Student Handbook for Departmental Productions

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Section One - Introduction

Theatre at Gettysburg College was formalized in 1914 with the formation of the student theatre group, The Owl and Nightingale Players. The Theatre Arts Department produces three mainstage productions per year in its two theatrical spaces, the Kline Theatre in Brua Hall, and The Majestic Theatre in the center of town. All students are eligible to audition for the productions, or work as run crew or in the scene shop, costume shop, paint, or electrics/ lights regardless of being a Theatre major. Once involved in a production, the student is automatically a member of The Owl and Nightingale Players (O&N). O&N has a Board of Directors that organizes events throughout the year. Board members are elected and serving on the Board is a privilege and great leadership opportunity. Upon graduation, all members of O&N receive a brown graduation cord to be worn during the ceremony.

Each play is cast separately and has its own auditions, usually a few weeks before rehearsals begin, if possible. Audition expectations vary for each play. The musicals require learning a song for auditions and reading some text. Play auditions require either a memorized monologue or reading some sides (a cutting of the script)

Section Two – The People Involved

Here’s the breakdown of everyone involved in a theatrical production.

Creatives

Those who create the aesthetic of the show.

  • The Playwright – the author of the script
  • The Actor – the person giving a voice and a body to the character
  • The Director – the person in charge of the staging and of the creative concept behind the show
  • The Set Designer – the person in charge of creating the visual world of the show
  • The Costume Designer – the person in charge of giving the characters their look and designing their costume.
  • The Lighting Designer – the person in charge of lighting the show
  • The Prop Designer – the person in charge of the design (and sometimes execution) of the properties in the show. At Gettysburg, this is usually the set designer.
  • The Sound Designer – the person in charge of the sound cues in the show, and of the amplification of the production. At Gettysburg, this will often this will be the director.
  • The Choreographer – the person in charge of the aesthetic of the dance in the show
  • The Fight Choreographer – the person in charge of staging violence safely in the show
  • The Music Director – the person in charge of the musical aspect of the production
  • The Dramaturg – the person in charge of supporting the production with related research (often the director serves as their own dramaturg).

There could be many other creative artists involved in a production, depending on the type of production, and they could include a make-up artist, a wig artist, a projection designer, a special effect designer, a stunt choreographer, etc.

Crew Those who make the show happen.

  • The Stage Manager – the person in charge of running rehearsals, and upon opening, running the show. The stage manager usually has at least two assistant stage managers who will help run the show from back stage. The stage manager “calls” the show from the booth.
  • The Scenic Designer – The person in charge of designing the set for the show. Responsible for providing draftings, ground plans, scale models and painted textures. In the Department of Theatre Arts this role is held by Professor Eric Berninghausen.
  • The Technical Director – the person in charge of building and implementing the set and the safety of the production. In the Department of Theatre Arts this role is held by Professor Eric Berninghausen who runs the scene shop which operates from 1-6pm M-F. 
  • The Costume Designer- The person responsible for designing the costumes for each character, all worn items, hairstyles, jewelry. In the Department of Theatre Arts this role is held by Juls Buehrer.
  • The Costume Shop Manager – the person in charge of building and managing the costumes for the show. In the Department of Theatre Arts this role is held by Juls Buehrer. She runs costume crews on week days from 9-3pm.
  • The Scenic Charge Artist—the person responsible for painting the set. In the Department of Theatre Arts this role is held by Juls Buehrer. She runs paint crews in the evenings from 7-10pm.
  • The Lighting Designer – the person in charge of lighting design and hang and focus of all lighting elements. In the Department of Theatre Arts this role is held by Jon Stiles. He runs Light crews in the evening 7-10pm usually for the three weeks preceeding the show. 
  • The Master Electrician – the person in charge of hanging the lights. Sometimes we have a student M.E. sometimes not.
  • The light board operator – the person in charge of executing the light cues for the show. Light cues are “called” - given by the Stage Manger over headset
  • The sound board operator – the person in charge of executing the sound cues for the show. Sound cues are “called” - given by the Stage Manger overhead set
  • The run crew – the people who stay backstage and help with scene and costume changes. The scene and costume shops employ carpenters, stitchers, drapers

Student Scenic Designer.

