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TAP into Management, Direction, Design & Technical Theatre

Through KIDSTAGE SummerStock, TeenSelect, Ensemble, and Company Originals productions, TAP into Production provides training for young people in a professional theatre environment.

This training can lead to future education and careers in:
Management: Stage management, production management, and technical direction
Direction: Direction, choreography, musical direction
Design: Sets, lights, sound, costumes, and props
Technical Theatre: Carpentry, painting, prop construction, costume construction, lighting technician, sound technician, and running crew.

Tap into Production: Management

Stage Management – assist a Stage Manager and learn about organizing people and paperwork: take general, blocking and line notes during rehearsals, help organize costume fittings, prop lists, and other pertinent show data.

Production Management – assist a Production Manager and learn to provide general office and administrative support: collect and gather important paperwork, take notes during production meetings, organize parent volunteers, create playbills, organize and distribute posters/postcards.

Technical Director – assist a Technical Director and learn to coordinate the design team and technical staff: work with carpenters, painters, and designers to execute a scenic design, learn how to create Autocad drawings of scenery, help to oversee a scenic materials budget, help to engineer scenery.

Tap into Production: Direction

Direction - assist a professional director to create stage pictures, work with actors, help tell the story, do dramaturgical research, and coach actors in scenes.

Choreography – assist a professional choreographer to teach and notate dance steps and formations, clean dance combinations, create original choreography, teach students techniques and dance steps, and run daily fitness conditioning warm-ups with actors.

Music Direction – assist a professional music director work with singers to teach/rehearse music, help teach harmonies, parts, and clean vocal performances.

Tap into Production: Design

Sets – Work with professional set designers and learn to create an exciting, safe, and visually interesting performance space for the show. Learn to create a floor plan, front and rear elevations, color renderings, and a 3-D model.

Lights – work with professional lighting designers and learn how to use different lighting instruments and colors of light to appropriately illuminate the performance space. Learn how to mimic different lighting conditions (daylight, nighttime, indoors, outdoors, etc.), as well as enhance the mood of a scene. Learn how to create a light plot, and how to program cues on light-board.

Sound – work with a professional sound designer to understand the many aspects of sound design including the dynamics of the performance space, microphone and speaker placement, balancing levels of all sound sources for all areas of the audience, and cabling, and pulling/creating sound effects. Run a soundboard during sound checks and potentially during the production.

Costumes – work with a professional costume designer and learn to create costumes befitting the characters, story, and actor needs. Learn to produce sketches and color renderings of designs, as well as choose appropriate fabrics for the performance space and actor movement used in the show.

Props – work with a professional props designer and learn to create handheld props and furniture that complete the performance space and the actor’s performance. Research different environments (time periods or fantastical places), and different construction techniques, to produce items that appear authentic, can stand up to performance use, and help inform the overall story.

TAP into Production: Technical Theatre

Students interested in participating in the KIDSTAGE technical program during our KIDSTAGE Summer productions as technicians should have a strong interest in learning about the various aspects of mounting a full-scale musical. This is an excellent opportunity for students ready to expand their skills and understanding of the theatrical process by working alongside professionals. Tech program students work at Village Theatre generally Monday-Friday from 12:30-5:00 PM (this schedule could vary from week-to-week and there is some flexibility) from mid June-mid July, the hours will increase during tech and dress rehearsals mid-July through early August. There are also crew positions available for two shows (approximately sixteen performances). The program ends the second weekend in August.

Positions Available:

Lighting Technician – hang, circuit, and focus lights; learn basic elements of lighting design and spotlight operation. Work as light crew during the run of a show.

Carpenter – build, paint and install scenery; learn basic rigging and the safe and efficient operation of scenery during performance. Work as stage crew during the run of a show. Students with carpentry experience are strongly encouraged to apply, and basic working knowledge of power tools is very helpful.

Scenic Painter – learn different paint techniques, color mixing, drawing and painting from designer’s renderings and model pieces, using a grid to layout artwork; learn to use and maintain different types of brushes, rollers, sprayers and other paint equipment. Work as stage crew during the run of a show.

Costume Assistant – assist designer with shopping, borrowing, pulling from stock and costume construction; assist with actor measurements and fittings; organize and track costumes and accessories for a large cast in a big musical. Work as wardrobe/dressing crew during the run of a show.

Properties Assistant –assist designer with shopping, borrowing, pulling from stock and construction of handheld props and furniture; organize and track all props. Work as props/stage crew during the run of a show.

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KIDSTAGE Summer Independent Production

The KIDSTAGE Summer Independent Production is the pinnacle of the KIDSTAGE program. The Summer Independent Production is entirely directed, designed, and produced by young artists under 20 years of age. Professional mentorship, provided by Village Theatre artists and staff, helps ensure that high artistic and educational standards are met. Typically, Independent Production students have advanced through progressive challenges in professionally guided Direction or Design roles through previous TAP experiences. Independent Production interns must successfully complete a rigorous application and interview process and receive steadfast support throughout the production experience from the education staff.

Tuition: None. Successful applicants for Summer Independent production staff are interns and receive a weekly stipend to offset the expenses of participation.
Apply: Applicants must complete the TAP Application Form and interview with a KIDSTAGE Manager.

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