When I started in the Honors Program, I was worried about how I was going to fulfill this competency.  As a theatre tech major, I wasn’t sure how my learning fit into this program.  At first I didn’t know how my designs would fulfill the requirements of a research project, but through several experiences, I have learned how important research is, and the best ways to conduct research.  Although my projects don’t necessarily match the “typical research project,” there are elements that are the same in a research project and a creative activity.  Instead of using lab research and statistics, my projects rely more on information literacy and synthesis.  

During a course called Basic Design, I learned the fundamental elements that go into a theatrical design and the steps to create the design.  One of the most important first steps is to conduct research for the production.  This includes researching the time period and finding inspiration from different images.  Basic Design also taught me how to use the information literacy skills from HONR 201 and pull information from the script.  Research for a creative activity also includes a lot of synthesis.  During the early stages of the process, the director will give the team a concept or vision that they want to follow for the show.  As a designer, it is important to know how to connect the information provided in the script with what is provided by the director.  Through several different projects, I have been able to develop skills in finding credible sources, and applying the research and information from the director to a design.

I was able to apply these new skills when I was the lighting designer for MNSU’s production of Next Fall.  I applied what I learned in Basic Design in order to find research images to communicate with the director what I envisioned for the show.  I learned what worked and what didn’t work in terms of how to communicate with the production team.  This application experience allowed me to establish a strong set of research skills.  These skills would prove important for later experiences.

I was able to continue applying these skills when I was the sound designer for a production of The Addams Family.  Although the process was similar between Next Fall and The Addams Family, there were also some differences.  While the first production’s research was more image based, the second production functioned slightly different.  My research included finding some of the base sounds for different effects.  I then took these sounds and communicated with the director to create a unified world for the family.  Most of the collaboration for this process happened during tech week.  This is when all of the elements came together for the first time.  Although the director had been talking about his vision for the show, these rehearsals were where I spent the most time working to unify my design with the rest of the production.

During my time in the Honors Program, I have developed my confidence in research.  In addition to learning how to conduct research in my field, I have learned how to confidently present my research in front of a team, and apply it to my design of the production.  These skills will be crucial after graduation.  For me, the way I know my work has been successful is when there is an audience in the house.  Some of my favorite moments of the process are seeing the audience see the show for the first time.  It feels good when you hear an audience member after the show saying how much they liked this look or sound because it reminded them of this because you know as a designer you did your job correctly.