Instructor: John O'Connell                               Rm: Williams Theatre 128A
                  Phone: 481-6550
                Office Hours: Mon thru Thurs. 9:00 - 11:00, 3:00-4:00
Fri. 1:00 - 3:00. Or by Appt.

Required Text: Celantano, C/ Marshall, K.: Players Press, 1995. Theatre Management: A Successful Guide to Producing Plays on Commercial and Non-Profit Stages.

Course Description: This course will examine the business side of theatre through specific discussion of theatre management techniques. The course will include discussions and study of arts administration, accounting practices, box office and front-of-house procedures, marketing and publicity and personnel. The differences and similarities of commercial theatre versus not-for-profit theatre will also be addressed.

Course Objectives:
    To introduce the student to the vast theatrical category of theatre
            management.
    To introduce the student to the structure of both commercial and
             not-for-profit theatre.
    To introduce the student to the laws, procedures and practices
             which govern theatre management.
    To guide the student through the understanding of the specific
             theatre management techniques used at the ASU Theatre.
    To introduce the student to the theatre practices of budgeting,
             marketing and publicity.

Attendance:
Due to the nature and size of this course, good attendance is necessary. Three absences (excused and unexcused) will be allowed, any that occur after will result in the lowering of the final grade one full letter grade. If a student misses a day they are to present material, they will not be given the opportunity to makeup that assignment. Three tardies will be considered one absence.

Class Participation and Discussion:
This course will require your attention and participation. The quality of the course overall will depend heavily on each student's willingness to participate in class discussion and discovery. A grade will be assigned at the end of the course reflecting the professor's estimation of your efforts in this regard.

Academic Misconduct:
The performance of and/or involvement in any acts of misconduct will be addressed as per regulations set forth in the AS Student Handbook 1998-99. This includes, but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresentation, and plagiarism.

Class Assignments:
Class Participation/Theatre News 5%
Mission Statement 5%
Midterm 10%
Poster 10%
Season Evaluation 10%
Broadway Show 10%
FOH - ASU Theatre 10%
Final Presentation 25%
Final Exam (maybe take home) 15%

Mission Statement:
Write a Mission Statement for a theatre company of your making. The company must be a not-for-profit theatre. More to be discussed thoroughly in class.

Poster:
Design a poster for a play of your choice. You may NOT use any form of current or past advertisement for this poster. A full color "mock-up" is required.

Season Evaluation:
Choose and have approved, a theatre company that offers season subscriptions to their audiences. Based on information learned in this course, present to the class an evaluation of this company's offerings under the season subscription series.

Broadway Show:
Via the internet and industry publications you will track a show, assigned by the instructor, that opens on Broadway or Off-Broadway. Tracking will consist of Personnel, casting, theatre, complications, reviews and costs and income evaluations. All of this is easily accessible on the internet. www.artsnet.org Or www.playbill.com and many more!

FOH - ASU Theatre:
Our class will take on the responsibility of all marketing and FOH operations for both ASU productions this semester.

Final Presentation:
To be discussed at length in class. Remember it is 25% of your grade. Undergraduates may team up in pairs of two, if you choose, but graduates must do a presentation on their own. Each presentation will take one full class period.

WEEK 2 - Jan 11-15
            What is Theatre Management
            Commercial Theatre                                   Chapter 1 - 2
            Limited Partnership                                     Appendx 1

WEEK 3 - Jan 18 - 22
            Commercial Theatre                                   Chapter 1 - 2
            Limited Partnership                                    Appendx 1

WEEK 4 - Jan 25 - 29
            Not-for-Profit Theatre                                Chapter 4
            FRIDAY - THEATRE NEWS

WEEK 5 - Feb 1 - 5
            Not-for-Profit Theatre                                Appendx 5
            Box Office - FOH                                      Appendx 6 & 9

WEEK 6 - Feb 8 - 12
            Box Office - FOH                                     Appendx 6 & 9
            Mission Statements

WEEK 7 - Feb 15 - 19
            MONDAY - MISSION STATEMENT DUE
            Budgeting                                                   Chapter 3

WEEK 8 - Feb 22 - 26
            Budgeting
            Personnel                                                     Chapter 4

WEEK 9 - March 1 - 5
            Personnel & Organizational Charts
            WEDNESDAY - MIDTERM
            FRIDAY - NO CLASS - Resource work

WEEK 10 - March 8 - 12
            Fund Securement                                         Chapter 7
            FRIDAY - THEATRE NEWS

WEEK 11 - March 15 - 19
            SPRING BREAK!!!!!! YEAH ----SEE THEATRE

WEEK 12 - March 22 - 26
            Marketing                                                    Chapter 6
            FRIDAY - THEATRE NEWS

WEEK 13 - March 29 - Apr 2
            Marketing
            FRIDAY - POSTER DUE

WEEK 14 - Apr 5 - 9
            Season Planning
            FRIDAY - SEASON EVALUATION DUE

WEEK 15 - Apr 12 - 16 PRESENTATIONS
WEEK 16 - Apr 19 - 23 PRESENTATIONS
WEEK 17 - Apr 26 - 28 Catch up and Final Review

Final Exam Date: Friday, April 30^th - 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.