TDF Crew Experience Policy
TDF 252 CREW EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT FOR THEATRE MAJORS and THEATRE and DANCE MINORS
THE CREW EXPERIENCE
As an integral component of a complete undergraduate education in the performing arts, all students matriculating as a major or minor in theatre or a minor in dance are required to participate in significant crew experiences on TDF productions. A crew experience consists of a minimum of 30 hours as crew on an individual production. Students will typically be awarded .5 academic credits for successfully completing a crew experience.
Theatre Majors shall be required to achieve a minimum of 2 academic credits (i.e. four crew experiences). At least three of these experiences must be earned on main stage productions. Majors may exercise the option to fulfill one crew experience on a faculty approved student studio production.
Theatre and Dance Minors shall be required to achieve a minimum of 1 academic credit (i.e. two crew experiences). Both crew experiences must be earned on main stage productions.
It is the responsibility of each student to fulfill the appropriate number of crew experiences regardless of when their official matriculation as a major or minor began.
ASSIGNMENTS THAT FULFILL THE CREW EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT
• STAGE MANAGEMENT (.5 to1credit): Typically involves attending all rehearsals and performances of main-stage or studio productions or attending approximately seven-ten rehearsals and all performances of dance concerts or the creative writers festival.
• Stage Manager: One full academic credit (the equivalent of two crew experiences) will be awarded to stage managers of main-stage or studio theatre productions. Regular credit (.5 academic credits) will be awarded to stage managers of dance concerts or the creative writers’ festival.
• Assistant Stage Manager: One full academic credit (the equivalent of two crew experiences) will be awarded to ASM’s who are required to attend at least 50% of the scheduled rehearsals of main-stage or studio theatre productions. Regular credit will be awarded to assistant stage managers of dance concerts.
• RUNNING CREWS (.5 credits): Typically involve attending evening rehearsals seven to ten days prior to opening and attending all performances as well as one pick-up rehearsal.
• Properties
• Wardrobe
• Light board operator
• Follow spot operator
• Sound board operator
• Projections operator
• Please Note: Theatre majors and minors cast in main stage or studio theatre productions which have been designated as part of the TDF season of public performances may not make themselves available to crew any productions which overlap and conflict with the rehearsal period of the play in which they are cast.
• CONSTRUCTION CREWS (.5 credits): This experience typically involves a minimum of 30 hours participation in the area of scenery, costume or lighting on a main-stage theatre production only. Students who wish to earn their crew credit in this manner must apply and interview for the position at the beginning of a production period. Construction crew assignments are limited and candidates will be selected solely at the discretion of the area supervisor. Criteria for successfully completing a construction crew experience will include: 1) Following the supervisors instructions, 2) Prompt attendance at pre-scheduled crew calls, 3) Arriving prepared to work which includes proper dress.
• Scenery – Technical Director
• Lighting – Assistant TD / Master Electrician
• Costuming – Costume Shop Supervisor
• DESIGN (.5 credits): Majors and minors selected to design main-stage productions and majors selected to design studio productions may achieve a crew experience in the following areas:
• Scenic Design
• Lighting Design
• Costume Design
• Sound Design
• ASSISTANT DIRECTING (.5 credits): The determination whether or not a production will require an assistant director will be made by the director of the show. Majors and minors selected to be an assistant director on a main stage TDF production of a play may achieve a crew experience for their work on the show.
FAQ’s Concerning the TDF Crew Experience Requirement
1. Who is responsible for determining when I fulfill my crew experience requirements?
• Students are responsible for completing the appropriate number of crew experiences necessary to graduate as a theatre major or as a theatre or dance minor. When meeting with your academic advisor for the purpose of selecting courses prior to registration period each semester, students and advisors should conduct a review of their crew credit status and devise a plan for achieving the crew credits still needed before registration PINS are distributed.
2. Where’s the best place for new majors to begin earning their crew credits?
• While it is not mandated, it is highly recommended that majors begin achieving their crew experiences by working on a main-stage theatre production.
3. May I achieve credit multiple times in the same production area or do I need to work on a different crew each time?
• Students will be encouraged to choose crew experiences in different areas of production each year, however, with the exception of SM and ASM, they will not be restricted from earning crew experience credit in the same area more than once. It is the responsibility of each student to choose areas of participation that are not only of particular interest, but which afford the opportunity for in depth involvement in the production.
4. The Crew Experience Policy states: “…all students matriculating as a major or minor in theatre and dance are required to participate in significant crew experiences…” What does, “significant crew experiences” mean?
• A significant crew experience is defined as continuous, meaningful crew participation of a minimum 30 hours on a single production (many crews require more than the 30 hour minimum). A crew experience credit will not be awarded to anyone who withdraws from a show prior to the final performance or anyone who is absent from a tech/dress call or a performance. Furthermore, A crew experience credit will not be awarded for minimal participation on the crews of two or three shows over the course of an academic year.
5. How do I register for TDF 252 during pre-registration if I don’t know whether or not I’ll be working on a crew in the following semester?
• Students are not expected to enroll in TDF 252 during the pre-registration period. Students who crew a production will be added to the roster of TDF 252 by the Managing Director at the end of the semester in which the crew experience has been successfully completed.
