UM-Flint Theatre Dept. Hosts USITT Regional Workshop
On Saturday, October 4th, the UM-Flint Theatre Department hosted students and faculty from Notre Dame at the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) Midwest Sectional workshop. The workshop covered two special topics: theatrical tailoring techniques and theatrical lighting.
Those who participated in the tailoring workshop received in-depth instruction on approaches to advanced tailoring. Their project involved taking apart a traditionally tailored coat and putting it back together for use in a theatre setting. Theatre tailoring techniques are very different from traditional tailoring; For example, those used for stage often require resizing for different actors throughout the run of a production. Adam Dill, UM-Flint Costume Shop Supervisor and Theatre Department Lecturer, was excited for students to observe and learn techniques that they wouldn’t normally encounter in an undergraduate environment, “these are techniques they wouldn’t see until grad school or on the job. They are very advanced.”
The tailoring workshop was led by Dill and Rick Tuckett, a University of Michigan-Flint Theatre alum and Associate Professor of Film and Television at the School of Theatre, University of Arizona. UM-Flint student Kaitlyn Pitcher was asked about what she learned at the workshop, she said, “I will be able to take the knowledge used both in working with fabric and in patterning and apply it to my work outside of classes. To know how to create a base pattern for anyone based on their measurements is something that will come in handy many times, and I wish I had known how sooner.”
Participants in the lighting portion of the workshop were able to work with digital equipment that is on the cutting edge of theatre technology. The morning was devoted to “a foundation of programming skills on the ETC Ion console, including navigation, patch, cues, groups, and subs.” In the afternoon they progressed their new skills.
When asked about the entirety of the workshop experience, Adam Dill said, “The event went wonderfully – we had a great set of students willing to learn advanced techniques that we don’t have time to cover in our normal coursework. . . it was quite an amazing and rewarding experience – for the teachers and the students.”
To learn more about the UM-Flint Department of Theatre and Dance, please visit their website.
Photos provided by Shelby Newport.
