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Backstage and Shops

Volunteer opportunities in UT Productions and Shops empower students with knowledge, hands-on experience, and valuable life skills development.

Select an area of interest to discover how you can be part of the show.

Crew member operating a Light Board

Backstage Crew

Come operate a show!

Production crews offer many positions across many disciplines.

Production crews are exclusively student volunteers, typically consisting of 14-20 members. Crews cover the lighting, sound, costume, and scenic needs for the show and all positions are considered, no experience necessary.

Commitment

Time commitments vary from position to position and differ from each show. within the crew and the show on which you serve.

Experience

No experience necessary. Crews are supported by professional theatre staff and trained during the rehearsal and performance process.

Benefits

Participating on the crew is like no other experience. It is the crews’ job to support the production, ensuring the world of the play operates flawlessly night after night. Time management, leadership, and collaboration are but a few of the many skills students learn while participating backstage.

For more info contact

Scene Shop

Come help build a set

Volunteer opportunities increase knowledge, provide hands-on experience, and develop valuable life skills.

The scene shop is responsible for creating all of the scenic elements for the producing series shows which includes the scenic construction, paint and props as well as other items as needed. Students are led by professional staff ensuring a welcoming and safe space to learn new skills and try out new techniques. Located in Frank Thompson Hall, the scene shop utilizes current and state-of-the-art equipment to build the many worlds across all three performances spaces on campus.

Student working on table saw in the Scene shop
Students putting the finishing touches on the jabberwocky for Alice in Wonderland.

Commitment

Students sign up for available time blocks that work for their schedule. The shop is typically open from 10-12 and 1:30-5:30 Monday through Friday with some exceptions due to classes being taught in the shop or meetings. Students sign up for a 2 hour (or more) time block and come back every week at their scheduled day and time. Everyday is going to be different as the show progresses. There is some weekend work for strike and load-in but the majority of the work is completed during the work week.

Experience

No experience necessary. Let us know what you are interested in learning and we will try to assign you projects in that area of interest. Many of the students in the shop are working on their backstage class assignment hours for Intro to Theatre (THE 103) or Stagecraft (THE 223).

Benefits

In addition to helping build the worlds in which participants in UT productions inhabit on stage, students involved in the scene shop learn new skills that will benefit them in many different ways — construction techniques, hand and power tools, CNC operations, paint techniques, prop construction and alterations.

For more info contact

How-to-Theatre

Video lessons in various production techniques that work beyond the walls of the theatre hosted by David Jensen, technical director, and Jayme Mellema, scenic designer. Topics include Painting Scenic Textures, Scenery on a Budget, Table Saws and Crosscut Saws, and more!

How-to-Theatre video series cover image

Costume Shop

Historic pieces to fantastical fairy horns help tell the story!

Building historic pieces to fantastical fairy horns to help tell the story!

The costume shop creates and manages all the costumes you see in a University Theatre show! From historic pieces to fantastical fairy horns, students get a hands-on opportunity to create scores of costume pieces that help tell the story. Student volunteers and students doing backstage assignment hours for classes assist the shop in creating costumes — patterning, cutting and sewing garments, alterations, and costume crafts such as EVA foam work and painting are all part of our productions. Students learn a variety of techniques including hand finishing, machine sewing, and costume crafts.

Dress being constructed on form in costume shop
EVF foam used to construct horns for A Midsummer Night's Dream

Commitment

Students sign up for available time blocks that work for their schedule. The shop is typically open from 10-12 and 1:30-5:30 Monday through Friday with some exceptions due to classes being taught in the shop or meetings. Students sign up for a 2 hour (or more) time block.

Experience

Students from all experience levels are welcome. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to sew OR if you’ve been sewing all your life, there is something here for everyone. 

For more information, contact:

How-to-Theatre

Video lessons in various production techniques that work beyond the walls of the theatre hosted by Laura Parker, costume shop manager. Topics include Sewing Machinge Basics, Wig Styling Basics, Stage Makeup Basics, and more!

How-to-Theatre video series cover image

Lighting & Sound

Shaping the world and creating theatrical magic

More than lights and speakers…

Here in the shop, we’re about more than hanging lights and plugging in speakers. Our efforts tie the world of the shows together and create the atmospheric and mood setting magic seen on stage. Most of our work happens directly on stage or in the theatre. We set up lighting and sound systems as well as special effects units for UT shows and special projects.

Student working on electrical equipment
lighting the world of A Midsummer Night's Dream in University Theatre

Here are just a few of the ways that working in the shop might tie in with your academic load —

  • Power management and load distribution
  • Implementation of technical drawings
  • Real time adaptation of design elements as necessary
  • Photometric properties and the physics of light
  • Basic electricity and circuit building

The best part about the experience requirement for the shop is that it doesn’t exist. We’re happy to have folks of all skill levels, with lighting or non-lighting backgrounds.

Commitment

Students sign up for available time blocks that work for their schedule. The shop is typically open from 1-4pm M,W,Th,F. Students sign up for a 2 hour (or more) time block.

If you’re interested in lighting, sound, or have no idea what either of those are and want to learn more, reach out today.