- Student Direction, Design and Acting Recital Policies -

NOTE: No student is guaranteed the opportunity to direct or to design a stage production while at U.M.M.

DIRECTING

• Full-Length Plays

  This is not usually feasible since it frequently involves a valuable and experienced actor/actress in the senior year. In a small program with a limited number of advanced study actors/actresses, the casting of productions is considerably weakened. Past experience has demonstrated that seniors directing a full-length play put all of their time and energy into the direction project and rarely audition for or participate in other major productions. In addition, students should note that it is a significant leap from directing15 minute scenes in class to directing a full hour-and-a-half to two-hour production.
  
  However, in exceptional cases the Theatre Arts faculty may choose to select a student to direct a full-length play under the following conditions:

  1. Theatre faculty directors do not choose to direct more than one full production in a given academic year;
  2. The Theatre faculty agree that the student is qualified to direct a full-length play;
  3. The student fulfills the following requirements:
     1. Has successfully completed at least TH 3610 with a grade of A;
     2. Has served as Assistant Director to a faculty director for at least one major production;
     3. Submits to the Theatre faculty by May 1 of the academic year prior to the proposed production a project prospectus which includes the following:
        1. ) a list of three possible plays - (a) a comedy to be done in the Black Box or Proscenium Theatre, (b) a drama to be done in the Black Box or Proscenium Theatre, (c) a children's theatre play to be done in the proscenium theatre;
        2. ) A feasibility plan of how each of these would be done including a general budget, extraordinary expenses, staging problems, casting, scenery, costumes, etc.
  
  
• Short (One-Act) Plays
  This is the standard for Senior Project direction. No student should have to be responsible for more than a 1/2 hour to 45 minute production. Ideally this would be done in the late winter/early spring quarter and would be presented as a joint full evening performance in conjunction with one or two other senior direction projects and possibly senior design projects.
  Such student direction projects are subject to the following conditions:
  1. The Theatre faculty agree that the student is qualified to direct a play;
  2. The student fulfills the following requirements:
     1. Has successfully completed at least TH 3610 with a grade of A;
     2. Has served as Assistant Director to a faculty director for at least one major production;
     3. Submits to the Theatre faculty by May 1 of the academic year prior to the proposed production a project prospectus which includes the following:
        1. ) a list of two possible short plays - (a) a comedy and (b) a drama
        2. ) A feasibility plan of how each of these would be done including a general budget, extraordinary expenses, staging problems, casting, scenery, costumes, etc.
  
  

• Full-Length or Short Plays Students may be selected by the Designer/Technical Director to design costumes, scenery, lighting, sound, special effects or properties or any combination thereof with the approval of the Theatre Arts faculty. The following conditions must be met:
  1. Completion of the appropriate design course(s) with a grade of A;
  2. Prior service as Production Assistant in at least one faculty designed production;
  3. Submission by March 1 of the academic year preceding the project of a feasibility plan (in conjunction with the director) showing how the production will be mounted (in general), budget, possible problems, etc.

Students whose major theatre arts area is acting will want to consider an acting recital for their Senior Project. Such projects may be submitted in writing to the Theatre Arts faculty (usually the student's adviser) at any time. Due to the nature of such projects, however, the student is advised to begin planning a recital at least six months in advance.

- General Policy

1. The student is responsible for selecting his/her own material and securing the performance rights for such material;
2. Selection of material must be done with the consultation of the Theatre Arts faculty;
3. The student is responsible for publicizing the recital through:
   1. posters/signs displayed on campus similar to those used by student Music recitalists;
   2. notice to University Relations 2 weeks in advance;
4. The recital should consist of the following:
   1. minimum of 30 minutes of scenes and monologues in which the student is directly involved (others may provide transitional scenes, songs, etc. during costume/makeup changes);
   2. variety of selections to include such things as comedy, tragedy, drama, period and modern (vocal selections are optional);
   3. at least 2 scenes must employ one or more partners;
   4. roles previously performed by the student at U.M.M. are acceptable;
5. The student is responsible for securing and setting up his/her own rehearsal and performance space as well as the necessary technical personnel, scenery, properties, costumes, makeup, etc.

• Give yourself adequate rehearsal time for run-throughs and tech rehearsals;
• Have a couple of extra people (actors, tech) in mind for assistance in case of emergency;
• Have some friends, co-performers sit in on rehearsals in order to get feedback and work with an audience before the recital.

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The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Last Modified March 14, 2001
Page URL: http://www.morris.umn.edu/academic/theatre/handbook/policies.html