Production Drama


Production Drama is an after-school, for-credit class in which students create and participate in Tech’s twice-yearly full-scale theatrical productions as part of Tech’s award-winning, critically-acclaimed OakTechRep student theater company.

Students in Production Drama and OakTechRep have the opportunity to perform challenging theater, to work with established professional actors, playwrights and directors from around the Bay Area, and to see first-rate theater productions in Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, and the California Shakespeare Theatre.

Recent OakTechRep productions have included “Oakland: Inside/Out” (winner of the prestigious American High School Theater Festival award); “Hamlet: Blood in the Brain” (Performed at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland); “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare; “Dracula”; and “Blues for an Alabama Sky.”

Production Drama class meets Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:30-5:00; short Wednesdays 2:00-5:00.  Classes and/or rehearsals may last until 5:30, and rehearsals may last longer as performance time approaches.

Participation in Tech’s productions may be open to students not in Production Drama, at the discretion of the teachers.

Teachers’ office hours: fourth period or lunch (by appointment)

Ms. Susannah: wood.susannah@yahoo.com

Mr. Fern: cfern1005@gmail.com

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Production Drama Posts

OakTechRep Awards Ceremony June 8

What’s more fun than the Oscars? I don’t know … but we’re going to have our very own OakTechRep awards ceremony on June 8, 2012 in the Auditorium, from 4-6 p.m.

Red carpet attire not required for this fun, informal event for the students and families involved in the after-school drama class, the drama production, and the fabulous Tech Techies. Come and let’s recognize our achievements and say a fond farewell to our departing seniors!

 

 

Help Feed the “Dream”

It’s that time again … long rehearsals for what promises to be a fabulous drama production, and that means that our actors and techies need your help to bring them nutritious after-school snacks and dinner while they’re working hard to prepare the show!

We need YOU to join our group of wonderful parent volunteers in bringing food for the students.  This year, we are working through the website LotsaHelpingHands.com to coordinate our efforts.

It’s easy to help:

  • Go to https://www.lotsahelpinghands.com/c/655271/
  • Fill out the right-hand side of the form, which is a Request to Join the Community.
  • You will be added to the OakTechRep “community” and sent instructions for setting a password and signing-in.
  • You’ll then be able to choose a date and a task (bringing snack, bringing dinner).

Please do this as soon as you can.  We have many tasks awaiting volunteers and hungry kids!

Thank you, on behalf of all the hard-working students in the drama performance and Techies program!

 

 

 

Spring Play 2012: Midsummer Night’s Dream

OakTechRep is delighted to announce the Spring 2012 Show: our own spin on “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” by William Shakespeare.

Don’t miss this touching and funny tale of mistaken identity, quarreling lovers, star-crossed lovers, mischievous fairies and confused actors, presented as a rave with music, dance and lights!

Performances April 25-29 in Tech’s beautiful auditorium (no show on Friday, April 27)

New this year: buy tickets online in advance!

Save money, save hassle, buy your tickets online from Brown Paper Tickets! http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/242396

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drama Field Trip to ACT’s “Humor Abuse”

On January 19th all drama students had a fantastic field trip to the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco to see the play “Humor Abuse.”

“Humor Abuse” recounts the true story of playwright and actor Lorenzo Pisoni’s childhood as part of the Bay Area’ Pickle Family Circus, and Pisoni’s often-difficult relationship with his father, the circus founder.

In preparation for the field trip, Tech’s drama students had the chance to participate in a physical theatre workshop with ACT Company member Patrick Russell.

Rehearsal Schedule for Spring Play 2012

Rehearsal schedule for Midsummer Night’s Dream:

Jan. 30-April 6 rehearsals

April 16-24 Tech and dress rehearsals

April 25, 26, 28, 29 performances

Drama Student Alumni Discuss College and Career Choices

Drama students, here’s an exciting event if you’re considering studying drama after high school!

Drama Alumni Panel Discussion: College and Career Choices after OakTechRep (in the Arts and beyond….)

Tech Drama alums, you’re invited to participate and talk about what you’ve been doing since you graduated: Where are you?  What college/career choices have you made?  How have you been involved in Arts?  What have you used from your education at Tech in the “Real World”?

January 11, 2012, 3:30-5 p.m. in the Auditorium

Guest Artist from A.C.T.

All current Drama students are invited to a special presentation by a guest artist from San Francisco’s famed American Conservatory Theatre in the Auditorium on January 11, 2012, from 1-2 p.m.

Volunteers Needed for Fall 2011 One-Act Festival

Parents and friends, we need your support for our fall drama production.

Every year, our fabulous productions need the unglamorous but all-important help of the people who are willing to feed our actors and techies, give kids rides home after rehearsals and shows, help sell tickets and concessions and help out during performances.  Will you be one of our local heroes?

You can see the full schedule here, but we especially need help on Thursday, November 17; Friday, November 18; and Saturday, November 19.  If you can bring food to sell at the concessions stand or can help staff the lobby or ticket booth, we need you!  Please contact Ann Daniels at anngdan@pacbell.net

Rehearsal and Performance Schedule for One-Act Festival

Parents and students, please mark your calendars: here is the schedule for the final rehearsals and performances for the Fall 2011 One-Act Festival:

Monday, Nov 14: 3:30pm-10pm Dress Rehearsal

Tuesday, Nov 15: 3:30pm-10pm Dress Rehearsal

Wednesday, Nov 16: 3:30pm-8:30pm Dress Rehearsal NOTE NEW EARLIER END TIME!!!