Each year, we invite a student to design a mainstage production, frequently this is a capstone project and is usually reserved for an advanced theatre major. The Student Scenic Designer answers to the Faculty Director and Design mentor. Considerable time and planning are necessary for the successful completion of a scenic design. The Student Designer will meet with the Faculty Director to assess the needs of the play and will be responsive to Directorial suggestions and requests. The Student Designer will attend all technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals and performances. The Student Designer will meet with the technical directors to plan for the needs of the show. The Student Designer will attend all production meetings and read all rehearsal reports. The Student Designer will be responsive to all emails regarding the production and make themselves available to answer questions pertaining to the design. 

Student designers will provide the scene shop with drafted ground plans and elevations of all scenery to be built including:

¼” scale ground plan

½” scale elevations / build draftings.

These draftings are Due November 20th for Winter productions,

Or, Due Feburary 20th for Spring Productions. 

The Student designer will also create a ¼” white model and provide images / textures for the paint crew to work on… Or a Student Designer will provide a ¼ Painted model. 

Due late November for Winter productions.

Due Late February for Spring Productions.

Front of House 

Those who organize, manage and interface with the audience. 

  • The house manager – the person in charge of managing the house when it is open for a production and who deals with issues regarding the audience usually this is Carol Coon.
  • The ushers – the people who are in charge of seating the audience

For the Kline Productions, Front of House (FOH) is handled by Carol Coon, office administrator. For Productions at the Majestic, FOH is handled by their staff.

Most students in O&N are actors and crew members. This includes running the lighting and sound boards, and being part of the backstage crew, working in the Carpentry shop (also known as the Scene Shop), the Costume shop or on Lighting crews. Faculty & Staff members serve as Directors and Designers.

Section Three – The Rehearsals & Performances

When cast in a show, or when serving as stage manager, there are specific rules and expectations.

A student stage manager (SM) is expected to oversee the logistical aspects of a theatrical production during rehearsals and performances, including maintaining accurate blocking notes, managing communication between cast and crew, coordinating technical cues, ensuring smooth transitions between scenes, and generally keeping the production running on schedule, all while learning the intricacies of stage management under the guidance of the Faculty Director. A Stage Manager serves as a conduit between the Actors and the Director. A student stage manager is not expected to know everything right away – under the instruction of the Faculty Director, or experienced student stage managers, new Stage Managers will learn all of the mechanisms and best practices of stage management. The stage manager answers to the Faculty Director. They are there to facilitate the needs of the production, they are not there to give notes to Actors, or make design or Directorial choices. The stage manager will run all questions/ plans/ developments/ choices through the Faculty Director before communicating with Designers / Actors. Rehearsal Reports are daily reports that go out to the entire production. There is a format to these reports and all students and student actors are expected to read these daily reports. 

Mistakes will be made, and that’s OK. If you have a question, please ask! 

A student Assistant Stage Manager (ASM) is expected to actively support the primary Stage Manager by managing backstage details during rehearsals and performances, including keeping track of actors, props, set changes, and technical cues, while also learning the overall production process and demonstrating strong communication and organizational skills; essentially acting as the "eyes and ears" of the stage manager in the backstage area. At times ASMs might be called on to help run rehearsals if the Primary Stage manager is not able to attend rehearsal. In this case they will notify the SM on any developments from a specific rehearsal.

Student Actors are expected to: attend rehearsals consistently, be prepared with lines memorized in progress, actively participate in scene work, demonstrate a positive attitude, respect the Director and other cast members, and be mindful of their stage presence and character development; this includes arriving on time, notifying the Stage Manager or Director of any absences, and contributing to the overall success of the production by taking direction and working collaboratively as part of the ensemble. Costumes are designed by the Costume Designer and are not open for negotiation. Remember, it is not YOU on stage but your character.

Student actors are required at all Technical and Dress rehearsals - your student club is not more important than a Main Stage Production. 

Takin notes from the Director at the end of rehearsals or Tech or Dress is an important part of acting, you should be taking notes ie writing them down so that you can incorporate those changes into your next rehearsal. If the Director has to give you the same note twice you are wasting people’s time and embarrassing yourself in front of the company. 

