Ira Grace
Faculty Advisors:
Professor Danny Grace, Dr. Joyce Hardin & Professor Lyle Rupert
Offered with
Cooperation with the Theatre, Business & Environmental Studies department.
I started producing theatre in High School when one summer a
friend of mine and actor approached me about doing a production of Art by Yasmina Reza independently at The
Public Theatre. We had a cast but what we lacked was the capital to produce it
and production direction. I had some money saved up and so that summer I
produced, directed and designed Art for them. I discovered that that's where my
heart really lay, in making theatre happen. I love theatre in all capacities
but the industry doesn't always need more actors or more of any one thing. The industry
needs versatile people with diversified backgrounds that can make theatre
happen wherever and whenever there is a market for it. Theatre is not a dying
industry but it does need the continued support and guidance of educated people
to maintain theatres place in a modern world.
Theatre production requires a solid grounding in Business
& Economics to help theatre survive in an increasingly competitive world or
entertainment. In order to be successful in theatrical production, one must
understand Theatre as a business that relics on accurate and ethical business
practices. Money and a lack of money arc huge issues in theatre whether it is nonprofit
or not. To be successful theatrical productions must have a successful business
model to maximize efficiency and cost effectiveness.
Environmental studies have become more than just solving
problems in the environment to produce a healthier earth. It has become
necessary to look at how to overcome the human element of the problem; the
problem of motivating large groups of people to support the solutions we
already have. In order to do this we also have to look at how we interact with
each other in terms of the environment, how society views the environment as a
whole and how these images and ideas can be framed to affect people. It is not
a one-time initiative but a driving philosophy that shapes the work we do.
Environmentalism in theatre goes beyond doing our best to use environmentally
friendly materials or recycle; it is also about the messages we send and how
the audience perceives those message. It is the responsibility of producers
then to be aware of what theatre is saying. A background in environmental
studies from different disciplines will help shape how I communicate
responsibly with audiences.
Courses by Department
Theatre
Theatre in its most basic form is an actor, a space and an
audience. Generally, however, the production demands more than an empty room
with an actor in his own clothes. To produce theatre it is invaluable to
understand to understand every facet of its production. These are the core
skills involved in any theatrical production and are integral to a successful
production.
- TART 260 Production
1: Scenery and Lights
- TART 280 Production
2: Costume and Makeup
- TART 430 Stage
Directing
- TART 450 Production
Design
Business
Theatres are firms like any other business. They compete
with other theatres and participate in markets. Understanding how businesses
operate is crucial to successful theatre production.
- BUSI 200 - 210 Business & Accounting I & II
- ECON 200 Microeconomics
- BUSI 330 Cost
Accounting
Environmental Studies:
Theatre is an essentially human endeavor and a greater
understanding or how humans interact with the environment allows us to reflect
that on stage. In order to understand how I can use environmental concepts in a
theatrical setting I need to have a well-rounded understanding of these
concepts from many different disciplines.
- PHIL 270 Environmental
Philosophy
- ENGL 275 American
Literature and the Environment
- ECON 3-10 Environmental
Economics
- SOCI 362 Images
of the City
Senior Capstone Project
As a culmination of my studies I will create a faux theatre
company and publish the information on a website. The website will contain the
following:
- The upcoming season
- Full designs for one of the selected plays
- A written thesis as a statement of design
concept
- An assessment of the environmental impact of the
season
- Publicity/Marketing
- Budget & Cost Projections for the upcoming
season
- Sales projections
The environmental assessment for the season will break apart
the different elements of theater and look at their environmental impact, as
well as elaborating on different options available for theaters to reduce their
consumption. It will end with a risk assessment of my upcoming season.
Play selection is the role of a dramaturge. A dramaturge helps
the theatre choose plays that fit with its theatrical and literary criteria.
This encompasses more than the ease of staging the play but also its reception
by a modern audience and its historical significance. For this season, I will
be looking for plays that fit the environmental and social theme of the season
as well as having commercial appeal.
The central design concept for the season is conscious art
that provides both entertainment and offers a distinct perspective for the
audience to receive. This concept will be a synthesis of my environmental
studies work. My capstone will be graded by all three members of my committee:
Danny Grace, Lyle Rupert and Dr. Joyce Hardin. I will develop this season over the
course of my senior year; my capstone will not be a class. This will culminate
in a final presentation of my work as a discussion of green theater, how a
socially conscious theater could operate and the type of work that goes into
designing a season for it.
See the original document.