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| Image Credit: "Chicago Poster." Stacia Drafahl, 2010 |
Before anyone thinks that I'm using the blog for some gratuitous publicity, the ticket sales are going great and there is buzz among the student body about show. The entire production staff is really proud of the cast, crew and musicians. I'd love for you to come if you can, but that's not this posting's point.
The thing about this week is that while I've been spending more time in the theater than I have in my classroom, I've also been thinking about recent assignments in my Instructional Design course at UNI. I find myself breaking down the tasks that I have my students doing and creating task analysis flow charts in my head as I instruct the kids on the light board how to change the cyc color from red to blue.
In a weak moment I imagined that this is the first step towards insanity. I mean, really - I'm in a dark room with lots of changing colored lights, imaginary flowchart geometry swirling around my head, disembodied voices coming through the headset ... tell me that YOU wouldn't have walked out of there talking to yourself.
But, no, I have always maintained that I am an educational theater instructor, and this is exactly the thing I should be thinking about when instructing students in the technical theater subject area.
For example, we usually put our less experienced students in a backstage post where they can learn by doing a task while observing the more experienced students perform their own tasks. Let's take for example our spotlight operators for this show. Spotlight operation is generally considered one of the least challenging aspects of technical theater; students who have done this task will tell you that operating the venerable Lycan 1206 takes some skill. Both of the operators are relatively new "techies" and have had limited experience backstage - and no real experience with spotlights. In eight rehearsals, they have gone from square one to two individuals who I would put behind a spotlight for a future show without reservations.
How did this happen? Here's what I think:
Their entry level skills would be:
- Abliity to climb a ladder to get to the spotlight position (as we have students with physical needs, this is a skill that has to be taken into consideration
- Knowing the basic stage directions (stage left, stage right upstage, downstage etc.) and being able to remember that those directions are the opposite to their orientation - they face the stage instead of facing the audience.
- Being able to see and hear the actors on the stage
After that, we go through the basics:
Operation of the Spotlight:
- Powering up
- Safe handling (these units get hot)
- How to pivot the unit successfully
- How to use the boomerang (color changer)
- How to use the shutter and iris (light-blocker)
- How to use the aiming sight
- Knowing what headroom is
- Keeping the spot centered on the performer
- Keeping the spot movements smooth
- Knowing what a "cold pick-up" is and how to execute it
- Knowing what a "fading track" is and how to execute it
Troubleshooting:
- Replacing a burned-out lamp
- Repairing or replacing the plug
- Replacing the colored gels
- Cleaning the lenses
- Cleaning the fan grills
- Maintaining a solid physical connection between the spotlight and the batten mount
From there, we then go into the specific operation for the show we are working on, which can be up to 40 cues. It will be different for every show.
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| Image Credit: "Roxie" from Chicago; Leonard Struttmann, 11/09/2010 |
Mind you, this is one of the simpler technical theater tasks, and with every student new to running a spotlight, we teach them how to do this. It doesn't take long, but everyone of these steps are essential. Written down, it is clear that there is a clear system in place and we use it every time. Does this constitute successful instructional design, blind-ass luck, or a combination of the two? (On a few of our past shows, I'd have put my money on blind-ass luck.)
It feels good to know that what I've been doing successfully for going on 24 years now has some good, solid roots in instructional design. I understood that I was doing things right - I just didn't understand all of the whys and hows. Someday I may get around to the flow chart, but for now, I'm just happy to have a successful show to step back from and watch happen. And in case you're wondering if we have success with our spotlight operators, the photo above says it all.
Good luck with the show!! I love that musical!! How is the fosse dance style going? I was a drama geek in high school and totally agree that there is a lot of technical learning when it comes to producing a play.
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