Tap R. Payne
Professor of Theatre
Division of the Humanities
University of Minnesota, Morris
(320) 589-6266 w
Education
Master of Fine Arts, University of Oregon, 1979
Major Fields of Study: Scene Design, Lighting Design
Bachelor of Science, Eastern New Mexico University, 1973
Major Fields of Study: Theatre, Communications (Radio and
Television Production), Journalism
Employment
Professor, Theatre Discipline Coordinator,
Technical Director, Designer,
University of Minnesota Morris, 1979-present.
Responsibilities: Design, execution and supervision of lighting, scenery and costumes for all University Theatre productions. Maintenance of equipment and facilities. Academic responsibility over technical theatre curriculum. Teach classes in tel evision
production. Theatre Department Chair.
Designer, Technical Director
The Barn Theatre, Willmar, MN. 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000 summer seasons
Responsibilities: Design execution and supervision of volunteers for scenery and lighting for summer season productions.
Designer, Scenic Artist,
Albuquerque Civic Light Opera, Albuquerque, N.Mex. 1986-1987 (Sabbatical leave from UMM)
Responsibilities: Design scenery for one major production. Coordinate and supervise painting of scenic drops for all productions for one calendar year.
Graduate Teaching Fellow, Stage Lighting,
University of Oregon, 1978-1979.
Responsibilities: Design, execution and supervision of stage lighting for University Theatre productions. Maintenance of equipment. Supervision and instruction of lighting workshop laboratories.
Served to rank of Captain, United States Marine Corps, 1973-1978.
Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. Duties included Unrestricted Line Officer, Anti-Air Defense Officer, Logistics Specialist, Fiscal Officer. Graduate of The Basic School, Quantico, Virginia. Graduate of Improved Hawk Missile Course, El Paso, Texas.
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Professional Honors and Awards
Awarded competitive Single Quarter Leave in 1991 to study original costume collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England.
Designs for "Blood Wedding" (1988 UMM Theatre production) and "Sleeping Beauty of Loreland" (1989 UMM Theatre production) were included in USITT National Scenography Exhibition in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Scene Design for "Land of the Dragon" (1980 UMM Theatre production) was selected for the Second Biennial Scenography Exhibition, sponsored by the USITT. One of 27 costume, scenery or lighting designs selected from regional, academic, and pro fessional designers across the country. This is the only nationwide juried scenographic exhibition in the United States. The exhibition toured the U.S. under the auspices of the United States Institute of Theatre Technology and the Smithsonian Instituti on until 1985. Additionally, this design was selected for a Purchase Prize Award (one of five so honored in the exhibition, and one of two in the scene design category).
Awarded major institutional grant from Ford Foundation to internationalize the curriculum at UMM.
Professional Design Work
Since 1979 I have designed 98 major productions at UMM; 22 major designs for community theatres in West Central Minnesota; and eight major designs while working professionally on sabbatical leave from UMM.
Additionally, I have been artistic director/scenic designer for three major public television productions broadcast by KWCM Television, Appleton, MN.
A complete list of productions designed and design responsibilities is available upon request.
Curricular Innovations
Created "Shakespeare in London." Prototype for an Intersession short term travel course in London, England. Students study four of Shakespeare's plays, see them performed by professional companies, tour the reconstructed Globe Theatre, and visit Stratf ord upon Avon.
Created "Computer Assisted Drawing." This class teaches students to use computers to draw and manipulate images. The class teaches mechanical drawing, sketching techniques, air brushing, water color techniques, scanning images and manipulating those dr awings. I hope for the class to be one of the Theatre C2 courses and a lead-in course to the theatre design courses.
Awarded two EDP grants for incorporating computer technology and computer related design into the theatre curriculum. UMM is on the cutting edge of using computers for theatre work.
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Co-created UMM Summer Theatre Program that ran from 1980 until 1993.
Initiated the addition of computer technology to appropriate technical theatre courses (Scene Design, Lighting Design, Stagecraft, Costume Design), and of computer lighting control to University Theatre performances and Theatre 3801, Stagelighting.
Created new class, "Fundamentals of Design." This class is designed for students without a strong background in the visual arts, drawing, painting, or sculpture, but with a need or desire to appreciate good design. My hope is this class will eventually become a prerequisite for Scene Design, Costuming, and Stage Lighting.
Advising and Instruction-Related University Activities
Organized and escorted student groups to London and Stratford upon Avon in 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1993, 1989 and 1986.
Organized and escorted student groups to Rome, Venice and Florence in 1996.
Organized and escorted student groups to New York in 1995.
Organized and escorted student groups to American College Theatre Festivals in 1989, 1984 and 1982.
Organized and escorted student groups to United Institute of Theatre Technology National Conventions in 1984, 1982 and 1980.
Spent 30 days in Africa participating in research and contact building on a grant from the Ford Foundation to "Internationalized the Curriculum" at UMM. This grant was the largest single grant ever awarded to UMM at the time.
Grants Received Outside the University of Minnesota
Lake Region Arts Council Grant to support Children's Theatre Production in 2000, 1999 and
1998.
U.S. West Grant to support Children's Theatre, 1997
Ford Foundation Grant to Internationalize the Curriculum. $360,000.00, shared with Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.
Minnesota State Arts Board/Lake Region Arts Council:
For scenic design commissions for Prairie Wind Players, Barret, Mn, 1999, two grants in
1994, two grants in 1993, 1990, 1988, 1987, 1985, 1983, 1981, 1980
Workshop for Young People in Technical Theatre, Prairie Wind Players (PWP),l991
Theatre Workshop "Technical Theatre for Community Theaters" PWP, 1989
"Night of January 16th" Production Video Technical Director/Guest Artist, 1984
Roosevelt Hall Stage Performing Space, Theatrical Consultant, 1983
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Participating Artist in the Artist/Mentor program of the Lake Region Arts Council, 1994
Title II HECB (Higher Education Coordinating Board) grant to produce video tapes for inservice training for mathematics and science teachers, (Scene Design and set construction), 1985.
New Mexico Bureau of Tourism grant to write a pageant celebrating the history and culture of the State of New Mexico, June 1984.
Minnesota State Arts Council grant to videotape and edit for air, a performance of Grant County Prairie Wind Player's production of "The Night of January 16th." Broadcast on KWCM, Appleton, MN, December 1983.
Northwest Area Foundation Impull Grant (Improve Public Understanding of Liberal Learning). Grant title "Liberal Learning and Careers in Business," 1983.
Grants Received Inside the University of Minnesota
EDP (Educational Development Program) Grants to develop Computer Assisted Design class and computer projects for Scene Design (Th 3800), Costume Design (3802) and Lighting Design Courses (Th 3801),1996, and in 1986 for "integrating computer techno logy into the technical theatre course sequence."
Professional Development Grant to purchase color computer equipment and computer drafting equipment to better use Computer Assisted Design Techniques in the Theatre Production Program.
Single Quarter Leave, Fall 1991, "Theatre Studies in London" to attend theatre, study original period garments, and to organize extended international experiences for UMM students.
Sabbatical Furlough, 1986-87
Project Minnemac grant for "innovative instructional software development," Theatrical Diagramming: A Tool for Theatre Artists, 1987.