Theater Technician Essay

I am passionate about technical theatre because it embraces all of the art that I love doing.

The set was designed in a way that was very versatile and yet, still convey a serious message. By versatile, I am implying that the open-stage with two ramps crossing each other in the background was plain and simple but served a purpose of several scenes -- such as a bar, church, and even a funeral. A set prop that were a key pieces in the play were the wooden benches, these made it possible for the actors to switch scenes. Some examples on the usage of the benches were when they stacked two benches one on top of another and turned it into a bar, they turned the bench in a vertical position and created a podiums to express different religions, or setting the benches in a close and aligned design to create a church. Other props that influenced the scenes were snow, umbrellas, then using the umbrellas as angel wings, and of course lighting. Instead of building entire sets, or making the audience use their imagination with no props included in the play, the set designers and directors created visuals that were ordinary objects and interacted the audience to use their imagination and "build" the appropriate set for the scene in their minds. I believe by keeping a low budget, the designers of The Laramie Project accomplished a bigger impact on the audience with a simple-low-budget set rather than an expensive-big-fancy set.

The scenic design in this play was extraordinary, and I could tell there was a lot of effort put into it. In this play there was a stairway towards the back of the stage. It brought in a new way for the actors to enter/exit the stage. I thought this was very creative idea that was easy to move on, and off stage if needed. There were many scenes that had the moon and the stars in the background. I loved this because it showed the audience when it was night time. I also love looking at the moon and the stars, I feel it creates a very romantic atmosphere. There were times the setting was inside a house or a pub, and then there were times that the setting was outside like the war scene, and the balcony scene. I

The technical aspects of the production such as scenery, properties and costumes also played a keynote in the productions success. The scenery was fabulous it truly made the play. It was very realistic and extremely vibrant. Almost the entire play was performed in one setting, except for the railcar and dance scenes. The house, the main setting, was magnificent with painstakingly placed detail in every corner. All elements in the house matched wonderfully, for example the furniture, the photos on the wall, the telephone and even the trash can. Little bits of detail were everywhere adding to the beautification of the set, for example the lace decorations on the chairs, the etched glass above the front door and even the Christmas tree.

The set was designed by Amy Campion's who did a great job of placing the actors strategically in the center of the raised stage with an overlooking balcony, that gave an added dynamic to the scene changes. Brett Maughan's was responsible for lighting the show and using spotlights to add to the conflict happening in any given

The arrangement of the set also added to my enjoyment of the play. To expand, the characters did not utilize the whole stage, specifically the downstage space. Instead, the

The 20th Century was home to many important events in history, one of the most memorable being The Great Depression. Unemployment was at an all time high, businesses were forced to shut down, and suicide rates were through the roof. New York City was no exception. 213 of it’s 253 theaters were forced to close, putting hundreds of thousands of theater people out of work. In these devastating times, a hopeless yet admirable organization known as the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) was created by request of President Roosevelt. Originally created to preserve music and art, this project consumed government funds, was plagued by censorship, and was blatantly biased in social issues, with the end result being far from it’s original goal.

When I was three years old, I could be found standing on fountains at the local mall and putting on concerts for passers by. Now, at 18 years old, the same joy I felt singing in the middle of a mall is what I feel crafting stories on stage and pursuing a character’s truth. Throughout the years, theatre has been an immensely important creative outlet for me, and the confidence I have found on stage has translated in my real life, making me a stronger person. As I pursue higher education in this field, I am excited at the prospect of continuing my studies at the University of Michigan, and being able to take advantage of all the opportunities I am so passionate about.

Two productions that I had enjoyed seeing very much were Lend Me a Tenor and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Both of these productions were great and had very great storyline and I really enjoyed both of these productions. Each production had great actors and each portrayed their character very well, by using many of the aspects of the six elements of theatre that Aristotle used to explain the aesthetics of theatre. Each of these productions had very interesting characters and also had great plots that kept audiences on the edges of their seats. In each of these productions there were also many recurring themes and important messages that were underlying the whole play. The design and furniture of both plays were also very stunning and visually pleasing. In Lend Me a Tenor, there was a set of a house, which was very neat and very pretty. The house was very great and also had other doors to other rooms that were very neatly and visually set up. In the production, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, the design of the set was very horror filled and it was very dark because the setting was inside an asylum. A lot of the plot production and set and use of characters to reveal the theme was prevalent in both of the plays. Both productions had very great and visually pleasing sets, but also had difference in the mood each set gave off.

A character’s costume is much more than the clothes they wear to play a part. These clothes help us venture into the author’s world and help us connect with this new place and believe in its reality. They help us capture so much more than what the character looks like. We are able to see, feel, and experience the characters personality and purpose in the story. In a play or movie, we immediately make our fist connection with a character based on what they are wearing, this is the first step in drawing us in and making us believe in this new world. This first impression gives us the first glimpse at the characters style, background, and social class. All of these things are meant to immediately draw us in.

"Gin and guns—either one is bad enough, but together they get you in a dickens of a mess, don 't they."—Accused murderer Belva Gaertner, 1924 (National Geographic, N.D)

I became interested in being a surgical technician when I was younger because that is the job my mom had done while I was growing up. Despite the long, gruesome hours, I believe being a scrub tech is a very engrossing job that would keep me on my toes every day. Also, surgical technicians have a long list of tasks they must do such as preparing the operating room with all the tools and instruments the surgeons require in order to perform the procedure and making sure the instruments are sterile and clean. They prep the patients for surgery by calming them down, observing the vitals, washing and or shaving incision sites, positioning them on the operating table and sterilizing the area designated for incision. As well as constructing solutions and medication that will be used in surgery and double check to ensure that all the machinery is working properly. During surgery, surgical technicians are the ones handing the sterile supplies

The stage background was very realistic and rustic. They made the house in the background seem very real. Not only that, but they didn't have too many props on the stage. They also placed the props on the whole stage, then the props weren't all clustered together. The costumes that the actors were wearing were very minimal. I feel that they did a good job putting the whole scene of the play really well. Also the actors were very good with expression and trying to use up the whole stage and as many props as

I’ve never had an appreciation for technical theatre until I was thrust into the spotlight. Or, I should say shadows, because to the audience, I didn’t exist. My teachers tasked me with operating the sound board for the upcoming play. Unfortunately, my tech theatre skills left much to be desired, since I had zero experience in the tech booth. Rather than being the usual marionette, entertaining the masses, I became one of the many strings that kept it moving.

As you may know fashion designers create anything that is part of a garment for men, women, and children. They understand the needs of their clients and create attractive, functional garments and accessories. When designing they must keep a close watch on fit, style, color, texture, size, and material. Designing any outfit starts with sketching and original idea on paper or on computer programs. Then shaping the patterns pieces which make the garment. The pieces are then drawn in actual size on paper and cut out on a rough material. These pieces are