Cue3Go!

Issue 17, 2023

Techie Tip of the Week

A CONSTRUCTION SITE - IN THE DARK

Here's some justification for leveling-up support and funding to take to your admin...

A theatre is like a construction site – in the dark. All high school theatres have specific designs and functions, but following are some universal dangers that can be found in the majority of high school theatres.

• Students moving hundreds of pounds of weight over the heads of other students – without safety helmets on.
• Students hanging scenery weighing hundreds of pounds on pipes – without certified rigging qualifications.
• Students in the catwalks and beams 30’ in the air – without personal fall protection.
• Students working with electricity - without a license.
• Students using tools and power tools - without formal training and assessment.
• Students using hazardous chemicals such as foam and fog - without occupational-grade protection.
• Students at the edge of an open orchestra pit with a concrete floor 8’ below - without a safety rail.
• Students being taught and supervised by parents and volunteers - without formal qualifications.

The inescapable fact is that these dangers, and more, are inherent in any school theatre. Nowhere in the ‘real world’ are people - let alone minors – legally allowed to work in these conditions without stringent safety policies and procedures, and without liability protection for the institution.  And often times students are working under these conditions without their parents’ knowledge or explicit permission.

School districts require employees to complete safety training on topics such as blood-borne pathogens, and allergies and asthma, and insist that funding is found for sports and science safety equipment, but it’s just as important to impose safety standards on students in the school theatre who are moving hundreds of pounds of equipment above other students without safety helmets, operating equipment 30 feet in the air, working with electricity, using power tools and chemicals, and so much more. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - safety-wise it’s like allowing students into a wood shop or metal shop class without a teacher present – they can figure out how to use the equipment and come up with ideas of things to build, but they haven’t been taught the safety procedures and aren’t directly supervised. 

As I am fond of saying, “Without safety, nothing should happen in the theatre.”

This editorial is the express opinion of Beth Rand, and is not intended for substitution for professional advice regarding your specific situation or circumstances.

Leveling-Up

Online courses for school theatre teachers and staff

to find out more about the courses please visit:

Theatre Management Training Course

Theatre Management Tutorials

Lighting and Safety Courses

Safety Webinar for Students

Dear Techie,

I'm trying to get my class proficient in stage lighting and I'm stuck. I’m working on them being able to identify instruments and their parts, but I don't know how to teach the process of lighting design. I know how to do it, but I can't seem to put it into a teachable format. Do you have a suggestion for something that I can use to help with this?

Stuck in FL

Dear Stuck,

Do you have a Black Box theatre or other space you can use as a “lab”,  or just set up your theatre with a basic rep plot?  With a light lab (of some fashion) you can create composition exercises. By “composition” I’m referring to a similar concept as the composition of a painting, only you’re painting with light.

Here’s a composition project for dance lighting (you could do the same with scenes of a play).  Hang a simple rep plot, be sure to include lights from all angles, including in this case, side (dance) lighting. Have students (in small groups or independently if you don’t have a large class) choose a song or piece of music (school-appropriate of course, and not too long!).  Allow each group/student to add one or two specials to the existing plot. They could perhaps also be allowed to change the gel colors in the side lighting.

Then place a few objects on the stage such as chairs, ladders, etc.  Students should drape these objects with clothing or cloth that is the costume color of their imaginary dancers. Then, using the existing rep plot and their special(s) each group/student designs 3 cues (not including the initial lights up and final blackout).  Each group will need some design time, so have other things for the rest of the class to do while that happens. At the “performance” look for how the composition and cues are “motivated” - by the costume colors, the mood of the music, lyrics, changes in the music, imaginary choreography, etc. There should be a clear motivation for the composition of each cue. Each cue’s intensity, color, angle and timing should also be motivated.  There should be continuity within the cues and the style should be consistent.  Create a rubric with these criteria and have students submit ‘peer reviews’ as well as your grading. 

Enjoy!

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It is PRESETT's mission to provide information to assist in endeavors for safe and functional operations of school theatres. However, PRESETT is not a safety consultant or professional, and any information provided or advocated is not intended to supplement, not supersede, industry safety training. Always consult a theatre safety specialist about your specific situation or circumstances.