Technical Theater Offerings

Keith Herron, aka Dr. TecTock, has worked in the theater as an actor, writer, producer, and technical director for decades. He has advised dozens of schools in New York City on technical matters; evaluated the school’s needs, facilitated repairs, recommended and installed additional equipment, and trained school teams, including students, on how to use it all.

Keith is an Authorized Vendor with the NYC DOE. He has designed and run sound and lighting for numerous off-off Broadway, school, and camp shows. He is a Teaching Artist with Arts Connection, and has worked in many schools alongside staff from Broadway Bound Kids and Lincoln Center.

HIS MISSION: get more students seen and heard!

Diagnosis

The first step in improving outcomes is to diagnose the problem. Dr. TecTock has always been fascinated (since his early days of tearing apart toasters and building computers from kits) with discovering how things work: why do machines behave the way they do? Keith is relentless in tracking down the cause(s) of vexing headaches with existing installations. Which leads to solutions.

Training for Staff

Keith can prepare a fully customized training curriculum to familiarize your students and staff with your sound and lighting equipment. From step-by-step procedures, to theoretical explorations of sound and lighting concepts, Dr. TecTock can provide you with what you need to feel prepared to run your next show and solve the inevitable issues that arise.

Residencies

Keith offers three customizable ten-session residency programs to train students and staff in Devising and Implementing a School-Based Sound Design, Devising and Implementing a School-Based Lighting Design, and Creating a Tech Crew. Below are sample residency maps that can be adapted to elementary, middle school, high school, and adult settings.

Devising and Implementing a School Based Sound Design

Students will learn, understand, and be able to operate the basic components that make up their school’s sound system. Students will be able to use these components to create an effective sound design for a production of the classroom teacher’s choosing – past, current, future, or fictitious. Students will learn and be able to implement the needed skills to act as a sound engineer for the proposed production.

Session 1: Introductions and identifying the sound equipment in the auditorium
Session 2: Using the sound equipment to create a soundscape for a 3-part fairytale narrative
Session 3: Designing a soundscape based on production requirements and the Director’s vision
Sessions 4/5: Creating a soundscape for the production
Session 6: Using Director’s feedback to revise the soundscape
Session 7: Creating sound cues for the production
Session 8: Running sound for rehearsal
Session 9: Revising cues based on Director’s feedback
Session 10: Running sound for the full production

Devising and Implementing a School Based Light Design

Students will learn, understand, and be able to operate the basic components that make up their school’s lighting system. Students will be able to use these components to create an effective lighting design for a production of the classroom teacher’s choosing – past, current, future, or fictitious. Students will learn and be able to implement the needed skills to act as a lighting engineer for the proposed production.

Session 1: Introductions and identifying the lighting equipment in the auditorium
Session 2: Using the lighting equipment to create a lighting design for a 3-part fairytale narrative
Session 3: Designing a lighting plot based on production requirements and the Director’s vision
Sessions 4/5: Creating a lighting design for the production
Session 6: Using Director’s feedback to revise the lighting design
Session 7: Creating lighting cues for the production
Session 8: Running lighting for rehearsal
Session 9: Revising cues based on Director’s feedback
Session 10: Running lighting for the full production

Creating a Tech Crew

Students will learn, understand and be able to operate the basic components that make up their school’s sound and lighting systems. Students will learn how to read and use sound and lighting cues and the needed skills to act as a sound and lighting crewperson for a production – past, present, future, or fictitious – of the teacher’s choosing.

Session 1: Introductions and identifying the lighting and sound equipment in the auditorium
Session 2: How to set up effective sound and lighting rigs based on production requirements and the Director’s vision
Session 3: Hands-on practice setting up, running, and taking down the sound rig
Session 4: Hands-on practice setting up, running, and taking down the lighting rig
Sessions 5/6: Hands-on practice setting up, running, and taking down the lighting and sound rigs
Session 7: Running sound and lights for rehearsal
Session 8: Revising sound and lighting cues and running them for rehearsals
Session 9: Running sound and lights for tech dress; revising cues based on Director’s notes
Session 10: Running sound and lights for production and troubleshooting

Light and Sound Board Operator

Keith has worked with schools and others to create and implement light and sound designs. He has also served as a light board and sound board operator on several productions.

Dr. TecTock doesn’t just make you feel better about your sound and lighting equipment – he helps you run it with confidence!

Contact Dr. TecTock at: 718 768 4456 or email: drtectock@tectock.com.

We keep your technology running like clockwork.