Cue the Technical Theatre Opportunities: A Photo Essay
By Jamie Hipp
📷 by Jamie Hipp.
Elementary students have deficient technical theatre opportunities. Many initial encounters with technical aspects of theatre occur in rigorous high school or college theatre programs. Meanwhile, elementary theatre classrooms remain focused on the performance aspects for their potential to increase student self-esteem and oral communication, both well documented. Technical theatre fosters many important skills including collaboration, self-discipline, organization, and dedication. This photo essay depicts technical theatre opportunities in the elementary environment, setting the stage for well-rounded college and career readiness in the theatre.
According to The National Center for Education Statistics (2012), the availability of elementary theatre programs has been trending downward from already abysmal numbers. Twenty years ago (1999–2000 school year), approximately 20% of elementary schools housed theatre programs. Just one decade later, this staggeringly low number had dwindled to only 4% (2009–2010 school year). Ever-present arts funding concerns necessitate many elementary theatre educators to work from carts, without a dedicated teaching space. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that most instructional time is dedicated to the performance aspects. Characterization, pantomime, reader’s theatre, improvisation, and tableau vivant are cost-effective and can be taught in any classroom, hallway, cafeteria, and even outside!
During my tenure as an elementary theatre teacher, I quickly learned that not every child was a ‘performer’ nor did every child have a desire to be ‘onstage.’ This was my initial impetus for incorporating technical aspects into instructional time. Students enjoyed contributing to a show’s success behind the scenes through countless budget-friendly lessons and units on props, costumes, lighting design, and scenic design. I soon had a trove of parent and caregiver emails praising the life skills children were learning in my class, e.g. folding clothes (costumes) and repurposing materials (props) at home. The following photographs chronicle my favorite elementary technical theatre moments.
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally shifted the priorities of technical theatre professionals. Consider the costume designers now producing mask patterns and PPE! Priorities of theatre educators are also in flux. Many are apprehensive about teaching within online spaces, particularly for experiential technical theatre-focused classes. As this photo essay progresses, I challenge theatre educators at all levels to consider technical theatre adaptations for online and hybrid environments.
Picture 1
After reading and analyzing a developmentally appropriate adaptation of O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi, a third grade scenic designer rendered Madame Sophie’s Wig Salon.
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For the completed rendition of the original Wig Salon rendering, school bulletin board paper served as the medium for the logo, shelving, head forms, and wigs. Students then tested Bastard Amber as a potential light gel choice for the Wig Salon at sunset.
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A production of The Princess and the Pea necessitated a royal throne. This massive piece needed to be struck quickly at the end of a scene, thus, fourth graders painted a lightweight and inexpensive piece of foam board insulation (4x8 feet). A stool draped with regal red fabric functioned as the throne’s seat.
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To make a dozen military caps for The Picnic Peace, second graders repurposed Dollar Store dress-up fire helmets with camouflage fabric. A low temperature hot glue gun and black pipe cleaners completed the antennae for the army ant characters.
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What would we do without walls on wheels? Flats (3x6 feet) were often painted on both sides and moved during scene changes. Occasionally, the flats became student-created backdrops like this swamp scene using mixed media.
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A show set in a Gold Rush saloon had students thinking about “wood” during their set design brainstorm. Here, a fifth grade actor/technician uses a wood graining tool on what would later become a saloon wall.
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Costumes and wigs are always a favorite! Peers provided feedback on the actor’s dress and wig fall during a tech week costume parade.
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Color, light, and mood are strongly connected. Students routinely played with gels and dimmers to set the mood during a scene.
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Tech week means “all hands on deck.” After reviewing safety rules and procedures, students collaborated in small groups to complete necessary technical theatre tasks.
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The work is never done. Despite designing and creating the set, costumes, and lighting, the actors/technicians found faults in this photo. They wanted to change the police officer’s shoes, fix an undershirt, and asked to refocus the lights to improve the bright spots on the wallpaper.
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REFERENCE:
Parsad, B., and Spiegelman, M. (2012). Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999–2000 and 2009–10 (NCES 2012–014). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC.
Jamie Hipp, Ph.D. is an arts education/integration consultant (www.artsarehipp.com) and an adjunct professor of arts integration at LSU. She is a former elementary theatre educator and professional actress.
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