Inside the Classroom - Practicum with Tom Fusco

Apr 27, 20213 min read

Anyone who passed through the Rowan University Department of Theatre & Dance is familiar with a course called "Practicum - Production Ensemble". Under the supervision of Theatre/Dance technical and design faculty students participate in department productions in technical and design capacities. This year Practicum assignments took on a new form with a unique, pandemic-friendly '20-'21 production season.

Practicum has always been a required course in RUTD. The labor keeps the production season going and the students learning. Fulfilling your Practicum assignment can range from stagecraft, to stage management, to being on the RUTD Social Media Team. Recently, two new assignment options emerged: working on recruitment with professor Lane Savadove and gathering program information with professor Dr. Tony Hostetter.

COVID-19 transformed the production season into something that was never anticipated. Few set pieces exist in person; there are no live audiences and no props. New Practicum opportunities emerged such as setting up green screens for The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe and recording and editing videos for BREAKING NEWS! and The Curious Incident Project. As a result of the pandemic, RUTD Coordinator of Design and Technology, Tom Fusco, adjusted the course to be accessible to students who are remote as well as created safe ways to participate in person.

Last semester, RUTD Resident Lighting Designer and Facilities Manager, Bob Thorpe, formed the Rowan University Entertainment Technology 3D Print Team which spearheaded the COVID MASK PROJECT. The team printed over 150 masks and filter holders, shipped and distributed them to all the students of RUTD. THE COVID-19 HALLOWEEN MASK DECORATING PROJECT created a new option for any student to partake in. Students decorated their masks, shared pictures with the @RowanTheatreDance Social Media Team and Fusco donated and awarded prizes.

This semester, Fusco has students building birdhouses. By putting together these houses students are not only providing birds a safe space to build their nests, they are honing carpentry skills. Fusco created birdhouse kits and mailed them to remote students to make the project accessible to all. He also created an outdoor scene shop at Bunce Hall with battery-operated power tools so anyone can stop by and make one for their Practicum. Students can still make birdhouses this Thursday, April 29, at 2 pm. Fusco said it takes about an hour and a half to make one. (Pictures of completed birdhouses must be sent to Fusco for credit.)

Fusco said there are so many new changes implemented into his courses from COVID-19 that we will keep. The new format of online communication to produce theatre makes aspects of teaching easier for a student to access. Fusco also teaches Colloquium, an on-going series of lectures, discussions, demonstrations and seminars, which has been virtual since the pandemic began. He intends to continue broadcasting the course so people can participate from anywhere. In his section of the course Stagecraft Fundamentals, Fusco created how-to videos so anyone can log on, figure out how to use power tools and learn how to build a toolbox. With these videos students can learn at their own pace and come in to build their project on their own time. All of these changes help students figure out which mode of learning suits them, gives time to process course materials and then come in to work in small groups.

Practicum-Production Ensemble at its core brings people of varying theatrical backgrounds together to work on a common project. "It's not just the actor on stage being the center of attention. For every one actor on stage you have 15 people behind them building and painting the set, doing the props and lights and queing. You need to understand every other person's role in that job so that we have some empathy," said Fusco.

When asked what he hopes current RUTD students know about Practicum he said how flexible the course is. Fusco wants to work with people so they can show up and participate when they can.