| Table of Contents |
|---|
Description
The Class Coordinator organizes Ensemble classes for the membership/people who are looking to become members.
...
Structure
The Class Coordinator has sole responsibility of planning and scheduling classes.
Recent Classes and Suggestions
, including as many as possible with outside teachers.
Responsibilities (as of Fall 2014)
- Plan at least one class in October, one in November, and one in December.
- Announce all classes at least 7 days in advance.
Recent Classes
Spring 2014
- How to Be Funny with Nicole Dalton
- Voice & Speech with Prof. Olivia D'Ambrosio - she's awesome AND interested in doing another workshop! We'd love to have her again.
- How to Design Workshop: Panel with designers from each department answer questions, then split off into groups and create mock designs for an imaginary director's concept
- How to Audition Workshop - has been taught by Arielle Lipshaw (Sp2014) and Mark Velednitsky (Fa2012); ask previous directors or older members
- Swords Combat Workshop
- Logistics Workshop with the Officers - how to organize events at MIT and other running Ensemble advice
Fall 2013
- How to Use Power Tools
- Hand Combat Workshop
- Scansion Workshop
- Story Structure Class
- Movement Class
Other Possible Classes
- Theater Games
- More Stage Combat
- Theater Games (Early in the show process, even right before readthrough, is great for cast/crew bonding)
- Stage Combat (Ted Eaton has taught this in 2008, 2010, and 2012 - every other year seems to work well).
- How to Be a Man (Sabrina Neuman's class on portraying gender onstage)
- The Physicality of Acting (good for new members)Scansion
- Tech classes including Vectorworks,
- All About Lights
- , How to Use the Sewing Machine, etc.
- Ensemble Website Class
Old Structure
There will be 8 ensemble classes per term. The structure is as follows:
1. The first class is introduction/bonding - making an ensemble.
2. The second should be on what it means to be text based - how do you do text analysis - how do you design/act for.
3. There should be one class on how to be useful at put-in before put-in. Talk to the TD to coordinate this.
4-5. There should be two consecutive classes on one design aspect
6-7. There should be two consecutive classes on one acting aspect
8. There should be one class on a random acting topic
- How to be useful before and at put-in
- Using MIT Resources (CAC, ASA, Reservations, Registration, Publicity, Finboard)
- Memorizing Lines
- Shakespearean Acting
Directors Contact
We have found that classes are better attended when they are taught by outside teachers. For some sample contacts, see ensemble-directors@mit.edu.
Advice
- PLAN AHEAD. Come up with ideas for classes at the beginning of the semester and start emailing out for interest. Plan to have 1-2 classes every month.
- For fall shows with 7 weeks of rehearsal, it is possible to do 4 days of classes before formal rehearsals start. Coordinate with the director to see if they'd prefer to have that extra week of rehearsals or not.
- It is possible to do a class or two during show season, but don't overload. Try doing it during a long weekend or a day without rehearsals. See if you can relate it to the current show.
- Be wary of people's schedules. Don't try to make a class during Hell weeks or when people are very stressed about the show, or no one will show up, and you'll be sad.
- Get classes on the Ensemble calendar as soon as you have them scheduled. Email out to ensemble@ and ensemble-dartes@ about classes at least a week in advance, then email a reminder closer to the date.
- Have fun with it! Coordinate classes that you find interesting and would want to do - then go do them!
As coordinator, you are responsible for finding good teachers for each class and emailing ensemble encouraging them to come. Also make sure to take attendance so it is known who fulfills the membership requirement. Class should not occur during production weeks, as members are hosed. The coordinator should make sure that classes do not run into rehearsals. The director can request/teach specific classes as long as they are useful to the membership at large. The director should not attend unless s/he teaching.