Finalists for the 2008 Enquirer/Fifth Third Bank Theater Educator Award will be listed in Sunday’s paper and panelist Diane Carr had the bright idea of polling some drama teachers to see what a $2,500 prize can mean to a department.
Here are some of the answers that came in:
- Hire a professional sound consultant to come teach your sound crew about sound.
- Bring incredible and professional artist into the school to help strengthen theatre program. Professional artists in the acting, technical and production arena working by their side. The power of seeing artists in residence working side by side with students would help shape many lives in our school.
- Buy a few new microphones to go with existing sound system
- Pay for royalties for musical
- Buy a new table saw for scene shop
- Buy new sewing machines for costume construction
- Buy set of play scripts for Greek theatre study , or Shakespeare study
- Buy library of musical theatre films for study of musical theatre
- Buy set of sound effects cd's
- Take kids to professional theatre production in nearby city
- Use the money to provide a free performance of a scheduled show to a particular population (a grade in school, inhabitants of nursing homes/orphans, etc.).
- Wireless mic system
- Recording and camera equipment
- Laptop computer with projector and software to do publicity. (inDesign suite) make and show movies
- CAD Lite computer design and drawing program and plotter printer
- Drafting table and drawing templates for lights and set design
- Costumes for an entire year
- Make up kit for every student
- A storage shed/container
- Remodel green room
- Make up stations, black boxes, seating, or platforms from Wenger Corp.
- Pay a stipend for an assistant director, tech director, costumer, or choreographer for a year
- Costume shops need –
- sewing machines
- dress forms
- patterns fabric
- wigs
- make-up
- wood
- nails
- screws
- saws
- screw guns
- mats for floor work
- scene & monologue books
- scripts
- music
- books that discuss techniques
- field trips to see live theatre
- Scrims
- Cycloramas
- strip lights
- follow spots
- replacement lamps
We applaud every theater educator out there for their passion, commitment, and a pretty amazing ability to squeeze every nickel in connecting students and performing art.
Jackie Demaline
