Course

Introduction to Stagecraft

Faculty
Language, Literature & Performing Arts
Department
Performing & Fine Arts
Course Code
PEFA 1124
Credits
3.00
Semester Length
15 Weeks
Max Class Size
25
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Lab
Course Designation
None
Industry Designation
None
Typically Offered
To be determined

Overview

Course Description
This course explores the various career paths that exist in the technical theatre and event industry and introduces students to the basic skills required to succeed in that industry. Students will be introduced to the theatrical process and the terminology used in theatre. They will learn the basics of scenic carpentry, scenic painting, prop making, costumes, lighting, sound, and video technologies. Students will be expected to contribute 20 hours towards the ARTS department theatre productions, and some of this time will fall outside of regular class time.
Course Content
  • The theatrical process and the production cycle
  • Theatre terminology
  • Theatre safety (safe use of the shops and theatre area, proper tool use and safety)
  • Scenic carpentry (basic use of hand and power tools, introduction to scenery construction methods)
  • Scenic painting (basic colour mixing and scenic painting techniques)
  • Prop building (basic prop design, choosing materials, and construction tools and techniques)
  • Costumes for theatre (basic hand and machine sewing, costume and fabric terminology)
  • Theatrical lighting systems (introduction to hanging and focusing lighting instruments, and programming lighting cues)
  • Audio systems (introduction to live sound mixing and prerecorded sound cues for theatre)
  • Video systems (video playback and basic broadcasting systems)
Learning Activities

In this course, students will participate in a mixture of lecture and hands-on practical learning. The exact make-up of the class time will depend on the activity each week, and might include field trips away from campus. Additionally, students will be expected to participate in 20 hours of practical experience working on the departmental theatre productions. The scheduling of these hours will be made by the student in collaboration with the instructor.  These hours might fall outside of regular class time.

Means of Assessment

Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. Students are expected to be self-motivated and to demonstrate professionalism, which includes active participation, good attendance, punctuality, effective collaboration, and the ability to meet deadlines. Instructors may use a student's record of attendance and/or rate their level of professionalism as part of the student's graded performance.  This will be clearly defined in the course outline.  An example grading scheme is as follows:

In-class lab assignments: 45% (3 x 15%)
Quizzes and tests: 25%
Participation in productions: 20%
Professionalism: 10%
Total: 100%

A minimum of 20 hours of participation in departmental productions is required in order to receive a passing grade. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Describe the various technical theatre and stagecraft roles and their significance to the overall production;
  2. Apply the best practices of safety in the performing arts industry;
  3. Perform the basic skills needed to create simple theatrical props, sets, and costumes;
  4. Demonstrate the basic methods of operating the lighting, sound, and video systems in a theatre setting.
Textbook Materials

Students are required to purchase and wear CSA  Grade 1, Green Triangle Safety Footwear. 

Other textbooks and required materials will be clearly indicated in the course outline. 

 

 

Requisites

Prerequisites

No prerequisite courses.

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

No equivalent courses.

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers

These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca

Institution Transfer Details for PEFA 1124
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.

Course Offerings

Fall 2024