A student Assistant Director (AD) is expected to actively support the Faculty Director by assisting with various aspects of a production, including attending rehearsals, taking notes, helping with scene breakdowns, managing Actors, coordinating logistics, and ensuring the overall vision of the play is realized, all while learning and developing their own directing skills under Faculty supervision. The Assistant Director answers to the Faculty Director. It is not necessary that the show have an AD to function. All thoughts/suggestions/changes will be run through the Faculty Director before being communicated to the cast. The Faculty Director has the final say/approval on all ideas.

Sometimes the SMs and AD might not be available for every rehearsal period. That is OK. Sometimes the Director can work without a Stage Manager and fill in the SM later about any changes the cast made. Typically, if the SM is not available for a rehearsal, then an ASM can fill in. 

Rehearsals - typically run three hours, five days a week, though not everyone is called for all three hours unless their character never leaves the stage or if they are doing a runthrough—a rehearsal of the entire show. Rehearsals begin with readthroughs, or table work. At these rehearsals, the vision for the play is discussed, usually with Designers presenting their visual work to the cast. After the readthrough rehearsal(s), the cast then proceeds to getting the play on its feet. This process usually involves the director giving blocking—providing movement for the actors on the stage. Blocking and scene work—breaking down the character’s needs and obstacles—help the actors to embody their roles and become comfortable with the movement and text of the play. These rehearsals are accompanied by separate music and dance rehearsals for a musical.

Student Board Operators (Ops) are technicians who maintain lighting and sound equipment and run cues during a performance — they are hidden from the audience’s view, tucked into a booth at the back of the house. But they are a crucial part of a theatre’s technical staff. Board Ops are brought into the production process during technical rehearsals (tech)—the time when the actors and stage managers who have been working to put the play together meet the technical and design elements of the production. All students involved in a production are expected to attend all technical and dress rehearsals. 

After Tech Rehearsals follow Dress Rehearsals, runthroughs in full costume with notes to follow. It is common for actors and technicians to stay after a runthrough for notes from the Faculty Director and stage manager. Sometimes notes will be emailed out, but it is often helpful and more efficient to talk through problems together. There are usually two to three Dress Rehearsals per run. Sometimes, it is necessary to have what is called a “quick change” where Actors get help doing a fast costume change in the wings or backstage area. Frequently, ASMs will attend to and aid the actor in these quick changes. 

Actors and crew members will be given Call Times—a specific hour when they are expected to show up and prepare for a dress rehearsal or a performance. These call times are typically given at the end of each tech / dress rehearsal, they will also be included in emailed daily rehearsal reports. Rehearsal Reports shall be carefully read every day by everyone. Actors are expected to warm up their voice and body on their own or in a group and then get into costume. Make up is sometimes required and will be determined with the Costumer and Faculty Director. Hairstyles will also be determined by the Costume Designer and Faculty Director. Sometimes an actor might get into make-up and costume first, then warm up.

If the show is at the Majestic Theatre, there will be microphones provided. If so, actors will get into their underclothes of their costume, then get their microphone on, then do a sound check—this involves just saying a few lines from your character to allow the sound board operator to make sure the microphone works. Kline Theatre does not require microphones. Because of this, it is very important to warm up your voice and remember to project—amplifying your voice from your diaphragm and filling the space with your sound. This is a tricky process, because amplifying one’s voice can often make the actor feel that they are betraying a sense of truth. Exercising your voice–being “on your voice” during rehearsals—is important to make sure that you get used to projecting while maintaining the sense of truth.

Sometime unexpected things happen in the theatre, how do we react? We stay calm and try to find a solution. We don’t get angry or seek to assign blame. What happens if your light board op suddenly cannot do the show? Sometimes we will ask for flexibility from the crew or even cast, sometimes people’s jobs and roles need to change and an ASM might need to need to fill in. At times sudden change is part of the theatrical process and should not be feared, it’s how we to react and adapt that counts not the sudden change. 

