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<P>Hi Doug.</P>
<P>This is a general problem with theatre teachers. It would be interesting to see the responses posted to the group.</P>
<P>I have been involved with a number of theatres over the past 40 years of teaching both high school and university. I have also been on the board of a local community theatre, whose scheduling is done be the local board of education (not a good idea).</P>
<P>It is my impression that both my students and I were busiest and most creative in those theatres where we had total control over use and booking. We could build sets early in the rehearsal process and leave them standing. We could rehearse at odd hours of the day and evening, without having to book ahead. We could experiment and play with theatre, tear apart, and put together both the room and the material we were working with whenever we got the inspiration. It was wonderful. We could live in the theatre, almost.</P>
<P>When the institution controlled the space, I have had to bring out and pack up every time I wanted to use the room, and lose valuable creation time. It might be likened to trying to get your audience back into the play after an intermission or a blackout. </P>
<P>I have had classes which required empty space rescheduled into classrooms filled with desks, and at the last moment. Nothing destroys the morale of a theatre class more than being thus told that their efforts and learning and dong theatre are always subservient to anything else (including lectures, banquets, and meetings) that the administration can conjure up to interrupt the programme.</P>
<P>When administrations take over the booking they also take over the maintainence of the room, which sounds like a good thing, but really isn't. (I had one administrator want to paind the apron floor of the stage brown, so that it would "look better" when they had a speaker come in.) Administrators don't understand that it takes time to set lights, and that the room will be a mess until you are finished. They don't understand that lights need constant care and succor.</P>
<P>Well, I'm sorry. I appear to be ranting.</P>
<P>The bottom line is that when the administration looks after booking the space, the educator loses his or her ability to run the programme in a vigorous and creative manner.</P>
<P>Besides, theatre management includes booking and scheduling. Your students need that experience also. (IMHO)</P>
<P>Bob Cooper, (retunring to Canada in July), </P>
<P>but currently at Xiamen WECL English College</P>
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<P>150 Lonshanzhong Lu</P>
<P>Siming District, Xiamen</P>
<P>Fujian, China, 361009</P></DIV></div></html>