STAGE MANAGEMENT. PROFESSOR ANDI LYONS ATHR314 CLASS #: 9396 OFFICE: PAC 352 SPRING TERM, 2011 PHONE: (Office/Voice Mail) THEATRE DEPARTMENT

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1 STAGE MANAGEMENT PROFESSOR ANDI LYONS ATHR314 CLASS #: 9396 OFFICE: PAC 352 SPRING TERM, 2011 PHONE: (Office/Voice Mail) THEATRE DEPARTMENT ADDRESS: UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY OFFICE HOURS: T/Th 1:15-2:30pm, and any other TIME: 10:15-11:35am Tu/Th day or time just call, , or ask! PLACE: PAC 355 NOTE ON OFFICE HOURS: Check my office door for information on my whereabouts. I am often somewhere on campus, even at odd hours so look around. You may make an appointment at any time just stop by, or leave a message on my voice mail or office door. If you want to talk, please do not hesitate to contact me! COURSE DESCRIPTION, OVERVIEW, AND OBJECTIVES This course investigates the theories and techniques of stage management. It includes a thorough examination of various activities performed by stage managers in different production situations, as well as discussions relating to standard practices and common variations. The primary objective of this course is to give you a thorough understanding of the stage manager's responsibilities and position in theatrical productions. On a more personal level, this course will help you develop organizational skills, which will be useful throughout your careers and lives. Successful completion of this course will give students the skills and background needed to undertake actual stage management at the university level. Additionally, you will be thoroughly versed in the expectations and requirements for stage management in a professional venue. TEXTBOOKS Stern, Lawrence and Alice R. O Grady. STAGE MANAGEMENT. Ninth edition. Allyn and Bacon (imprint of Pearson), Strongly recommended supplement: Carter, Paul. BACKSTAGE HANDBOOK. Third edition. Broadway Press, Everyone involved in theatre should own this reference book. In fact, you should already own a copy. ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT (REQUIRED FOR COURSE) * Lots of soft lead pencils (#2 or HB) with erasers * Hardcovered, loose-leaf binder with 8.5" x 11" unlined paper * Small straightedge for drawing lines in your prompt scripts * Access to a computer and printer * Miscellaneous "SM Stuff" readily available items that good stage managers carry with them at all times. We will discuss such items during class.

2 ATTENDANCE AND GRADING POLICY Spring 2011 / THR 314 Page 2 of 5 Class attendance is expected and required! Any absence will affect your grade in the area of class participation, as will repeated or habitual tardiness. Arriving after class has begun on more than two occasions will be regarded as an absence. Additionally, any absence in excess of two will result in your final grade being lowered by one full letter (from A to B, C+ to D+, etc.). Any act of student dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism or use of another s handbook materials) will result in an automatic grade of zero for that portion of the course please do not force me to activate this policy. Final grades will be determined by the following: 20% Class participation and preparation (including randomized in-class questions, unannounced quizzes, homework, etc.) 30% Three tests 15% Professional SM interview report/paper 15% Term paper your own, personalized SM handbook 20% Final examination To achieve an average grade (i.e., a C ), you must attend class, complete the assigned tests, homework, reading, and papers on time, participate in class discussions, display an understanding of the basic material, and find appropriate solutions to the problems presented. To achieve a good grade (i.e., a B ), in addition to the expectations listed above, you will need to show continuous and above average growth through the skillful application of methods and ideas, as well as some real insight into problem solving. An A is an excellent grade that indicates continuous and exceptional growth, as well as consistently outstanding work. Beyond the expectations explained above, the exceptional student will regularly exhibit inspired work and real initiative, as well as demonstrate thorough, organized, and truly thoughtful solutions to problems. I will return all tests, homework, and papers with a grade that has a numerical value associated with it for purposes of grading. This process will be explained in detail at the beginning of the semester, so that you may keep informed of your progress in this class throughout the term. I trust you understand that doing less than what is outlined above will result in your earning a poor (D ) or failing (E ) grade, depending on the severity of your academic negligence. We will thoroughly examine and discuss specific expectations and requirements for homework, tests, papers, class participation, and proper preparation during class at the beginning of the semester. TAKE NOTES, take them ALL the time, and refer back to them! You are learning about stage managerial behavior, after all. ;- )

3 Spring 2011 / THR 314 Page 3 of 5 INFORMATION, REQUIREMENTS, AND EXPECTATIONS Attend class and participate. Participation means active involvement, not merely your body s presence. This course involves a significant amount of in-class work; therefore, you must be present for class. Do not arrive late or unprepared. You will be called upon to answer questions regularly, and you will be expected to provide full and appropriate responses at all times. Be prepared, at all times during the class, to function as or perform the duties of a stage manager or an assistant stage manager. Understand all material covered in class and in the readings. It is your responsibility to ask questions if something is not clear. I am happy to answer questions and discuss ideas or difficulties, but if you do not ask I can only assume that you understand everything perfectly. Complete all readings by the date indicated on the class outline, and be prepared to discuss the material in class. Readings will supplement (not simply reiterate or replace) what happens in class, and vice versa. Also, you must complete practice exercises and homework as assigned in class. TAKE NOTES! Take your own notes in class, take your own notes on what you read, take your own notes in response to other students activities in class. Label your notes, date your notes, and read your notes to be sure they make sense and to avoid asking the same questions or making the same mistakes. Remember: you are supposed to behave as stage managers at all times during this class. Contact a working stage manager (constraints to be explained during the first class period). You must get approval of your choice before making contact, and you must find a willing and available SM by February 17, Interview that stage manager to determine their background and the methods they employ. Examine their prompt books, forms, and call boards; talk about conference scheduling, production meetings, dealing with deadlines, use of assistants, etc. In short, find out ALL you can about the way they stage manage. Write a paper detailing as much as possible about their techniques. Examine what you think works especially well or badly. Discuss what methods you might adopt from them in similar circumstances, as well as what you would do differently and why. Explain why this person appears to be a successful or not-so-successful stage manager. This carefully written and proofread paper (with an EIGHT page minimum, NOT including any sample material from your SM) will be due for discussion on April 28, Of course, you must conduct the interview earlier. Remember to be polite to interviewees no matter what you may think of their techniques (the theatre world is really very small). Take each test during the class indicated in the outline (make-up tests will not be given except under truly extraordinary circumstances). Also, the final examination will be given during the time set by the Registrar s Office, which is Wednesday, May 13, from 1:00pm-3:00pm. Remember that a requirement for a good stage manager is the ability to organize and convey information in an efficient and effective manner; so content and organization will count heavily in all tests and exams. You should be working on your organizational skills throughout the term!

