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Academic Policy Memo 2

Revised October, 2008

Procedures for PTP Directing Projects

CHOICE OF MATERIAL

Directing Projects are chosen based on a number of factors including the faculty assessment of the student’s skill level so that each project is of a nature and complexity to be challenging and useful to the student. The student’s own inclination and ambitions are taken into account along with such factors as budget, resources, available venue, etc. Over the three years, the student can expect to address increasingly demanding projects. The student can expect to direct traditional, classical, and contemporary plays as well as projects that require music and sound. Directors may be asked to direct an original, self-generated piece adapted from a non-dramatic source. In the second year each director may direct a Project in one of the main stage venues as part of the regular School of Drama subscription. During the third year the student will direct a fully produced and supported Thesis Production, as a major part of the year regular SoD season.

Final choices for Workshop and Thesis productions are made by the Season Selection Committee from written proposals provided by the candidate directors.

SCHEDULING OF DIRECTING PROJECTS

First year Directing Projects (winter and spring) are chosen and scheduled prior to the end of the fall quarter. The second year Workshop and the third year Thesis must be approved and scheduled by the Season Planning Committee during the previous academic year. Second and third year directing projects are chosen and scheduled during the previous academic year.

AUDITIONS

For most directing projects, a general audition call is posted at the beginning of Fall quarter for Fall quarter projects, at the end of Fall quarter for Winter Quarter projects, and at the end of Winter quarter for Spring quarter projects. Auditions normally take place during the first week of the quarter with callbacks posted as soon as the mainstage shows involving undergraduates have posted their cast lists. Final callbacks and casting for Directing Projects are generally concluded at least one week prior to the beginning of rehearsals.

When practicable, open auditions must be held for all projects, giving all actors an equal chance for all roles. An exception: a project that originated in an earlier quarter and whose continued development may require some cast members to return or a project involving PATP actors. Casting sessions are to be efficient and timely.

ALLOTMENT OF REHEARSAL TIME FOR DIRECTING PROJECTS

"Rehearsal" is here meant to include any work with the actors prior to the public performances. As mentioned in Production Policy #4, directing projects may rehearse no more than 25 hours in any given week. This time allocation generally breaks down to 4-hour calls Monday-Friday, and a single 5-hour call on either Saturday or Sunday (the alternate weekend day must be left free). Rehearsals, including notes and scheduling, must end by 11:00 p.m. It is expected that rehearsal schedules will be reasonable and be indexed to the length and complexity of the project. Directors are cautioned to be respectful of the multiple demands in a student actor's schedule by utilizing rehearsal time efficiently. A detailed rehearsal plan for each project indicating length and timing of calls must be submitted to all directing faculty with the pre-production paper and updated as necessary.

WRITTEN ANALYSES OF DIRECTING PROJECT

When a pre-production review is included in Directing Seminar, a written analysis, with design elements, will be required for Directing projects, workshops and thesis productions. This pre-production material will be submitted to the Program Head or designee on the Friday prior to the pre-production seminar. At the same time, copies must also be made available to the other Directing students and faculty in the seminar. This analysis constitutes a working paper for the director and will be a starting point for discussion in the seminar. The pre-production paper format will be provided by the Directing faculty at the beginning
of the term.

PUBLICITY FOR DIRECTING PROJECTS

Due to royalty restrictions (no royalties are paid for "classroom projects"), announcements for auditions and performances of royalty plays are restricted to Hutchinson Hall and may not be advertised outside of the School of Drama, nor may they be announced in any publication, including e-mail and the World Wide Web. Notices for auditions, rehearsals, and performances may be placed only on the bulletin boards provided for them. All such notices should be typed or neatly printed, and not exceed 17" x 22" in size. PTP directors may request that faculty and teaching assistants make announcements to classes regarding auditions and performances. All signs related to performances must be removed immediately following the performances.

All announcements of performances must also include information on handicapped access; this information is available from the General Manager for Production or Communications Director.

LOCATION AND TIME OF PERFORMANCES

Graduate Directing Projects have priority on the use of Hutchinson 218 and most projects are presented there. Other arrangements can be made (Cabaret, 201 late in Spring quarter, or site-specific work outside of Hutchinson, for example) but this must be discussed very early in the process, and is subject to the approval of the Head of Directing. In the spring quarter, 218 is shared with the undergraduate directors who produce one-act plays in conjunction with the directing course (Drama 462).

Directing projects receive three or four performances scheduled in order to facilitate attendance by students, faculty and staff after school hours. Unless otherwise scheduled, the performances will occur Wednesday at 6:00 pm, Thursday at 5:30 pm, and Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm.

PM 8202/REV4-04

Academic Policy Memo No. 2, first established prior to 1981
Subsequent revisions: Sept. 1981; Sept. 1989; Sept. 93; April, 94, Sept. 96, Dec. 01
Executive Committee approval: April 13, 2004
Faculty Approval: April 19, 2004

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