TH235:
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
Contact Information
Textbook
Name: Stagecraft Fundamentals
Edition: 4th
ISBN: 978-1-03-212450-6
Author: Carver, Rita Kogler
Publisher: Routledge
Upon successful completion of this course, each student will be able to…
- Identify and correctly use standard stagecraft terminology in written and oral communication
- Recognize and describe the roles and responsibilities of production team members
- Interpret basic scenic, lighting, and sound design documents (ground plans, light plots, cue sheets, etc.)
- Select and use appropriate tools and materials for scenic construction and painting
- Demonstrate safe working practices in scene shops, on stage, and in lighting and sound areas
- Execute basic scenic construction techniques including measuring, cutting, fastening, and finishing
- Apply foundational stage painting and texturing techniques to scenery
- Hang, focus, and operate stage lighting instruments under supervision
- Patch and run basic sound systems for a live performance
- Assist in the creation and maintenance of props, set dressing, etc.
- Collaborate effectively in a production environment, showing respect for all members of the team
- Manage time and workflow in a production setting to meet deadlines
Tentative Schedule
Subject to change during the semester. Adequate notice of changes will be given.
| WEEK 1 | |
| 8/19 | FIRST CLASS TODAY: Syllabus, Expectations, Reviews, etc., Pre-assessment EC, etc. BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Look through the syllabus and course documents on Blackboard. Read pp. 3-23 (Where We’ve Been…). Take notes. |
| 8/21 | Activity over pp. 3-23. Tour of Theatre BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and add to notes pp. 28-42, (It’s All About Collaboration) HOMEWORK: You should TAKE THE ONLINE PRE-ASSESSMENT ONLINE FOR EXTRA CREDIT BY 11:59 p.m. on Sunday 8/24. |
| WEEK 2 | |
| 8/26 | Production Team/Design Process Exercise BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp. 84-89, 101-123 |
| 8/28 | Activity and video on Scaling with an Architect’s Scale. Complete Scaling Assignment to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday 8/31. BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp. 129-145 (Chapter 6: Safety First!) |
| WEEK 3 | |
| 9/2 | Safety Activities in Theater and Shop. Safety Contract Assignment due by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday 9/3. BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp.149-160 (Chapter 7: Setting It All Up). |
| 9/4 | Learning how to read Measuring Tape and use Tools BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp.161-172 (Assembly thru Cleaning Up). |
| WEEK 4 | |
| 9/9 | Continue learning how to use Tools BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp.172-186 (Supplies thru end of chapter). |
| 9/11 | Continue on Tools and incorporate Supplies |
| WEEK 5 | |
| 9/16 | REVIEW GAMES FOR TEST #1, Go over study guide. |
| 9/18 | TEST #1. Bring all materials with you to class. BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp.189-213 (Chapter 8: How to Get It Done) |
| WEEK 6 | |
| 9/23 | Flat and Platform Construction Activity and workday BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Finish Set Design Inspirations due by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday 9/24. |
| 9/25 | Flat and Platform Construction workday. Model due at beginning of class on 9/30.
BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp.241-262 (Chapter 10: A Little Dab Will Do Ya) |
| WEEK 7 | |
| 9/30 | Painting Techniques |
| 10/2 | Painting Techniques. Scenic Painting Sample Board Activity due by end of class BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp.217-238 (Chapter 9: Deck the Halls) |
| WEEK 8 | |
| 10/7 | NO CLASS: FALL FEST |
| 10/9 | Prop Research, Design and Budgeting. Props Activity due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday 10/12. PLEASE TAKE THE MIDTERM SURVEY ON BLACKBOARD. BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp. 267-290 (Chapter 11: Hanging by a Thread) |
| WEEK 9 | |
| 10/14 | Fly Systems & Rigging. Load calculations Activity due by end of class |
| 10/16 | Knots. Knot Relay Race and Blindfold Knot Challenge BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp. 293-326 (Chapter 12: House to Half…) |
| WEEK 10 | |
| 10/21 | Electricity and Dimmers. Completing Circuits Exercise |
| 10/23 | Parts of an Instrument and Types of Lights. Hanging and Focusing Exercise |
| WEEK 11 | |
| 10/28 | REVIEW ACTIVITIES FOR TEST #2, study guide. |
| 10/30 | TEST #2. Bring all materials with you to class. BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp. 329-343 (Chapter 13: Is This Thing On?) |
| WEEK 12 | |
| 11/4 | Sound Systems and Basics. Signal Flow Exercise due by end of class. |
| 11/6 | EQs, Gains and More. Mixing and Feedback Exercise due by end of class.
BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp. 495-513 (Chapter 19: Warning, Standby, Go!) |
| WEEK 13 | |
| 11/11 | Stage Manager role, paperwork, etc. Create a prompt book assignment |
| 11/13 | Calling system, communication and tech rehearsals. Continue work on prompt book assignment. BEFORE NEXT CLASS: Read and take notes on pp. 479-490 (Chapter 18: The Magic Behind the Curtain) Prompt Book are due to be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Sunday 11/16. |
| WEEK 14 | |
| 11/18 | Special Effects Fun! |
| 11/20 | NO CLASS-: This class period is offered in exchange for you seeing a live production this semester. ***YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEE THE WC THEATRE PRODUCTION FOR YOUR CRITIQUE. Shows are Thursday (20), Friday (21) and Saturday (22) at 7:30 pm in HGHT.
Performance critiques are due to be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday 11/25. |
| WEEK 15 | |
| 11/25 | Start Production Team Project |
| 11/27 | NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING BREAK |
| WEEK 16 | |
| 12/1 | Continue Production Team Project. Exam Study Guide distributed. |
| 12/3 | Present Production Team Projects. Go over study guide questions. |
| EXAM | |
| Assessment | Date | Day | Time due | Points |
| Pre-Assessment | 8/24 | Sunday | 11:59 p.m. | EC |
| Scaling Assignment | 8/31 | Sunday | 11:59 p.m. | 10 |
| Safety Contract Assignment | 9/3 | Wednesday | 11:59 p.m. | 10 |
| Using Tools | 9/11 | Thursday | End of class time | 10 |
| Test #1 | 9/18 | Thursday | End of class time | 40 |
| Set Design Inspiration Board | 9/24 | Wednesday | 11:59 p.m. | 10 |
| Set Design Model | 9/30 | Tuesday | Beginning of class | 20 |
| Scenic Painting Sample Board | 10/2 | Thursday | End of class time | 20 |
| Props Activity | 10/12 | Sunday | 11:59 p.m. | 20 |
| Load calculations | 10/14 | Tuesday | End of class time | 10 |
| Knots challenge | 10/16 | Thursday | End of class time | 10 |
| Electricity Activity | 10/21 | Tuesday | End of class time | 10 |
| Hanging and Focusing Activity | 10/23 | Thursday | End of class time | 10 |
| Test #2 | 10/30 | Thursday | End of class time | 35 |
| Signal Flow Exercise | 11/4 | Tuesday | End of class time | 10 |
| Mixing and Feedback Exercise | 11/6 | Thursday | End of class time | 10 |
| Stage Manager Prompt Book | 11/16 | Sunday | 11:59 p.m. | 20 |
| Production Team Project | 12/3 | Thursday | End of class time | 20 |
| Performance Critique | 11/25 | Tuesday | 11:59 p.m. | 75 |
| FINAL EXAM | 12/9 | Tuesday | End of exam time | 100 |
| Semester Attendance/Promptness | Added throughout the semester | 50 | ||
| TOTAL POINTS | 500 | |||
The grading scale will be as follows:
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
| 94.5-100 | A |
| 90.5-94.4 | A- |
| 87.5-90.4 | B+ |
| 84.5-87.4 | B |
| 80.5-84.4 | B- |
| 77.5-80.4 | C+ |
| 74.5-77.4 | C |
| 70.5-74.4 | C- |
| 67.5-70.4 | D+ |
| 60.5-67.4 | D |
| 0-60.4 | F |
Instructor Course Policies
Attendance Policies & Guidelines:
See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Attendance Policy, especially as it pertains to excused absences.
The interactive and collaborative nature of theatre extends into this classroom. Therefore, promptness, attendance, and active participation are expected. Zoom is only to be substituted for class attendance for extreme medical situations (like quarantine) and should be discussed with the instructor beforehand.
Unexcused Absences and Tardiness to Class will be recorded in Blackboard. The attendance grade will be factored into the Overall Grade at 10%.
The College accepts these four categories of excused absences:
- Activities in which the student serves as an official representative of the College (e.g., musical performances, athletic contests, field trips).
- Personal illness, with documentation by the College nurse or a physician, if possible.
- Family or personal emergencies.
- When severe weather makes travel to campus dangerous.
