Theatre UNI design and production portfolio reviews

Every semester the design and production faculty organize reviews of student portfolios and resumés. These sessions are designed to help students with the development of portfolios and resumés. They are also opportunities for faculty to identify suitable production assignments for students.

Beginning students often feel as if they have no materials worthy of inclusion in a portfolio. Not so! Many of the assignments that you will be doing in classes and in production generate work appropriate for a portfolio. What follows are some suggestions for how to develop a portfolio and resumé for the purpose of successfully marketing yourself as a theatre professional.

Student participation in portfolio reviews

Participation in portfolio reviews provides guidance for developing and improving your portfolio incrementally, semester by semester. This is a more manageable and less daunting approach than trying to put it all together in the final semester of your senior year. Also, participation in portfolio reviews is a requirement for students applying for Department of Theatre scholarships.

Student dress and conduct at portfolio reviews should be guided by a sense of professionalism appropriate for professional theatre practitioners.

Developing a portfolio and resumé at Theatre UNI

The keys to success

A well prepared portfolio and resumé , and the ability to conduct oneself well in an interview are the primary means to success when searching for a good job or a good graduate training program.

What is a design and production portfolio?

Design and production portfolios are presentations of design and production work in a portfolio format. The portfolio is one of the most important tools used by theatre artists and technicians when seeking employment or entry into graduate training programs.

What is a resumé?

Your resumé is a document, usually one page in length, which summarizes important information about your training, experience and skills. Resumés usually follow a format dictated by the standards of the profession, and include current contact information for you and your references.

Resumés can be thought of as briefing documents. Their purpose is to communicate to a complete stranger as much relevant information about your training, experience and skills, as quickly and easily as possible.

What is an interview?

In addition to considering your portfolio and resumé, a prospective employer or graduate program representative may require an interview, in order to learn more about you and the experiences represented in your portfolio and resumé. An interview is a dialogue between you and one or more persons and is guided by the questions directed to you by the interviewer(s).

How to develop a resume

The best way to learn how to develop a resumé is to attend portfolio reviews and listen carefully to suggestions made by faculty. Make sure take notes so you have a record of the suggestions when you actually sit down to make the revisions. In addition, past student resumés are available from faculty as models.

How to develop a portfolio

Ideas for portfolio form

The very best source for ideas about the form of your portfolio (how a portfolio is put together) is the observation of other student portfolios and the portfolios of theatre professionals. You should take advantage of as many opportunities as possible to see the portfolios of other students and those of working theatre professionals.

Ideas for portfolio content

Good content is the most important consideration for the development of a strong portfolio. Get into the habit of taking photos of your work, both “in progress photos” and “finished product photos”. If you have materials that have anything to do with a major project, keep it. Save sketches, worksheets, spreadsheets, charts, mock-ups, etc. One thing that is desired by employers and graduate programs is evidence of the process by which designs or building plans are developed and executed.

There are lots of places where you can acquire this kind of content for your portfolio:

Theatre UNI production assignments

As a student, you may have numerous production assignments that will generate work for your portfolio: Fundamentals running crews, Practicum I studio hours, Practicum II crew head assignments, Theatre Production assignments, etc.

Class projects

Class projects are an important source for design and production portfolios. This includes Theatre classes at UNI and any other class that generates work related to Theatre.

Summer theatre work

Summer theatre work can generate important portfolio materials. Remember to pack a camera!

UNISTA work

UNISTA productions offer many opportunities for portfolio building.

Theatre UNI production photo archive

The Theatre Department commissions professional photos of every main stage production. You can access copies of those photos through the Marketing Director.