TTR 399 Internship in Theatre Production

(4 credits, offered every semester by arrangement)

Course Description

Students enrolled in TTR 399 Internship in Theatre Production engage in an extensive real-world learning experience in an organizational context relevant to their minor in Theatre/Drama.  Students increase their level of expertise in specific areas of Theatre/Drama by testing theories and practices in these applied settings.  The opportunity to work in a Theatre production setting helps our students adapt appropriate professional work standards, explore different career options, and build mentor and other network relationships.

Although we would prefer that the internship be with a professional or community theatre company, an internship with a campus stage production is acceptable if substantial Theatre responsibilities are involved, and if the student will be supervised by a theatre professional.  (For example, a student may not earn internship credit for acting in a campus production if the production is directed by a student; only if a qualified Theatre professional directs the production would the student be given credit.)  The College requires 50 hours of work per credit hour; thus the internship in Theatre production requires a total of 200 hours of work.

Prerequisites/Requirements/Restrictions  

• Minimum overall GPA of 2.5
• Junior status or approval of Theatre/Drama Coordinator
• Before enrolling in TTR 399, students must have completed the relevant minor core course (e.g., for an internship in acting, the student must have completed TTR/COM 255 Acting for the Stage and Screen).  The Theatre/Drama Coordinator may exempt a student from this requirement in particular instances.
• Completion of the TCNJ Theatre/Drama Internship Proposal Form in collaboration with the site supervisor, including the letter of intent to “hire” and supervise
• Sponsorship by faculty member
• Submission to and Approval of the Proposal Form by the Theatre/Drama Coordinator
• TTR 399 earns 1 course unit (4 credits) with the completion of 200 hours work, and thus will fulfill the 5th course requirement of the minor; however,
• Only one TTR 399 may count toward the minor.

• Students may enroll in TTR 399 more than once, but will count only as elective credit.

Learning Goals:

This course is designed to contribute to the following Program Learning Objectives:

Depending upon the specific nature of the internship (i.e., whether acting or technical), the student will gain or further develop

• an appreciation of the collaborative nature of theatre production
• ability to understand and appreciate plays or musicals in performance that they may attend throughout their lives
• analytical and rhetorical skills that can also be applied to other areas of intellectual inquiry
• understanding and experience of voice and body as instruments in Theatre performance
• understanding of acting as a method of in-depth character analysis
• knowledge of and experience with production technology (e.g., in lighting, sound, scenery)
• understanding of the responsibilities of stage directors and skills necessary for direction (some of which are applicable to other leadership situations)

The internship will further develop the core competencies introduced in the core courses required for the minor.  For example, having written analytical papers in TTR/LIT 233 World Drama, interns will be prepared to analyze the play the company is producing for insights into the playwright’s intention for the play overall, character traits that will inspire the actors’ interpretations of their roles, and scenery that may have to reflect a particular time or culture.

Deep understanding will be developed by the process of mounting a production of a play outside a classroom setting.  For example, in the acting and capstone courses students must, for the most part, create their own costumes out of their own wardrobes or those of family and friends.  In the production techniques course students must submit researched costume designs for a selection of actors in a hypothetical production.  However, a costume intern may have to go beyond merely designing costumes based upon his or her research on the dress appropriate to a particular time or culture, but actually create costumes from scratch or visit professional costume shops or discount or second-hand clothing stores to find what actual actors will wear, and then to make changes in the costumes to fit the actors, and to do this for an entire cast. 

The internship will help dispel common misunderstandings about Theatre production.  For example, many people believe that theatre is all about the acting.  The performance of the actors is the principal experience of a play for the audience; however, there are many other facets of production (scenery, lighting, costumes) that make up the spectacle of performance.  Thus, many creative minds work together to mount a production of a play for an audience.

Students who intend to pursue a career in the theatre, or participate in community theatre, or direct school productions will need the knowledge, skills, and experience in all phases of production that the core courses, capstone, and internship introduce and develop.

Student Assessment:

 Student learning will be assessed through the achievement of learning objectives.  The student’s grade on the Internship in Theatre Production will be determined by the faculty sponsor as follows:

1) research, analytical, and technical assignments in the form of notes, expository writing, or     schematics produced for the on-site supervisor.  Copies must be submitted to the faculty sponsor.  (Such assignments are made at the supervisor’s discretion. Faculty sponsors will base the grade on standard criteria taught within the relevant core course.)

2) the student’s journal of his/her on-site experience including a log of hours worked, and written self-assessment.

3) the on-site supervisor’s evaluation of the student’s work

Learning Activities:

TTR 399 Internship in Theatre Production relates to the learning experiences in the three core courses and the capstone course.  For example, in TTR/COM 255 Acting for the Stage and Screen, students are required to submit written character analyses for a grade; an acting intern would be required to complete the same task.  In TTR 368 Production Techniques, students are required to analyze a script and create a lighting plot and generate the associated documents; a technical intern might be required to complete the same task.  These activities will help achieve such program learning goals as

• understanding of acting as a method of in-depth character analysis
• knowledge of and experience with production technology

INSTRUCTIONS for Internship in Theatre Production (TTR 399) Proposal Form

1)  Determine whether or not you are eligible to apply for a Theatre Production  Internship.

In order to apply for an Internship in Theatre Production, you must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum overall GPA of 2.5
• Junior status or approval of Theatre/Drama Coordinator
• Completion of the relevant minor core course (e.g., for an internship in acting, the student must have completed TTR/COM 255 Acting for the Stage and Screen).  The Theatre/Drama Coordinator may exempt a student from this requirement in particular instances.
• Sponsorship by faculty member
• Submission to and Approval of a TCNJ Theatre/Drama Internship Proposal Form by the Theatre/Drama Coordinator

2)  Obtain from your prospective Internship in Theatre Production supervisor/employer a letter of intent to “hire” or supervise.  This letter of intent must be on organization/company letterhead, and must include the following information:

a) Name of supervisor

b) Supervisor’s phone #

c) Name of internship site

d) Your duties as an intern

e) Average # hours a week you will work

f) Dates of supervision/employment

3)  Fill out the TCNJ Internship Enrollment Form (available from Theatre/Drama Coordinator). 

4)  Complete the Internship in Theatre Production Proposal and attach to TCNJ Internship Enrollment Form. 

5)  Meet with your faculty sponsor to review and revise your proposal.  You may need to review the proposal with your on-site supervisor to confirm the specifications of the internship.

6)  Submit completed package to the Theatre/Drama Minor Coordinator by due date (December 1 for Spring Internship; April 15 for Summer Internship; May 1 for Fall Internship). 

A completed package includes the following documents in order:

     a) Completed TTR 399 Internship in Theatre Production Proposal

     b) Completed TCNJ Internship Enrollment Form

     c)  Letter of intent to supervise/hire from prospective supervisor/employer

7)  Upon approval by the Theatre/Drama Minor Coordinator, deliver approved proposal to Records and Registration as soon as possible.  The deadline for delivering the proposal to Records and Registration is the last day of drop/add period (the end of the first week of classes in the semester in which you are registering for the Internship in Theatre Production).

Click here for a printable internship proposal form.