting a theatre production. The producer manages the overall financial and managerial functions of a production or venue, raises or provides financial backing, and hires personnel for creative positions (writer, director, designers, composer, choreographer—and in some cases, performers). The producer creates and oversees the budget, sets ticket prices, chooses performance dates and times, and develops a marketing and advertising strategy for the production. Hiring a publicist and marketing team is one of the most important responsibilities of the producer. These teams are generally in place before the show is cast.

The producer collaborates with the director and all staff to plan a production timeline and deadlines for various aspects of the production to ensure a successful show opening and run. The producer and director oversee this timeline, with periodic re-assessment and modifications as needed.

Producer Project Provides financial backing

Presentation to backers (class) Feel free to make posters, backboards, or powerpoints to sell your production.

Hires writer, director, designers, composer, choreographer, and performers. Who is writng, directing, and performing in your production?

Creates and oversees the budget How much will it cost?

Sets ticket prices How much do tickets cost?

Chooses performance dates and times When will this performance be?

Develops a marketing and advertising strategy for the production. How will you make sure people know about your show?

(Commercials, Posters, etc.) Production timeline and deadlines

When will you start, be finished, premiere, etc?

Drama 2 - Careers Project College

Name Location Admission Process Tuition/Scholarships Why this school

High School Requirements GPA SAT/ACT Volunteer Hours Extra Curriculars

Major Program Overview Class Examples Internship? Why this program?

Job Overview Job Description Starting Salary Average Salary

Dream Job Where would you

work? Doing what? How are you getting

it? Why this job?

Activity 3 volunteers that feel they have the skills necessary to

be a producer. You have got everything in place for your show, but

you need some financial backing (money) Your classmates are all very wealthy individuals that

frequently give money to the theatre. Talk your potential investors into giving towards your show. Explain why yours is the best and why they should have faith in you and your production.

Stage Manager The role of the stage manager is especially important to the director in rehearsals. Here

the director and the stage manager work side by side, with the stage manager recording the director's decisions about blocking and notes for the actors, keeping track of logistical and scheduling details and communicating what goes on in rehearsals to the rest of the team. This enables the director to concentrate his or her full attention on directing.

Stage managers have several key responsibilities, including: scheduling and running rehearsals communicating the director's wishes to designers and crafts people coordinating the work of the stage crew calling cues and possibly actors' entrances during performance overseeing the entire show each time it is performed

In conjunction with the director, the stage manager determines the scheduling of all rehearsals and makes sure everyone involved is notified of rehearsal times, meetings, costume/wig fittings and coaching sessions. During the rehearsal phase, stage managers also: mark out the dimensions of the set on the floor of the rehearsal hall make sure rehearsal props and furnishings are available for the actors attend all rehearsals notify the designers and crafts people of changes made in rehearsal

In rehearsals the stage manager also records all blocking, plus all the light, sound and set change cues, in a master copy of the script called the prompt book. The information in the prompt book also allows the stage manager to run the technical rehearsals, calling each technical cue in turn to determine precisely how it needs to be timed to coordinate with the onstage action.

Dramaturg A dramaturg serves as a researcher, advisor,

writer, and editor for a production. Some of the more common tasks performed by a dramaturg are analysis of the text/story, research into prior productions and historical context, preparing notes for the director, advising the director and cast, and writing the audience guide to the play.