Student Theatre Project Proposal (TMA 536)

TMA 536 Directing Workshop Proposal
This is the application for TMA 536, Directing Special Projects. Complete the following form and submit once you are finished. You may want to work offline and cut and paste your answers over.

The deadline for fall applications is February 24th.

We are specifically looking for project proposals for Fall 2025.

The Department of Theatre and Media Arts will produce one TMA 536 project each fall and winter semester. All TMA 536 projects perform in the Black Box Theatre, with support equal to an Advanced Theatre Project. You must complete TMA 336 and TMA 436 before you can do a 536 project. Plan your semesters accordingly and apply for the semester you would be able to fulfill the 536. Additionally, TMA 536 projects:
- will be provided a faculty mentor to serve as an advisor for the process
- will be provided up to $1,000 financial support
- will be allowed to request limitied props/scenic/costumes from BYU stock
- may be given additional lighting specials, and
- will be provided credit for all involved in the production (director, dramaturg, designers, and actors.)
These applications will be reviewed by the Directing Committee, made up of Geoff Reynolds, David Morgan, Alexandra MacKenzie-Johns, and Jennifer Reed. After your proposal is reviewed, you will be notified if you have advanced to the interview stage of the application, where you will meet with the Directing Committee to talk about your proposal in more detail. Following this interview, you will be notified whether or not your project has been selected.

If you are not selected, you may rework your proposal and reapply, or you may choose to produce your work at a different BYU venue or off-campus, but without departmental support.
Name

First NameLast Name
Project Title
What is your FIRST choice for the proposed performance date? NOTE: All performances will be held in the Blackbox Theatre.

Fall 2025Winter 2026
What is your SECOND choice for the proposed performance date?

Fall 2025Winter 2026
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
In no more than 500 words, describe your project in detail. Questions to consider include, but are not limited to:
- Questions you are exploring with the project
- The "concept" or "vision" of your production
- The performance theories you are testing
- A discussion of the value of the project, for yourself, your collaborators, and your audience
PROJECT TEAM
In fostering collaboration, it is best to begin conversations with as many team members as possible as early as possible. Who will be involved in this production and in what capacities (creative, cast, technical, etc.)? In addition to the creative/design collaborators, the project team must include a production stage manager, a sound board operator, and a light board operator. These people must be willing to fulfill their responsibilities every night of the run of the project. These responsibilities cannot be shared by multiple people.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Ideally, when will the following occur? Identify a start and end date for each of the following (many will overlap):
Collaboration and conceptualization with the creative team:
Start Date

MonthDayYear
Date
End Date

MonthDayYear
Date
Casting:
Start Date

MonthDayYear
Date
End Date

MonthDayYear
Date
Rehearsal:
Start Date

MonthDayYear
Date
End Date

MonthDayYear
Date
Performance:
Start Date

MonthDayYear
Date
End Date

MonthDayYear
Date

CONTENT AND LANGUAGE STANDARDS

As you are aware, BYU Theatre adheres to particular standards of content and language in our productions. Here are some guidelines to help you in your script selection (whether you are using a published script, a new work, or are devising a work.)

1.      We have committed never to take name of the Lord in vain on our stages.

2.      Profanity should mild. A good rule of thumb is that if the word appears in the Bible, it is mild. If it doesn’t, it is not appropriate for our stages.

3.      Profanity should not be excessive. A good rule of thumb is that a character should be defined by what they are saying, not by how they are saying it. If it seems that a character’s main defining characteristic is their use of profanity, the profanity is probably excessive.

4.      When considering subject matter, there are very few subjects that can’t be discussed on the BYU stage. However, keep in mind that the overall message of the play should be guided by the principles set out in Moroni 7:12-17 and “should invite and entice to do good.”

We are also committed, legally and ethically, to follow copyright laws that guide public performance. This means that any published script that was written or translated after 1923 cannot be changed or altered in anyway without permission from the author. If you have a script that you would like to perform that could be made appropriate for BYU with some changes, we will help you make these requests to the author.

Note 1: There are a few playwrights who unfortunately will not allow changes to their work so we already know that we are unable to perform most of their work on our stages: Arthur Miller, Sam Shepherd, Neil Simon, Frank Galati, Lorraine Hansberry, Peter Shaeffer, and Quiera Alegría Hudes.   Keep this in mind in your play selection process.

Note 2: If your play is selected to produce as a TMA 536 project, we will work with you to secure changes to the script; you will not make the requests yourself. If the changes are denied, we will allow you the opportunity to propose a different project for TMA 536. You will not lose your slot if you cannot perform the play you have chosen because of language requests. If you are proposing something that needs changed, you may want to have a good Plan B in mind so that we can quickly move onto a new project if changes are denied.

To help you consider these issues, please answer the following questions:
Is your title under copyright?

YesNo
If yes to the above, will the script require any changes?

YesNo
If yes to the above, please outline the necessary changes below: A). Provide the full reference of which edition of the script you are working with. (We recommend using the acting editions that can be ordered from the rights holder, i.e. Samuel French, Dramatists Play Service, or MTI). B). Make a list of any words that need changed in context of the sentence they are spoken, with a page number where the word occurs in the script. Highlight the words to be changed. C). Provide your recommendation of how the sentence can me changed.

EXAMPLE:

Buried Child, Sam Shepherd. Dramatists Play Service Acting Edition.

Page

p. 9

Original Line

Jesus God, you come into my home...

Replacement

You come into my home...
Very briefly (in about 200 words) describe your Plan B project, in case the changes you request are not approved.

HOW DOES YOUR PROJECT ALIGN WITH THE AIMS OF A BYU EDUCATION?

We hope that your TMA 536 project will further the Aims of a BYU Education. Please respond to the following questions in 2-3 sentences.
1. CREATE
How will you approach the creative process for developing this work? How will this process increase collaboration among TMA students, faculty and others, as well as the communities we serve?
2. INNOVATE
How will it be unique in terms of other productions, both in TMA and elsewhere?
3. INSPIRE
How will this piece provide opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and audiences to build testimonies?

BUDGET

TMA 536 Projects have access to the Blackbox Theatre, "B" Room costumes, rehearsal spaces, some prop and furniture support, lighting and sound for the performance space, box office, and front of house support. You can also ask for up to $1,000 for any additional costs (royalties, specialty costumes, special effects, marketing, music rights, etc.)
What BYU resources do you anticipate needing to use? Be detailed and specific.
Provide an itemized budget that lists all projected expenses. Be detailed and specific.
ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR NOTES:

Why are you interested in this project? Why now?
Should be Empty:

TMA 536 Directing Workshop Proposal