After a performance, it is not typical to get notes from the director. Usually, the cast and crew get out of costume, shut down the boards, restore props to prop tables, and then meet their friends and family either downstairs or in the lobby. Make sure to hang up the costumes and keep the dressing rooms clean.

After the final performance, there is strike. This is when the set is dismantled and the costumes and props restored to the shops or storage areas. Actors are expected to attend strike. Often times the “show sign” usually a bit of scenery or prop is decided on at strike and everyone involved gets a chance to sign it. 

Rehearsal Etiquette

When we know and follow the traditions and etiquette of the theatre, we become linked to a community of artists and crafts-people that extends from the beginnings of theatre to include ourselves and every other theatre-producing organization today.

The traditions of theatre are more than pleasantries and empty sayings. They are guidelines for the collaborative process of theatre. When practiced, these guidelines are often referred to as “being professional.”

The term “professionalism” acknowledges the concept that our work as theatre artists depends upon each of us treating our fellow artists and crafts-people with simple courtesy and respect. Respect the work of your fellow company members. Appreciate what each collaborator brings to the production.

We depend upon each other to create good theatre. Accepting and acknowledging everyone’s contributions signals to ourselves and to our collaborators that what each of us does as a theatre artist is not only “fun” and personally fulfilling but is also important, meaningful, and valuable to our society. With this statement, it is important for you to remember that your Faculty Advisors / Directors / Designers have deep levels of professional experience in the theatre and that you can trust us. Sometimes we will need to remind you that you can trust us and our experience and that we have decided something for the benefit of the production. This is not the moment for resentment

Among the specific traditions and guidelines/code of behavior we follow are the following:

  • Arrive early to all rehearsals, production meetings, work calls, and performances.
  • Come to each rehearsal and work call prepared and focused on the task at hand.
  • Be courteous. Say “Please” before requests and “thank you” after.
  • All personnel should acknowledge the stage managers calls with a polite “thank you.”
  • Conscientiously meet all production deadlines.
  • When creating a role, know your lines thoroughly by time you are asked to be “off book.”
  • Actors should be unfailingly courteous to all production personnel. Crew members are colleagues and collaborators, not “assistants.”
  • Allow for quiet time before the performance and rehearsal. This helps us prepare and focus for the work ahead.
  • If a Director / Designer or Faculty member makes a change or asks you to do something, trust them. Say: Yes. And.
  • Limit your socializing to appropriate times - prior to and after rehearsals and during rehearsal breaks. Talking during rehearsals can be disruptive, distracting, and, at times, dangerous.
  • Practical jokes have no place in performance.
  • An actor will refrain from giving another actor an unsolicited note on performances.
  • Actors should arrive at costume fittings on time.

In the dressing room, actors should:

  • Keep your things to your allotted counter space.
  • Never borrow another actor’s makeup (or anything) without permission.
  • Always hang up your costume - unless it is a crew-assisted quick-change.
  • Do not eat or drink in costume. Water is permitted.
  • When cast in a role, an actor should not alter hairstyle (including facial hair) in any way until first consulting the Costume Designer

Communicate any costume damage to the costume supervisor or wardrobe head.

Backstage:

  • Do not move, borrow or play with props - especially if they are not your own.
  • Let the stage manager know if a prop or scenic element is broken.
  • Crewmembers: During Dress Rehearsals and all Performances, you should wear appropriate clothing for each call- A long sleeve black top, black pants, black shoes, black socks. Ideally your shoes are suited for quiet, swift movement. No Heals.
  • Do not eat or drink backstage.
  • Headsets are used only for communication required during production such as calls, warnings, and cues. Technicians, stage managers, and assistant stage managers shall not chit-chat while on head-set. If it’s not about the show you are not talking. 
  • Do not move, borrow, or play with the props.
  • Every Actor should check and ensure that every prop they use in a play is in its place and accounted for.
  • Report broken props or scenic elements to the stage manager

The theatrical process is ancient and powerful and needs to be respected. It needs to be maintained and nurtured and each individual needs to respect and contribute to this process. When we do this there is almost no limit to what we can accomplish as a theatre company. Welcome to the Department of Theatre Arts!

Gettysburg College
(Updated May 5, 2025)