Thursday, Nov 17: 3:30-7pm Rehearsal/Notes

Thursday, Nov 17: 7:30pm PERFORMANCE

Friday, Nov 18: 3:30-7pm Rehearsal/Photos

Friday, Nov 18: 7:30pm PERFORMANCE

Saturday, Nov 19: 7:30pm PERFORMANCE

 

 

Auditions Extended for Fall Drama Production

There is ONE MORE opportunity to audition for the upcoming Drama production! This Wednesday, September 28, there will be one more hour of auditions, right after school from 3:30pm-4:30pm in A3. Students auditioning do not need to prepare a monologue, although it is encouraged!

This Fall, the OakTechRep student ensemble is boldly going into brave new territory, as the students become the DIRECTORS. Each student director has chosen a short one-act play to direct, ranging from dark comedies to bold dramas.Students enrolled in Drama classes may be eligible for extra credit if they audition and are cast. Regular rehearsals will be M/W/F 3:30-5:30, with room for some conflicts.

Contact Casey Fern @ cfern1005@gmail.com or 808-292-6130 with any questions.

 

One-Act Drama Festival

The Oakland Tech Drama Department is pleased to announce its fall production:

A Festival of One-Act Plays

Come see this exciting new venture, with Tech’s Production Drama students directing, acting in and working on all aspects of a variety of short one-act plays.  From romantic duels to lovelorn roommates, from out-of-body experiences to international adventures, the plays we have lined up offer a truly unique blend of joy, sorrow, and mystery. Don’t miss out on this fabulous evening!

If you’ve been to a Tech drama production, you know what a treat this will be.  And if you haven’t … what are you waiting for?  Bring your friends, bring your family!

With a special performance by the Tech Chorus

In the beautiful Tech Auditorium, 42nd Street just off Broadway

Admission: $8 general, $5 with OUSD ID.  All proceeds go directly toward funding the arts at Tech!

 

 

Production Drama: Grades

Production Drama is a for-credit course and grades are given.  These are the components of students’ grades in Production Drama:

Daily participation: 25%.

  • self-assessment at the end of each class.

Application of knowledge: 30%.

  • performances
  • rehearsals and the creation process

Mastery of knowledge: 10%

  • line memorization
  • quizzes and tests

Reflection: 15%

  • written self-reflections
  • discussion and critique
  • audience etiquette

Leadership skills: 20%

  • collaboration
  • creative voice
  • reliability
Production Drama Projects and Important Dates

Weeks 1-3: Hero Journey and Physical Theatre Immersion

  • September 17, Piano dedication performance

Weeks 4-5: Play Selection, Audition Prep, Auditions, Casting

  • Friday, September 23 and Monday, September 26 after school, One-Act auditions

Weeks 5-6: Launch One-Acts: read-throughs, initial blocking, design concepts

Weeks 7-10: Rehearsals, presentations, design construction

  • October 9: Rockridge Fair, solo and group presentations
  • October 13, parent preview night, solo and group presentations
  • October 14, field trip to CalShakes “Taming of the Shrew” (parents, please note: chaperones needed!)
  • Late October, TBA: Ancestor Assembly

Weeks 11-12: Tech rehearsals and performance

  • November 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 – Tech rehearsals
  • November 16, 17, 18 – Performances
Production Drama 2011-12 Course Requirements

In 2011-2012, Production Drama will be taught by Technical Director Casey Fern, Susannah Wood (Fridays), and Jessa Berkner (on maternity leave for the first part of the year – congratulations to Ms. J!)

Class Goals:

Through art, we seek to explore theh human condition to gain understanding of ourselves, others, and our world.  Through drama, we seek understanding, as well.  But in drama, we use the tools of our own moving, thinking, feeling selves.  Through movement, voice, feeling and live interaction with our audience, we will further our own understanding and the understanding of others.

In this class, it is assumed that the student is entering with a high level of theatrical experience, emotional maturity, and commitment to the Performing Arts.  This class is designed to produce inspired, student-driven, ensemble-based productions on our very own Oakland Tech Auditorium stage.

About the Class:

This class requires outside prep and a commitment to rehearsals and events that will sometimes fall outside the standard meeting time.  Once we launch a production, you MUST commit to and follow through with the rehearsal schedule or your grade will be hurt.

For the most part, this class will function like a professional, theatrical rehearsal.  When a professional theatrical artist misses a rehearsal, they are docked pay.  here, your grade will suffer.  When a professional theatrical artist fails to perform in a show, they are not paid for their work at all.  If you back out of a project at such a date that it severely affects the work of others, you will fail this class.

Much more than grades and credit, though, this class is about ensemble and community.  Keep the good of the group in mind at all times.  We are stronger together than we are individually.  The level of work that you put in to this class is a call to your peers to reach for that same level.

Be honest, considerate, hard-working, patient, and ambitious.

Free Theater Opportunity for Parent Chaperones

Parents, here’s a great opportunity to see some amazing theater – free!

On October 14, the Drama classes will be attending Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” at Cal Shakes.  Parent chaperones are urgently needed.  The good news is that you don’t need to drive and you don’t need to pay, and you get to see the show!

The field trip will be an all-day event, leaving during FIRST PERIOD and returning during SIXTH PERIOD.  Plan to meet at the Auditorium in the morning, walk to MacArthur BART, take BART to the theater, attend the show, take BART back, and walk back to the school.  It looks to be a great show, which would normally cost about $40 to see.

Permission forms for the trip are still being processed, so don’t worry if your student hasn’t mentioned the trip; most students are aware of the excursion even if they have not signed up.  You will receive all necessary paperwork in plenty of time for the trip.

If you are interested in chaperoning and seeing the play, please contact Casey Fern: cfern1005@gmail.com, 808-292-6130