. Feature I By Erik Viker

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Gaining a working knowledge of state-of-the-art tools is a definite bonus for students when applying for college technical theatre programs.

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Some students are happiest when they are working on atheatre production backstage or behind a control board,but may not realize they can turn their favorite hobby

into a career. Professionals in theatre production include tech-nical directors, master electricians, costume shop supervisors,union stagehands, production managers and scenic, lightingand costume designers. It is never too late to embark on a the-atre career path, but students who begin career planning asearly as high school may be more likelyto succeed in the areasof theatre technology, operations and design.

A quality undergraduate education in theatre is the bestway to make sure you are attractive to graduate schools andeventually to employers. You can improve your chances ofbeing accepted into top-rated university theatre programsby considering two factors: your potential, including theexperience and skillsyou offer, and your presentation, or howyou prepare your documentation and application materialsfor consideration.

The best undergraduate theatre programs are highlyselective, due to small class sizes and the value placed onindividual attention for students. If your resume includes arange of practical experiences, both in school and off cam-pus, you may present yourself as a promising student with aserious interest in theatre.

EarlyCareer ExperienceHigh school students can approach their resume devel-

opment by augmenting school production experience withnon-school theatre participation. College professors whoreview applications are often impressed by work experiencerequiring professional-qualityresponsibility;high school isthe time to accept a few short-term positions where you canenhance your portfolio-in-the-making. Contact local civictheatres or small professional theatres for volunteer oppor-tunities, because even simple stagehand or costume shopassistant positions can help you demonstrate commitment tothe theatre. Actively pursue opportunities to be in charge ofspecific projects. For example, you might become the stock

scenery inventory manager for your local theatre group orserve as assistant technical director for a season, if you havemodest stage carpentry skills.

Volunteer theatre positions provide valuable experienceswith diverse people and can lead to excellent referencesand letters of recommendation. The Gainesville CommunityPlayhouse in Florida, for example, welcomes high school stu-dent participants in all areas of theatre production. Technicaldirector David Twombley says the Playhouse staff assignsentry-level activities for new volunteers and monitors theirprogress. "Based on acquired skills, demonstrated maturityand dependability," he points out, "we then allowthem to takeon progressively more responsibility."

Twombley's theatre group, the oldest community theatre inFlorida,plans to develop a structured technical theatre educa-tion program aimed at local high schools. "Many of the areadrama teachers have been supportiveof this concept sincethey often do not have extensive experience or resources forteaching technical theatre," he explains. He frequently writescollege application recommendations, often commenting onthe applicant's reliability,teamwork and problem-solving skills,as well as the student's technical theatre expertise.

Quality documentation can make a difference in the col-lege application process, but unfortunately many high schoolstudent designers and technicians do not document theirwork. Begin collecting photos and drawings demonstratingyour contributions to theatre productions as you participatein them. Recreating paperwork and diagrams for older pro-ductions is usually acceptable, provided you do not alter orenhance your original design or contribution. Volunteer tocreate a scenic design from researched images related tothe script and draw up a set of diagrams to build from. Ifyouenjoy lighting, sketch out the positions of each instrumentand how it affects the stage. Ifyou are involved with costum-ing decisions, make watercolor paintings or drawings of eachcharacter in costume. You can use these designs as the basisfor costume creation and later display them during collegeapplication visits. Student costumers might create image

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collages from magazines and othermedia to demonstrate design ideas.Student designers may want to compilesamples of their work in a portfoliofor easy display during interviews andcampus visits. Student stage managersshould collect any cue lists, propertyplots or staging diagrams they createduring their production work and usethem as proof of their experience whenapplying to universities.

