Interested in Design? Or Publicity? Working Backstage? Carpentry? Electrics? Or Even Painting?
Join a Production Staff!
Each production has one, and depending on availability, there are a variety of opportunities for lead design, assistant design, publicity, carpentry, painting, electrics, and more in the many roles in a production staff. Feel free to email Mask and Bauble or the show producer for information about Production Staff openings and/or General Interest Meetings.
Unleash Your Creativity Through Design
Costume Design
From Shakespeare to Woody Allen's Communist Russia to Modern Dramas, there are a variety of periods to research and play with for those interested in Costume Design with Mask and Bauble. For those who specialize more in the cosmetics, make-up, and hair realm, production staffs also frequently include separate Hair & Make-up Designers who work independently but in conjunction with the Costume Design Team. Those interested in joining the Costume or Hair & Make-up Design Team in a smaller capacity should think about Costume or Hair & Make-up Crew. The Hair & Make-up Crew assists the Hair & Make-up Designer each night of dress rehearsals and performances in getting the cast ready to go onstage. The Costume Crew works with the Costume Design Team in a more minor, shop-like role to physically alter or create costumes as well as to (often) make the transition to Costume Run Crew backstage, aiding in quick changes, laundry, and keeping track of costume pieces.
Graphic Design
For those with a background in the visual arts or Adobe Creative Suite, or for those who think poster design and implementation sounds intriguing, look no further than Graphic Design! From designing logos for companies in individual productions (here's a recent example from Urinetown (The Musical), the Urine Good Company logo) to designing posters, business cards, buttons, and flyers, Graphic Designers will be very present in the visual representation of the play, and will coordinate with the Publicity Team and frequently with the Set Design Team.
From Shakespeare to Woody Allen's Communist Russia to Modern Dramas, there are a variety of periods to research and play with for those interested in Costume Design with Mask and Bauble. For those who specialize more in the cosmetics, make-up, and hair realm, production staffs also frequently include separate Hair & Make-up Designers who work independently but in conjunction with the Costume Design Team. Those interested in joining the Costume or Hair & Make-up Design Team in a smaller capacity should think about Costume or Hair & Make-up Crew. The Hair & Make-up Crew assists the Hair & Make-up Designer each night of dress rehearsals and performances in getting the cast ready to go onstage. The Costume Crew works with the Costume Design Team in a more minor, shop-like role to physically alter or create costumes as well as to (often) make the transition to Costume Run Crew backstage, aiding in quick changes, laundry, and keeping track of costume pieces.
Graphic Design
For those with a background in the visual arts or Adobe Creative Suite, or for those who think poster design and implementation sounds intriguing, look no further than Graphic Design! From designing logos for companies in individual productions (here's a recent example from Urinetown (The Musical), the Urine Good Company logo) to designing posters, business cards, buttons, and flyers, Graphic Designers will be very present in the visual representation of the play, and will coordinate with the Publicity Team and frequently with the Set Design Team.
Lighting Design
A converted classroom, Poulton Hall Stage III allows for a challenging and interesting space for Lighting Design. A grid, 48 dimmers, a stock of Source 4 ERS's, Altman ERS's and fresnels, and Strand strip lights, and an ETC ION lighting desk allow those involved with the Lighting Design Team to experiment and develop unique lighting designs. Properties Design Whether it's creating an indestructible fake "bomb" to look like one from a Roadrunner cartoon for Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water or it's finding the perfect bunny slippers for Mr. Caldwell B. Cladwell in Urinetown, the Properties Design Team is a key part of providing props for the rehearsal room and for working with the other design teams to provide props for performances that help further the vision of play, whether that's through hyper-realistic props, deliberately exaggerated props, minimalist props, etc. |
Set Design
Those who decide to work on the Set Design will find themselves meandering through the Stage III and the Cave, drafting their designs in Vectorworks, discussing practical and artistic scenic needs with the Director and many, if not all, of the other Design Teams, and working with the Technical Director on the actual implementation of the set. For those less interested in the space as a whole and more interested in the objects and furniture particular to that space, many productions provide opportunities for Set Dressing, which will rely heavily on the Properties Design Team.
