In 2023 and 2024, I was a teacher of Technical Theatre at a high school in Los Angeles, CA…
I wrote a curriculum for four different levels of a high school technical theatre track that culminated in a final design portfolio project and induction into the school’s conservatory of theatre.
The titles and goals of the curriculum maps for each level of the class are as follows:
Course Title: Theatre Design and Technology I
Textbook/Materials: Backstage Handbook (3rd Edition) by Paul Carter,
Canson Mixed Media XL Drawing Pad (9x12)
OVERALL GOALS (At the end of this course, students will:)
Be comfortable working with their hands
Understand the basic terminology and components of Technical Theatre
Use their current interests and learning styles to find out what aspect of Tech Theatre suits them best
Course Title: Theatre Design and Technology II
Textbook/Materials: Backstage Handbook (3rd Edition) by Paul Carter, Canson Mixed Media XL Drawing Pad (9x12)
OVERALL GOALS (At the end of this course, students will:)
Feel confident and comfortable with the basic aspects of technical theater
Chosen 1 or 2 disciplines they are interested in and want to pursue
Be ready to assume more leadership roles in technical theater
Have demonstrated an understanding of safety procedures in the theater
Completed 1 out of 3 Portfolio Projects
Course Title: Theatre Design and Technology III and IV
Textbook/Materials: Backstage Handbook (3rd Edition) by Paul Carter, Canson Mixed Media XL Drawing Pad (9x12)
OVERALL GOALS (At the end of this course, students will:)
Feel confident and comfortable with the basic aspects of technical theatre
Have researched building a career in technical theatre
Assumed a leadership role on at least one production during the school year
Taught one sample lesson on an aspect of technical theatre of their choosing (“Deep Dive” Project) to their peers
Completed 3 out of 3 Portfolio Projects
As tempting as it is to let the adorable pictures of my students try to sway you into liking my portfolio, the intention of this page is to exemplify my passion for theatre and how much I love sharing it with people. I had an amazing year with these students, and I learned so much more from them than they could ever have learned from me. I wrote this curriculum for them, even though they won’t be the ones to follow it. They were patient with me as a new teacher, game to try any weird new lesson plans I came up with, and they all put the work in when it came to getting our shows together. Teaching forced me to be tough, soft, organized, chaotic, and just as creative as any other industry job, if not more so.
I could spend my entire interview telling the story of each of these pictures (I won’t, don’t worry), and I would be more than happy to share the full curriculum map and individual projects for each level of the class. I plan to continue revising this curriculum as I learn more, and it will always be dedicated, like a novel, to these students.