Beyond the categories listed above, each student will be allowed 2 personal days that may be taken at any time. Please try your best not to use them on days of assessments or when you must present. Personal days will not count against the attendance grade. Students should notify the instructor in advance by email of intent to use a personal day. Otherwise, it will be counted as an absence.
If you miss a class, you should use your resources to get caught up: Blackboard, the textbook, notes from a classmate, or meet with me during office hours. Please do not assume I can catch you up on a 60-minute class in an email reply or a brief conversation before/after class.
If you miss a lab/shop time, you must communicate with me (Jason Burgess, Jason.burgess@wilmington.edu) or the scene shop supervisor (Linda Mead, linda.mead@wilmington.edu) in advance. Lab hours must be made up. If you miss lab hours one week, then those hours should be made up in another week.
Academic Misconduct
Students with academic integrity violations may not be eligible for academic awards and honors (i.e., Academic Honors, Dean’s List/Merit List, Green Key Honor Society, Quaker Impact Award, and other Honorary Societies). See the current Student Handbook for the college's Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is defined as the representation of another’s words, ideas, concepts, research or creative production without proper attribution whether intentional or unintentional. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about what constitutes plagiarism.
Plagiarism can occur in the submission of one’s own work or in work submitted by a group.
Examples of plagiarism include the following:
•The submission of a paper not one’s own, including turning in a paper that has been purchased from a commercial research firm or obtained from the internet
•Copying word for word information without quotation marks
•Paraphrasing information (that is, the use of one’s own words with only minor changes to the original)
•Use of information not considered general knowledge without proper citation
•Listing of misleading or false sources on a reference page
•The use of a paper or project for one course that was previously submitted for another course, either at Wilmington or at any other institution
There are many university, college and private websites students may consult about how to avoid plagiarism. Sites with particularly helpful suggestions can be found at:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/how-not-to-plagiarize
http://citationmachine.net/index2.php
Course Policies
Late Work Policy:
Each late assignment will incur a 10% grade reduction for every day it is late. After five days past the due date, the assignment cannot be submitted for credit. If a student misses an assignment due to absence, it will be due the next class meeting after the absence.
Classroom Etiquette:
When students are meeting face-to-face for class, they are to silence and refrain from using their phones/laptops unless phone/laptop use is helpful to the lesson objectives. This is also true for any other electronic device that may distract students from the lesson at hand. Students should also refrain from wearing headphones, AirPods, or other audio devices during class.
Students who engage in chronic phone or headphone use may be asked to leave and that day will be counted against them for attendance/participation. Students should be sure their synchronous Zoom behavior, dress, and consideration of others matches what would be expected if they were meeting face-to-face. In order to be sure students are physically a part of synchronous Zoom, they should have their video on (but audio muted until time to speak).
Copyright Policy
This course may contain copyright protected materials such as audio or video clips, images, text materials, etc. These items are being used with regard to the Fair Use doctrine in order to enhance the learning environment. Please do not copy, duplicate, download or distribute these items. The use of these materials is strictly reserved for this online classroom environment and your use only. All copyright materials are credited to the copyright holder.
Third-Party Software and FERPA Policy
During this course you might have the opportunity to use public online services and/or software applications sometimes called third-party software such as a blog or wiki. While some of these could be required assignments, you need not make any personally identifying information on a public site. Do not post or provide any private information about yourself or your classmates. Where appropriate you may use a pseudonym or nickname. Some written assignments posted publicly may require personal reflection/comments, but the assignments will not require you to disclose any personally identity-sensitive information. If you have any concerns about this, please contact your instructor
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: SP25 Final Exam Schedule Graduate:
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. |
Class Attendance Policy |
Accessibility and Disability Services
Accessibility and Disability Services
Wilmington College provides accommodations and services for student with a variety of disabilities, including chronic illnesses, psychological, physical, medical, learning, and sensory disability amongst others. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to contact:
Spencer Izor, Associate Vice President of Compliance - Title IX/ADA Coordinator at spencer.izor@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2365 or Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Manager at 937-481-2208 to learn more about the process and procedures for requesting accommodations, or by visiting College Hall Room 306a or the Robinson Communication Center, Room 103.
Religious Accommodations
Wilmington College strives for an inclusive climate and welcomes students from all backgrounds, faiths, and experiences. If religious observance impedes your ability to participate fully in classroom activities or a principal holiday from your religious tradition occurs during the semester and conflicts with class meetings or activities, please make the professor aware of this immediately to determine if a reasonable accommodation is possible.