4 Spring 2011 / THR 314 Page 4 of 5 MORE INFO, REQUIREMENTS, AND EXPECTATIONS Attend a performance of each Departmental Theatre production during the semester, if you are not already working on the production. We will use these shows as examples in class and familiarity with the productions will be expected. Turn in your completed, individualized, personal Stage Manager s Handbook at the start of the final examination. This paper (fifteen page minimum ) should describe every point of information you would want to have ready and waiting if you received a call to begin a stage managing position three years from tomorrow. You are free to organize this information in any way you find convenient, using one or several methods including outlines, check lists, forms, notes, essays, etc. Remember that a requirement for a good stage manager is the ability to organize and convey information in an efficient and effective manner; so content and organization will count heavily. You should be working on this paper throughout the term that is why it is called a term paper! The stated page minimums for your interview report and term paper/handbook assume one-inch margins on all four sides of each page, double-spaced lines, and a type size and font allowing for characters per inch (approximately 300 words per page). Do not attempt to enlarge the margins, increase the spacing between lines, or set the font size above 12. Also, use a standard (serif or sans serif) font, rather than a hard-to-read or space-wasting specialty font for the body of your paper. Nevertheless, you are free to use a carefully designed layout for your interview report, handbook, and all homework, since getting people s attention is very important to a stage manager s success. The above is intended only as a reminder that use of such computer-aided sleight-of-hand simply will not make up for a paper of insufficient length or insubstantial content. Do not lose this syllabus. I have written it to help you navigate this course successfully. Refer to it occasionally to remind yourself of requirements, due dates, assigned readings, test dates, etc., and plan accordingly! Neglecting to consult your syllabus is never a valid excuse for failure to accomplish any course requirement especially for a stage manager! Now that you know what is expected, it is up to you to decide how much effort you are willing to put into this class. Please remember that the more effort you exert, the more enjoyable this course will be for all of us. I am here to help you succeed; real higher education is not an adversarial experience. If you do not want to be a true college student please drop this class NOW! It would be best for you and for the students in this class who are actually here to learn. In fairness to each student, the criteria indicated in the grading policy will remain inviolable. However, it is not the grade you earn, but what you learn that will count in the end. Please get involved in this class for the sake of your education, not just for the sake of your grade point average. You will get out of a course exactly as much as you put into it. This is not a cliché; this is a fact. Work hard and have fun! If you do not believe that it is possible to do both at the same time, stage management is definitely not for you. On the other hand, if you really understand the concept that demanding work can be great fun, you will find this course very rewarding. In fact, you might even find yourself enjoying being a student! It is possible, you know....

5 Spring 2011 / THR 314 Page 5 of 5 CLASS OUTLINE 1/20: Introduction to the course; discussion of the syllabus and assignments 1/25: Production organizations and the role of the SM (pp & 57-64) 1/27: What every stage manager needs; AEA (pp & 64-79) 2/1: Auditions and casting (pp ) 2/3: Preliminary plots (pp ) 2/8: Pre-rehearsal responsibilities 2/10: Stage directions and blocking notation 2/15: More on blocking notation and practice 2/17: TEST #1 {***Approval deadline for SM interviewee but, feel free to get approval early!} 3/1: Prompt Script Preparation (pp ) 3/3: Production Book 3/8: USITT Theatre safety video presentation (pp ) 3/10: USITT Theatre explorations 3/15: Master calendars, production schedules, call boards (pp ) 3/17: Preparations for first rehearsal (pp ) 3/22: Rehearsal procedures; use of assistants 3/24: TEST #2 3/29: Dealing with artistic, administrative, and technical personnel (pp ) 3/31: Supervision of crews; Front-of-House issues (pp & ) 4/5: Technical rehearsals; giving cues (pp ) 4/7: Dress rehearsals (pp ) 4/12: Running the show and keeping it in shape (pp & ) 4/14: Finishing the production; touring; odds and ends (pp & ) 4/26: TEST #3 4/28: Discussion of interview findings and discoveries {*** INTERVIEW REPORTS DUE ***} 5/3: Odds and ends; discussion of final exam and finishing the handbook 5/12: FINAL EXAM, Thursday, May 12, 1:00-3:00pm {*** TERM PAPER/HANDBOOK ALSO DUE AT THIS TIME***} PLEASE NOTE: The page numbers of the readings are from the ninth edition of STAGE MANAGEMENT, by Lawrence Stern and Alice O Grady.