Author Topic: Tech Vocabulary for Students  (Read 10118 times)

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Shayyy88

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Tech Vocabulary for Students
« on: Oct 30, 2013, 09:15 pm »
Hi All,
Not really sure the appropriate board to post this on, but since its school related...
I am teaching Stage Management / Stage Managing a group of students who have never been through a tech before or have had very limited experience with it. I am wondering if anyone has a list of tech vocabulary that I can go over with them.

Also if anyone has any major topics that are a must to go over with them before this weekend tell me what you think!

jcarey

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Re: Tech Vocabulary for Students
« Reply #1 on: Oct 31, 2013, 09:35 am »
What are the students doing during tech? What does the set involve? Are they are com, radio, or some other communication channel?

I'd start at the most basic level (stage directions, areas of the stage, etc) and work your way up. If you have a cyc or scrim, definitely point those out. I'd say tailor what you want them to know based on what they will be working with.
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Jessie_K

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Re: Tech Vocabulary for Students
« Reply #2 on: Oct 31, 2013, 11:15 am »
Here is a link to a quick list of basic theatre terms.

http://www.theatrecrafts.com/glossary/results.php?searchtype=4&wordsearch=BEG&submit3=Search

Here is a larger glossary that you can browse by category and language.

http://www.theatrecrafts.com/glossaryofterms

KMC

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Re: Tech Vocabulary for Students
« Reply #3 on: Oct 31, 2013, 11:33 am »
If you haven't already, I'd recommend adding the Backstage Handbook to your syllabus. 

This should be required entry-level reading for anyone who wears black.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

Shayyy88

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Re: Tech Vocabulary for Students
« Reply #4 on: Oct 31, 2013, 10:13 pm »
I should have given more information.
I am gearing my talk on tech toward the actors. Half of them have never been in a show before.
Ive planned on telling them why we do tech and how theyve now been with this show for 8 weeks, its the designers time and they have a day to get it right, etc.

The show is Metamorphoses. The one with the pool onstage.

So mainly I just want to make sure that I cover what a hold means, what sight lines are, how you should always be quite backstage, etc. Maybe I am more prepared than I think... has anyone been through a similar situation before?

KMC

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Re: Tech Vocabulary for Students
« Reply #5 on: Nov 01, 2013, 12:01 am »
It's for actors who are also students and it's their first tech?  How are your skills at herding cats?  I joke - sort of. 
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

lsears

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Re: Tech Vocabulary for Students
« Reply #6 on: Nov 01, 2013, 12:41 am »
Two years ago I started doing a crash course for freshmen, about 25% design/production folks and 75% performance folks.  I take two hours to cover what I think they need to know going into their first college production.  Some have never heard the term stage manager before, some have heard it used for a number of different roles.  Because knowing your audience is everything, my talks focus on two things - the things a design/production person who is going to be a production assistant on a show needs to know, and the things that the performers need to know, for the next three semesters they will be working as crew so they will be working closely with SMs during tech and performances. 

Stage directions, safety, dress codes, spiking things, comm etiquette, line notes, break times, communication basics, organizational chart overview, are all included but far more important than all of that detail work is the why of stage management - why do we create paperwork for run crew?  why do we ask them to do things a specific way?  why do we show up first and leave last? why do we send reports and give notes?  I've found that sticks much more than vocabulary and is far more useful because it covers a greater variety of situations, as well as opening up the possibility of connecting to other things they have more experiance in.

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Re: Tech Vocabulary for Students
« Reply #7 on: Nov 03, 2013, 02:05 pm »
The Back Stage Guide To Stage Management (Thomas A Kelly, Foreword by Peter Hall) is the book that my university uses for the basic SM class.  I think Thomas Kelly has a wonderful way of making things easy to grasp and applying them to theatre.  It explains a large amount of vocab, what different paperwork or sheets can be used for, how to organize, etc...

The amazon one can be found at http://www.amazon.com/Back-Stage-Guide-Management-Edition-ebook/dp/B003FCVGCQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1383505318&sr=8-2&keywords=the+backstage+guide+to+stage+management