6. How can I determine my crew credit status?
• Check your academic transcript audit sheet. TDF 252 will appear on a student’s academic transcript with a grade of “P” each time they successfully complete a crew experience. Majors must accumulate 2 academic credits (i.e. typically 4 crew experiences) in this course and minors a minimum of one academic credit (i.e. typically 2 crew experiences) during their matriculation. Those who earn double credit for Stage Managing or complete two crew experiences in a single semester will be able to reduce the minimum number of times they must register for the course.
7. Is it possible to earn academic credit for two crew experiences on separate shows in the same semester?
• Yes. A student may earn .5 credits twice in the same semester for working on two separate productions as long as both crew experiences have been completed prior to the date by which semester grades must be submitted,
8. Is it possible to earn academic credit for two experiences on the same show if I work a construction crew during the day and a running crew in the evening?
• No, a student may not achieve two crew experiences on the same production.
9. After I’ve fulfilled the crew experience requirement (4 for majors 2 for minors) may I still continue to register for TDF 252 if I continue to crew TDF productions?
• Yes.
10. Does one need to be a TDF major or minor to enroll in TDF 252 or can students majoring in other disciplines enroll if they successfully crew a TDF theatre or dance project?
• Any student who successfully crews a TDF production may enroll in TDF 252.
11. Do crew experiences I achieved prior to declaring a major or a minor count toward my degree?
• Yes, if your name was added to the roster of TDF 252 in the semester in which you successfully completed the crew experience.
12. As a major I can only count one design of a studio production toward my crew experiences but, if I design two or three times for a main-stage show, may each one be counted toward fulfilling the crew experience requirement?
• Yes designing on main-stage productions may be counted multiple times. Designing on studio productions may only be counted once, providing the student has not already crewed a studio show and used that experience toward fulfilling the crew requirement.
13. If a student is the designer in more than one area (e.g. scenery and costumes or sound and lighting) on a single production, does that count as two crew experiences?
• No. The student will be awarded one crew experience credit for that production.
14. Does the Spring Dance Concert, which typically features student choreography, count as a main-stage or a studio production?
• The Spring Dance Concert operates under the direction of a faculty member and is therefore considered a main-stage production.
15. May I earn double credit each time I Assistant Stage Manage or Stage Manage a theatre production?
• No. A student may only be awarded double credit for stage management one time (ASM or SM). Students may choose stage management on more than one occasion to fulfill the crew experience requirement, however, each time after the first, stage management will count as one crew experience and .5 credits will be awarded.
16. Theatre majors may exercise the option to fulfill one crew experience requirement by working on a studio production typically staged in the Bowab Studio Theatre. Do all student productions staged in the Bowab Studio Theatre provide students an opportunity to achieve a crew experience?
• No. Students may only fulfill the crew experience requirement by crewing designated, TDF sponsored studio productions. A TDF sponsored student directed production is one that has been endorsed by the faculty and designated as part of the TDF production season. Students will not be awarded crew experience credit for work on “pick-up” or club productions, class projects, independent study projects or independent faculty led projects.
17. Does acting, directing, assistant directing, choreography or dance performance count as crew experiences and may I be awarded academic credit for participation in these areas?
• Acting, directing and assistant directing in studio productions, choreography for dance concerts or theatre productions and membership in the TDF Dance Company do not fulfill the TDF crew experience requirement. However, students who participate in these experiences may receive .5 academic credits by registering for TDF 251 for theatre and TDF 265 for dance.
18. What happens if I undertake my design or directing assignment as an independent study and study with a faculty instructor in order to earn a full 3 academic credits for my work?
• A student designer whose work on a realized TDF production (not an abstract project) is undertaken within the context of a 3 credit independent study may not earn a crew experience for the project. In this instance, the student would register for an appropriate TDF independent study course and not be registered in TDF 252. Student directors are not eligible for crew experience credit.
19. May I earn a crew experience or academic credit for House Managing?
• No. House managing does not fulfill the crew requirement experience and academic credit will not be awarded for house managing.
20. If I am a student employee in the scene or costume shop may the hours I work count as a crew experience?
• No Students may not count the hours they work as a paid college employee as a crew experience. Students may count work in these areas toward a crew experience if they log sufficient hours on a production beyond the hours for which they are paid.
21. If, by the end of the second semester of my senior year, I realize that I am one crew credit shy of satisfying the major or minor degree requirements in theatre or dance and there are no remaining TDF productions to crew, may I fulfill that credit by working in the scene or costume shop during the final weeks of the semester?
• No. Crew credits must be earned as a building crew or running crew member on an appropriately designated TDF production. Crew experiences in a given year must be completed by the final performance of the last production of the season. It is each student’s responsibility to ensure they have fulfilled the crew requirements for majors and minors prior to the last production of their senior year. If students find that they do not have sufficient crew credits to graduate as a major or minor by the final performance of the last production of their senior year, no special arrangements will be made to create a crew opportunity and the student will not graduate with a degree in theatre.
Department of Theatre Dance & Film
Approved: 9/29/10, Amended: 9/28/11, 4/12/17, 11/15/17 Printable version here.
