(a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing one or more of the following theatre courses: Technical Theatre, Level II (one credit), Lighting and Sound (one-half to one credit), Stagecraft, Costume Construction (one-half to one credit), Makeup for the Theatre (one-half to one credit), Design for the Theatre (one-half to one credit), and Theatre Management (one-half to one credit). Technical Theatre, Level I is suggested as a prerequisite for Technical Theatre, Level II courses.
(b) Introduction.
  (1) The fine arts incorporate the study of dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts to offer unique experiences and empower students to explore realities, relationships, and ideas. These disciplines engage and motivate all students through active learning, critical thinking, and innovative problem solving. The fine arts develop cognitive functioning and increase student academic achievement, higher-order thinking, communication, and collaboration skills, making the fine arts applicable to college readiness, career opportunities, workplace environments, social skills, and everyday life. Students develop aesthetic and cultural awareness through exploration, leading to creative expression. Creativity, encouraged through the study of the fine arts, is essential to nurture and develop the whole child.
  (2) Four basic strands--foundations: inquiry and understanding; creative expression; historical and cultural relevance; and critical evaluation and response--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Through the foundations: inquiry and understanding strand, students develop a perception of self, human relationships, and the world using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. Through the creative expression strand, students communicate in a dramatic form, engage in artistic thinking, build positive self-concepts, relate interpersonally, and integrate knowledge with other content areas in a relevant manner. Through the historical and cultural relevance strand, students increase their understanding of heritage and traditions in theatre and the diversity of world cultures as expressed in theatre. Through the critical evaluation and response strand, students engage in inquiry and dialogue, accept constructive criticism, revise personal views to promote creative and critical thinking, and develop the ability to appreciate and evaluate live theatre.
  (3) Through a variety of experiences with technical theatre, Technical Theatre II will afford students the opportunity to continue to study and develop their knowledge of technical theatre arts on a more challenging level. Students explore and apply a myriad of technical theatre concepts and skills. Students will exercise and develop creativity, intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaborative skills. Participation and evaluation in a variety of theatrical experiences will afford students opportunities to develop an understanding of self and their role in the world.
  (4) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) Foundations: inquiry and understanding. The student develops concepts about self, human relationships, and the world using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. The student is expected to:
    (A) demonstrate proper use of standard vocabulary in costumes, lights, makeup, theatre management, properties, scenery, and sound;
    (B) identify the technical elements of theatre such as types of stages, stage areas, fly systems, curtains, front of house, dressing rooms, and storage;
    (C) use established theatre systems such as the production calendar, tech rehearsals, and production staff roles;
    (D) use safe theatre practices such as personal safety, fire safety, tool safety, shop safety, and handling emergencies in the theatre; and
    (E) read and analyze scripts to determine technical theatre elements.
  (2) Creative expression: performance. The student develops and demonstrates technical theatre skills through the pre-production processes from concept (script or original idea) to performance. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify and use technical elements in various theatrical styles and genres;
    (B) apply the design process, including analysis, research, incubation/selection, implementation, and evaluation, to a theatrical product such as a rendering, model, and sketch;
    (C) recognize the principles of design, including lines, shape, mass, measure, position, color, and texture;
    (D) recognize the principles of composition, including unity, harmony, contrast, variation, balance, proportion, and emphasis;
    (E) recognize the elements of color in design such as color theory, the science of color and light, and the color palette;
    (F) demonstrate understanding of communication methods between directors and designers such as prompt book, costume plot, light plot, makeup, theatre management, property list, design renderings, and models; and
    (G) practice proper measurement and scale as applied to design or construction.
  (3) Creative expression: production. The student focuses on a specific area of technical theatre production concepts and skills. The student demonstrates an understanding of and skills in scenery, props, lighting, costumes and makeup, sound, or theatre management. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify and safely use technical theatre tools, equipment, and materials;
    (B) develop theatre production skills by:
      (i) building scenery such as two-dimensional flats and three-dimensional stairs;
      (ii) building or pulling and altering costumes using safe costume construction techniques;
      (iii) hanging and focusing lighting instruments and using dimmers and controllers;
      (iv) identifying electrical theory and practice as it applies to theatrical lighting;
      (v) recording, editing, or creating sound effects;
      (vi) identifying marketing products for theatrical productions;
      (vii) practicing stage management techniques such as build a promptbook, call cues, and record blocking;
      (viii) identifying and applying scenic painting techniques; or
      (ix) identifying and applying stage properties practices such as buy, borrow, build, and organize; and
    (C) read and interpret technical theatre documents such as light plots, costume plots, renderings, ground plans, and cue sheets.
  (4) Historical and cultural relevance. The student relates theatre to history, society, and culture. The student is expected to:
    (A) apply historical or cultural accuracy from research in theatrical design;
    (B) analyze the impact of live theatre, film, television, and electronic media on contemporary society;
    (C) analyze the cultural heritages of world drama and theatre and identify key figures, works, and trends in technical theatre;
    (D) explain the historical development, discoveries, and periods in theatre architecture and stage technology influences such as Latin American marionettes, Greek amphitheater, Asian Noh and Kabuki theatre, Italian Renaissance innovation, and Indian puppet theatre and their influences on modern theatre;
    (E) illustrate how technology has changed theatre such as how stage lighting has progressed from limelight to digital light;
    (F) understand the multicultural heritage of United States drama and theatre and identify key figures, works, and trends in technical theatre; and
    (G) identify and understand the innovations and contributions of the United States to the performing arts such as theatre, melodrama, musical theatre, radio, film, television, technology, or electronic media.
  (5) Critical evaluation and response. The student responds to and evaluates theatre and theatrical performances. The student is expected to:
    (A) compile materials to construct a resume and portfolio of works created in technical theatre;
    (B) analyze and apply appropriate behavior of technical staff at various types of live performances;
    (C) recognize the design and technical elements of theatre as an art form and evaluate self as a creative being;
    (D) offer and receive constructive criticism of designs or construction projects by peers and self;
    (E) evaluate live theatre in written and oral form with precise and specific observations of technical elements using appropriate vocabulary;
    (F) evaluate film, television, or other media in written or oral form with precise and specific observations of technical elements using appropriate vocabulary;
    (G) explore career and avocational opportunities in theatre, television, film, or industries such as design, construction, management, theatre education, and arts administration and evaluate the training, skills, self-discipline, and artistic discipline needed to pursue such opportunities;
    (H) connect theatre skills and experiences to higher education and careers outside of the theatre; and
    (I) use technology to communicate and present findings in a clear and coherent manner.

Source Note: The provisions of this §117.324 adopted to be effective July 28, 2013, 38 TexReg 4575