Even without extensive productionexperience, a student portfolio can stillconvey a sense of the student's poten-tial and readiness for undergraduatestudy. "The undergraduate applicant'sportfolio we hope will tell us about thestudent's 'whole life' experience," saysAssistant Dean Dennis Booth of NorthCarolina School of the Arts. "What aretheir artistic background, training andexperiences? What books do they enjoyreading? What does the applicant enjoydoing for personal recreation? Has theapplicant held positions of responsibil-ity and to what level? Has the applicantbeen involved with home renovation,decoration or construction projects?"Be creative and include things thatmight not seem immediately relevantto theatre production and design.

Essays, Cover Letters and ResumesEven the most dedicated theatre stu-

dents will not be taken seriously if theirapplication materials are riddled witherrors or sloppy presentation. To dem-onstrate your potential as a conscien-tious and detail-oriented student, youshould prepare your application materi-als and resume with great care.

You can find resume format exam-

ples through your guidance counseloror online resources. There is no oneright way to organize a resume, butyou should keep the following com-mon-sense guidelines in mind. Yourcontact information should be accurate

and attractively presented. Also, youmight create a separate e-mail address

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for college applications: "Susanjones@provider.com" makes a much betterfirst impression than "backstagebabe@hotmail.com."

Don't let text-messaging habits andpop culture trends influence how youwrite your cover letters and applica-tion essays. Use well-crafted sentencesdescribing your interest in the universityand why you are an excellent candidate.Use accurate and respectful forms of :address for all recipients, and researchthe correct academic titles for those whowill receive your material. Any letter tosomebody you do not know well shouldbe treated as business correspondence,so avoid slang, fragmented words or sen-tences and overly familiar terms ("Hey,Professor Viker") in all your applicationcorrespondence including e-mail.

Make Personal Contacts

Students who are serious about

applying to a particular school mightcontact the theatre faculty there and ini-tiate conversations about the program.Most college admission departmentswill consider the professors' opinionsand insights about specific applicants,so you should pursue opportunitiesto share your resume and experiencewith the faculty members who mightbecome your mentors. Although someundergraduate theatre technology anddesign programs do not require worksamples during the application process,it is understandable that students whodemonstrate ability and potential will :impress the professors.

Likeother fine institutions, the NorthCarolina School of the Arts also placesimportance on less-tangible aspectsof an applicant's experiences. DennisBooth states their their undergraduateprograms "endeavor to train a studentwho willget work, continue to get work,survive the profession of live performingarts production and further that profes-sion by making their mark with creativity,integrity, excellence and quality of craft."

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He indicates that "sheer volume" of pro-ductions willnot necessarily impress thefaculty, but a demonstrated passion forthe theatre and a creative spirit willoftencapture their attention.

Professional associations are invalu-

able for making career networking con-nections; they also look good on a resu-me. Student organizations such as theInternational Thespian Society are excel-lent resources for the young practitioner,but are featured on many undergradu-ate applications and may not stand outas anything special. You might considera student membership in the UnitedStates Institute for Theatre Technology(USITT,www.usitt.org). which may dem-onstrate a mature professional interestin the industry. As veteran theatre tech-nician Richard Stephens indicates in his2006 address at the USITTconference,such affiliations allow you to "learn fromestablished experts, help build the futureof the profession and begin relation-ships with peers that may last thoughyour career." It is never too early to

Students learn bydoingwhen working onh19h-sCt\ooithe;;tre

productions.

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begin making contacts in the professionthrough organization membership andhands-on experience.

The theatre production industry isbecoming more complex and sophisti-cated every day, and now is an excitingtime to enter the profession. RichardStephens notes that previous genera-tions "took us from canvas and glueinto the digital age, but your generationwill take us forward toward innovationswe can hardly dream about."

Long-term success depends on a num-ber of factors including dedication, skilllevel and good fortune. An early start ona career foundation willserve you well ifyou hope to embark on a career in theatredesign or technology. Sb

Erik Viker is an assistant professor of the-atre at Susquehanna University in Penn.,where he servesas technicaldirector for the

Department of Theatre and currently sitson the faculty admissions committee. Heteachescoursesin theatreproduction, stagemanagement and dramatic literature.

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