The Penelopiad

The production and my role:

The Penelopiad appeared as part of the third year module, Main Stage Production at the University of York. This was part of the BA, Theatre: Writing, Directing and Performance course. The show took place December 4th and 6th, 2025.

The Main Stage Production project has students divided into two groups, each working on a pre-selected play text, to put on a production of following industry-standard methods. 

As DSM, I was the key contact between the rehearsal room and production teams. I worked alongside directors to plan out a timeline for rehearsals. I sent out daily call-sheets to actors, and was present at our daily rehearsals. During these rehearsals, I covered "the book" and noted staging, as well as took rehearsal notes on production elements that arose in the rehearsal room.

We worked on this project for 10 weeks, and during that time I was on campus for this production from 9-5pm each day, working in both the rehearsal room and contributing in production meetings. This was a big step-up from our previous Political Theatre Project, however, I felt the role to be very rewarding in getting to see everything come together. I was committed to my responsibilities and working with the team to create! As we moved towards the performance days, my role shifted from a key rehearsal room support to working with the production team to run technical aspects. 

The show was very tech heavy, with over 170 lighting cues and 60+ sounds within 90minutes. Because of this, we hosted a few paper techs as we navigated the complexity. This was to our benefit as it allowed for a smoother technical rehearsal and subsequent dress runs. Whereas the production manager organised the get-in, post this I was then responsible for both cast and crew in the space until the get-out.

The feedback given from audience and module conveyors was that this production was one of the best ever produced by a mainstage group. In my assessment feedback, I was complimented on my ability to call the show professionally, and my knowledge of the production contributed to my "reliability and confidence in this lynchpin role."