(a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing one or more of the following technical theatre courses: Technical Theatre, Level IV, Advanced Lighting and Sound (one-half to one credit), Advanced Stagecraft (one-half to one credit), Advanced Costume Construction (one-half to one credit), Makeup for the Theatre (one-half to one credit), Advanced Design for the Theatre (one-half to one credit), and Advanced Theatre Management (one-half to one credit). A Technical Theatre, Level III course is suggested as a prerequisite for Technical Theatre, Level IV 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 IV will afford students the opportunity to complete a more intense study of a specific area of technical theatre. Through more independent study and increased production responsibilities, study in Technical Theatre IV involves the application of expertise prepared for and acquired in previous theatre art studies. 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 environment using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. The student is expected to:
    (A) demonstrate proper and regular use of standard vocabulary in costumes, lights, makeup, theatre management, properties, scenery, and sound;
    (B) demonstrate a working knowledge of the technical elements of theatre such as types of stages, stage areas, fly systems, curtains, front of house, dressing rooms, and storage;
    (C) use and create established theatre systems such as the production calendar, tech rehearsals, and production staff roles;
    (D) use and model safe theatre practices such as personal safety, fire safety, tool safety, shop safety, and handling emergencies in the theatre; and
    (E) read scripts and apply basic script analysis techniques to 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) analyze technical elements in various theatrical styles and genres;
    (B) demonstrate creativity in the design of a theatrical product;
    (C) demonstrate leadership skills in an area of the production team;
    (D) model collaboration and leadership skills;
    (E) model creativity as it relates to personal expression in technical theatre and design; and
    (F) model communication methods between directors and designers such as prompt book, costume plot, light plot, makeup, theatre management, property list, design renderings, and models.
  (3) Creative expression: production. The student focuses on a specific area of technical theatre production concepts and skills. The student is expected to demonstrate an understanding of and skills in scenery, props, lighting, costumes and makeup, sound, or theatre management. The student is expected to:
    (A) model effective and safe use of tools and materials in scenery and property construction;
    (B) develop skills to supervise safe construction of scenery;
    (C) develop skills to supervise safe use of the basic techniques of costume construction and make-up application;
    (D) develop skills to supervise safe use of lighting equipment such as instruments, dimmers, and controllers;
    (E) develop skills to supervise safe use of sound equipment; and
    (F) demonstrate an understanding of management skills in a theatre production such as house manager, stage manager, marketing manager, or producer.
  (4) Historical and cultural relevance. The student relates theatre to history, society, and culture. The student is expected to:
    (A) defend historical or cultural accuracy in theatrical design;
    (B) articulate the impact of live theatre, film, television, and electronic media on contemporary society;
    (C) articulate the impact of cultural heritages of world drama and theatre and identify key figures, works, and trends in technical theatre;
    (D) articulate the impact of multicultural heritage of United States drama and theatre and identify key figures, works, and trends in technical theatre; and
    (E) predict future innovations and contributions of the United States to the performing arts.
  (5) Critical evaluation and response. The student responds to and evaluates theatre and theatrical performances. The student is expected to:
    (A) use a resume and portfolio of works created in technical theatre;
    (B) model appropriate behavior of technical staff at various types of live performances;
    (C) defend 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) articulate 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) articulate connections in 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 §117.326 adopted to be effective July 28, 2013, 38 TexReg 4575