For this unit of instruction, students will be guided through the process of preparing a tech theatre presentation suitable for EdTA's International Thespian Excellence Awards, or the Thespys®. This unit is a great addition to any theatre curriculum, and provides resources for students preparing for competitions, college auditions, and more.

Learning Goals:

• The student will understand the steps required to prepare a technical theatre design presentation for an educational competition.
• The student will develop their skills in presenting and communicating design choices.
• The student will reflect on the connection between adjudicated technical theatre opportunities and theatre learning.

Watch this video interview with Designer Deb Sivigny where she discusses and presenters her scenic designs for "She A Gem" by Joshua Wilder.

After watching, reflect on the following:

• How does the presenter demonstrate understanding of the role of the scenic designer?
• How does the presenter communicate their design process?
• How does the presenter demonstrate problem solving?
• How does the presenter demonstrate the ways in which the design will serve the actors needs and build the world of the play?

Now take time to explore an example of a tech theatre design Thespy. In this case, a Scenic Design Thespy entry. In this video, Caroline Yim shares her Thespy® Award-winning scenic design for The Hound of the Baskervilles (awarded at the 2021 International Thespian Festival).

Reflect: Compare and contrast Caroline Yim’s presentation with Deb Sivigny’s design presentation for “She a Gem” and answer the following reflection questions:

• How does the presenter demonstrate understanding of the role of the scenic designer?
• How does the presenter communicate their design process?
• How does the presenter demonstrate problem solving?
• How does the presenter demonstrate the ways in which the design will serve the actors needs and build the world of the play? 

Every adjudication has guidelines concerning the submission, including the materials you may use, whether you may work with other designers, etc. Be sure to familiarize yourself with all of the rules and regulations before you begin to create your design.

For the Thespy Awards, you will need to create a technical theatre design for a published work written for the theatre (musical or non-musical). See the Official Thespys Program Guide for additional details on acceptable materials. Additionally, for the Thespy Awards, be sure to thoroughly read all of the category-specific rules for the category that you are working on.

Take time to familiarize yourself with all of the requirements of the submission. What materials are you required to submit? How will you communicate your design to the judges? Will you need to collect and provide a portfolio or research?

Take the time to review the rubric ahead of time and familiarize yourself with the criteria. For technical presentations, judges are usually looking for design choices that demonstrate evidence of research and support the script and unifying concept. Follow these links to view the rubrics for the tech theatre design Thespys:

• Costume Construction
• Costume Design
• Lighting Design
• Makeup Design
• Scenic Design
• Sound Design

As you are going through the design process, be sure to consider each one of the aspects that judges will be scoring you on, as well as the requirements for the materials that you will need to submit. In the article "Win Big in Theatre Tech" on dramatics.org, author Alan Strait recommends creating a checklist of each expectation and how it’s adjudicated. Remember, if you need to submit a portfolio of all of your research, take care to document your whole process.

As you prepare your design presentation, double check the guidelines and the rubric to see what elements the adjudicators are looking for in the content of your presentation. The category-specific pages for each of the tech theatre design Thespy categories provide prompts to guide you as you decide what to include in your presentation.

Additionally, be sure to check if there are time limits for the presentation of your work. For the Thespys program, see the Time Limits section of the Official Thespys Program Guide for more details.

Once you have familiarized yourself with the guidelines for the design presentation and checked the time limits, prepare and rehearse what you will share in your presentation. In the article "Win Big in Theatre Tech" on dramatics.org, author Alan Strait recommends that you "Prepare a response for each question, prompt, or mention on the guide and rubric."

TIP: As you are rehearsing your presentation, think about you might do to capture and keep the attention of the adjudicators. Revisit the video from Step 1 - how does designer Deb Sivigny keep the audience’s attention while discussing her designs for "She A Gem"?

NOTE: As you prepare for your presentation, remember that you want to make sure you are representing yourself well through your clothing. Your outfit should be professional, and not distracting in any way. Check out this article to see some examples of business causal dress. If you are submitting an entry for the Thespys program, you can view the dress code here.

If you are creating a video submission, it is important to prepare by finding a spot to film and considering the lighting, background, and audio quality. The Thespys FAQs page offers some great guidelines and tips for filming and making a video presentation.

Before you start filming, take time to go back over of the submission requirements for entries to the competition, and make sure you have covered all of the requirements. For the Thespys program, the Submission Requirements can be found in the Official Thespys Program Guide.

When you are ready, it's time to film your design presentation!

In the article "Win Big in Theatre Tech" on dramatics.org, author Alan Strait shares the following advice "Give practice presentations, whether it be to your peers, your teachers, or anyone your theatre instructor can bring in. Do your presentation in person wherever possible, or do it virtually if you must, but give some practice presentations."

Find a teacher/classmate/learning buddy who can give you feedback on your presentation. Have them watch your presentation (either the video you filmed, or a live presentation), and ask them to score your presentation based on the rubric. Then, ask them to provide you with some feedback and tell you why they gave the presentation that score.

After receiving feedback from a teacher/classmate/learning buddy, write a journal entry that addresses the following:

• What did you feel was successful about your presentation?
• What was the most challenging part of this process?
• What new discoveries did you make about design process by preparing your presentation?

To dive deeper, you may be able to submit your design presentation to the Thespys program. Check out this webpage to find a Thespy qualifying event in your area.

Once you find your Thespy qualifier, take the time to understand the requirements in your region. Also, make sure you have read through the entire Official Thespys Program Guide to verify you understand all of the rules and requirements.

TIP: Before you submit, you may want to listen to some comments and tips from adjudicators for the Thespy program. To access examples of superior performances & presentations and interviews with the adjudicators, visit this webpage on EdTA's Learning Center.

Once you're ready, follow the steps to submit your Thespy entry!

Click on the links below to access category-specific rubrics for EdTA's International Thespian Excellence Awards, go to the  Official Thespys Program Guide .

National Theatre Standards

TH:Cr1.1.I.a. Apply basic research to construct ideas about the visual composition of a drama/theatre work.

TH:Cr2.1.I.a. Explore the function of history and culture in the development of a dramatic concept through a critical analysis of original ideas in a drama/theatre work. 

TH:Cr3.1.I.c. Refine technical design choices to support the story and emotional impact of a devised or scripted drama/theatre work.

TH:Pr5.1.I.b. Use researched technical elements to increase the impact of design for a drama/theatre production.