Those who decide to work on the Set Design will find themselves meandering through the Stage III and the Cave, drafting their designs in Vectorworks, discussing practical and artistic scenic needs with the Director and many, if not all, of the other Design Teams, and working with the Technical Director on the actual implementation of the set. For those less interested in the space as a whole and more interested in the objects and furniture particular to that space, many productions provide opportunities for Set Dressing, which will rely heavily on the Properties Design Team.
Sound Design
Often working in tandem with the Set Design Team and Lighting Design Team, those fascinated by music, sound, ambience, white noise, and any other aspect of what the ear can hear will look at hard and soft goods as they relate to sound wave absorption, create speaker plots, write speaker checks, and (most impressively) develop a knack for navigating QLab.
Often working in tandem with the Set Design Team and Lighting Design Team, those fascinated by music, sound, ambience, white noise, and any other aspect of what the ear can hear will look at hard and soft goods as they relate to sound wave absorption, create speaker plots, write speaker checks, and (most impressively) develop a knack for navigating QLab.
Tone Your Muscles Through Construction or Hanging and Circuiting Lights
Build Crew
Head the construction of the Set Design as Master Carpenter or work as one of a group on the Build Crew in order to help cut lumber and construct flats or furniture or platforms or any other element called for in the Set Design. Work with the Technical Director and Set Design Team to turn paper (or computer program) into reality. Electricians For a Light Design to happen, there must be lighting fixtures. With lighting fixtures, there must be dimmers and cables to connect those fixtures to the dimmers. For this to happen 12 feet in the air on the grid in Stage III, there must be electricians! For those who think hanging lights and counting feet for cables sounds crazy fun, the Master Electrician works one on one with the Producer, Technical Director, and Lighting Design Team to ensure there is light in time for technical rehearsals. Electricians get to climb ladders and scaffolding and hang out with the Lighting Design Team and Master Electrician. As a former electrician used to say, "It's like your own little world up there, just you and the light[ing fixture]." |
Play with Color Through Painting
Scenic Painting
If detail brushes, aging/antiquing, free-handing, eclectic surfaces, and paint sound like the bees' knees, Scenic Painting is the role to nab. Working with the other design teams to implement (for instance) logos created by the Graphic Design Team, to create Wall Paintings that fit in with the Set Design vision, or to assist the Build Crew and Technical Director by helping to paint the set in its entirety, Scenic Painters are often found in Stage III, giving the final touches that help make the Set sparkle.
If detail brushes, aging/antiquing, free-handing, eclectic surfaces, and paint sound like the bees' knees, Scenic Painting is the role to nab. Working with the other design teams to implement (for instance) logos created by the Graphic Design Team, to create Wall Paintings that fit in with the Set Design vision, or to assist the Build Crew and Technical Director by helping to paint the set in its entirety, Scenic Painters are often found in Stage III, giving the final touches that help make the Set sparkle.
Develop Night Vision Backstage on Run Crew
Run Crew
Run Crew members report to the Stage Manager and work with the Assistant Stage Managers backstage, allowing each performance to run smoothly by assisting in quick changes, make-up changes, scenic changes, managing props, cueing the Orchestra Conductor, and answering any issues that arise (batteries dying, lights going out, maintaining a professional backstage atmosphere).
Run Crew members report to the Stage Manager and work with the Assistant Stage Managers backstage, allowing each performance to run smoothly by assisting in quick changes, make-up changes, scenic changes, managing props, cueing the Orchestra Conductor, and answering any issues that arise (batteries dying, lights going out, maintaining a professional backstage atmosphere).
Build a House (of People) on the Publicity Team
Publicity Team
We are proud of what we learn and create through our work, and we want people to see that manifest itself in our productions. If you are interested in designing and decorating a wall in Midnight Mug, coordinating newspaper reviewers and photographers for Press Run, talking to people about theatre, or spreading the word about what is being done in the dark (not really, we have Lighting Design Teams) in Stage III in Poulton, then sign up for publicity! And know that when each person walks through the door of Stage III to see a performance, that was because of the hard work of the Publicity Team.
We are proud of what we learn and create through our work, and we want people to see that manifest itself in our productions. If you are interested in designing and decorating a wall in Midnight Mug, coordinating newspaper reviewers and photographers for Press Run, talking to people about theatre, or spreading the word about what is being done in the dark (not really, we have Lighting Design Teams) in Stage III in Poulton, then sign up for publicity! And know that when each person walks through the door of Stage III to see a performance, that was because of the hard work of the Publicity Team.