Ashland Center for Theatre Studies
Master of Theatre Studies
in Production and Design
Course Work - Assignments and Projects
The school-year portion of the curriculum includes play reading and analysis, theoretical designs, research and curriculum projects, and practical implementation and documentation of applied design and production projects executed in your own school. The intent is for you to apply your summer learning to school-year projects that relate directly to your job.
Applied design and technology projects and analysis papers relate to the area of emphasis for the year: presentational, representational, or musical theatre. Each year you choose from a list of plays for reading assignments and to produce at your school for applied projects.
What our students say:
- "The assignments throughout the school year are tailored to fit within our job and exist to push you to try new things, making your own school program stronger."
- "The school-year assignments were helpful as I use almost everything I have developed and/or have learned as a result."
Over the course of the three-year program you will complete the following assignments:
Before arriving for the first summer intensive
- Play analysis, beat analysis and theoretical design packet for assigned play
- Literary analysis papers on two plays from list
- Read the four plays we will attend during the summer
During the first summer intensive
- Production analysis papers on three of the four productions we attend
After the first summer
- Any necessary reworking of play analysis, beat analysis and theoretical design packet for assigned play
In your school during the school year between the first and second summer
- Applied Technology project
- Research project
- Applied Design project
- Curriculum project
- Directorial play analysis, beat analysis and theoretical design packet for assigned play
- Peer review of directorial analysis
- Literary analysis papers on two plays from list
- Read the four plays we will attend during the summer
During the second summer intensive
- Production analysis papers on three of the four productions we attend
- Presentation on research, curriculum, applied design or applied technology project
After the second summer
- Any necessary reworking of play analysis, beat analysis and theoretical design packet for assigned play
In your school during the school year between the second and third summer
- Production Implementation project
- Research project
- Applied Design project
- Play analysis, beat analysis and theoretical design packet for assigned play
- Peer review of directorial analysis and theoretical design statements
- Literary analysis papers on two plays from list
- Read the four plays we will attend during the summer
During the third summer intensive
- Production analysis papers on three of the four productions we attend
- Presentation on research, applied design or production implementation project
After the third summer
- Any necessary reworking of play analysis, beat analysis and theoretical design packet for assigned play
- Thesis Project
Project Descriptions
- Directorial analysis papers and theoretical designs - for all areas of design (scenic, costume, lighting, sound) of assigned plays (A Midsummer Night's Dream for the presentational year, Arsenic and Old Lace for the representational year, and Fiddler on the Roof for the musical year), one before each summer session. The process will include peer review during the second and third years. Theoretical designs include design statements and research, scenic models, renderings and ground plans, lighting plots and magic sheets, costume plots and character sketches, and sound cue sheets, incidental music and character themes.
- Applied design projects - choose from the list of plays to produce at your school during the year; fulfill and document a design role (scenic, costume, lights, or sound).
- Research projects - we're looking for documentation on best practices and pedagogy. Projects could include research into new technologies and/or directly impact the particular needs of your school. Abstracts will be combined into a resource book for participants.
- Curriculum project - you will develop four weeks (one to four units) of lesson plans that cover safety, design, technology and/or theatre production within your existing program.
- Applied technology project - choose from the list of plays to produce at your school during year; fulfill and document a tech role (costume construction, wardrobe, wigs and makeup; set and properties construction, painting and rigging; lighting hook-ups, plots and rigging; or sound recording, editing, mixing and live amplification).
- Production implementation project - choose a play you will produce at your school during year; fulfill and document a production implementation management role (production manager, stage manager, technical director, properties master, costume shop supervisor, master electrician, or sound engineer).
- Presentations - in your second and third summer you will present either your research, curriculum, applied design, applied technology, or production implementation project.
- Thesis project - an in-depth analysis paper of an assigned play and theoretical designs for all areas of design (scenic, costume, lighting, sound) for that play.
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