Mrs. Edwards Syllabus – Technical Theater
Goals of the class- As a student you have the right and ability to learn as much as you can you are enrolled in a class which is half book work and half hands on work. You will be learning about theater from the technical standpoint and will need to be prepared to work physically as well as mentally. This course requires you to spend time after school, in the evenings and occasionally on Saturdays (I avoid these as much as possible)!!
Materials- You need to bring to this class the following materials on a daily basis: Pen (blue or black ink only), pencils, paper, 2 3-ring 1.5” or 2” notebooks, a composition notebook for your theater vocabulary dictionary and homework required for class. EVERY student needs a set of tech black clothes. Recommended additional materials include: A pair of leather gloves for lab work, An exacto knife - to be KEPT AT HOME, and a change of Paint clothes.
Classwork/Homework – For the most part the majority of our assignments are done in class. We have weekly Crash Course Theater episodes along with weekly Vocabulary lessons and quizzes. You still need to study and prepare for test and quizzes as well as be prepared to work after school on our main stage shows for your lab experience. On active work days students can earn up to 10 points per day for ACTIVELY WORKING! Students who choose NOT to work or spend time on their cell phones will not be given the active participation points. Students who have been suspended will not have the opportunity to make up missed work while they were in suspension. Students and parents can always find their homework on google classroom or www.ihs.schoolloop.com. If a student is going to miss class work and or homework due to absence, the student MUST make the arrangements to get the missed work in advance including lab hours for known reasons and within one day for illness.
Lab Work/Outside Classwork - Due to the nature of this class, outside class time IS REQUIRED! Tech 1 students will put in for 1 major show and 1 minor during the second semester. Since this class is a Career Technical Education class, hands-on experience is required during the times provided and professional behavior is expected to complete these hours. 1 Major show can equal up to 40 hours of work which can be put on college & working resumes. Students who are successful and eager will be considered for apprenticeship towards becoming a hired paid theater technician for our outside renters.
Tardies/Absent – Students must be in class and ready to work once the bell has rung. A student who is tardy with a note will be marked TDE (Tardy Excused) a student without a note will be marked TDU (Tardy Unexcused). Students are able to make up lost classroom time, IF THEY WORK ON ADDITIONAL SHOWS OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY.
Rehearsals/Performance - During the rehearsal period, you are welcome to come in and help work on the show or start to learn about the performance you will be working on. You are expected to be at the FULL WEEK OF TECH PRIOR TO OPENING NIGHT! Normally tech rehearsals begin at 3:45 and end at 9:00 pm. On performance days, tech students show up an hour and a half prior to the show start time to do their pre-show final check,
Production Requirements
As a class we are obligated to provide technical support (Lighting, Sound, House Management, Costumes, Stage Crew) for Independence Theatre. You are required to work on the crew BOTH SEMESTERS!
First Semester - All First year students will be required to work one Minor Show
Fall Music Concert (Minor Show): 9/17
Fall Production (Major Show): She Kills Monsters: 10/25, 10/26, 11/1, 11/2
Winter Music Concert (Minor Show): 12/4, 12/5
Second Semester - All students will be required to work one Major and two minor Shows (or two Major shows).
ASB Talent Show (Minor Show): 1/14 - 1/17
ESUHSD Dance Festival (Minor Show): 1/24, 1/25
Music Fundraiser (Minor Show): 2/1
LSU Cultural Night (Minor Show): 2/7, 2/8
Spring Musical (Major Show): 3/21, 3/22, 3/27, 3/28, 3/29
Piano Concert (Minor Show): 4/8
IDANCE (Major Show): 5/2, 5/3, 5/7, 5/9, 5/10
Spring Music Concert (Minor Show): 5/13, 5/14
Spring Dance Recital (Minor Show): 5/19
FINAL EXAM (REQUIRED): 5/20 - 5/22
Mabuhay (Minor Show): 5/23, 5/24
We will have a sign up day after school on Aug 16th for students who want priority in claiming their days and tech positions. PLEASE CHECK YOUR DATES PRIOR TO SIGNING UP!!!
Food/Drink/Bathroom – In order to keep a clean environment, food and drinks are NOT ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOM. The only exception is water. Students are allowed to use the bathroom as needed, but not to take advantage of the privilege.
Phones: Students are generally NOT allowed to use their cell phones in class, unless otherwise instructed by the teacher. At times this is a matter of safety. Students who are managers (Advanced designated students) are allowed to use their phones for communication ONLY.
Performance Review/Critic - You are expected to watch a professional show or OTHER High School production (not Jr High or Elementary) and give it a Performance Review and Critic what you saw in the production. These are worth 100 points EACH SEMESTER.
Grade percentage –. The classroom grading scale is as follows:
100- 90% A, 89-80% B, 79-70% C, 69-60% D, below 60% F
You can not miss any signed up tech rehearsals or performances and still receive an A or B in this class.
Contact Information – Please feel free to contact me regarding any of the classroom procedures or to visit the classroom. My email contact is edwardsr@esuhsd.org. This is the fastest way to get a hold of me. If you or your student is having an issue, I would advise a meeting so we can determine what is the best course of action for your student.