Elements and Performance Criteria

Appropriate personnel may include:
designer
director
production manager
stage manager
technical staff
venue management

Technical staging aspects of the show may include:
checking that all staging elements meet operational standard for performance
quick costume changes

Staging may include:
framed scenery, eg flats, profiles, doors, windows
weight bearing scenery, eg rostra, ramps, steps
non weight-bearing scenery, eg columns, trees
soft scenery, eg canvas legs, borders, cloths, gauzes, cycloramas
furniture and other set props
revolves
trucks

Staging faults or problems may relate to:
loss of communication
missing cues
last minute loss of crew team member needed for a heavy scene change
director making last minute alterations/additions
jammed machinery

Underpinning skills and knowledge

Assessment must include evidence of essential knowledge of, and skills in, the following areas:

cue plots, their features, how to action them and make amendments to cues
operating techniques for a range of staging elements, including movement of flats, operation of trucks and revolves, movement of weight-bearing elements
knowledge of types of control desks which operate stage machinery
signals and other communication systems used when operating stage machinery
problem solving in relation to the types of staging challenges that arise during live performance
numeracy skills sufficient to calculate timings
literacy skills sufficient to both interpret and make modifications to staging documentation

Linkages to other units

This unit has linkages to a range of other staging and general technical units, and combined assessment and/or training with those units may be appropriate. It is strongly recommended that this unit be assessed with or after the following units:

CUESTA05A Apply a general knowledge of staging to work activities
MEM18.1AB Use hand tools
CUESTA01B Install staging elements

Critical aspects of evidence

The following evidence is critical of the judgement of competence in this unit:

ability to operate staging to performance requirements
application of safe working practices to the movement of staging elements
effective communication skills to achieve efficient operation of staging during a performance

Method and context of assessment

The assessment context must ensure:

practical demonstration of skills through the operation of staging elements during an actual performance and for more than one production
involvement of and interaction with a team to reflect the collaborative nature of staging operation during a performance

Assessment may incorporate a range of methods to assess performance and the application of essential underpinning knowledge, and might include:

direct observation of a performance where the candidate is operating staging
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of issues to be considered in the operation of staging, typical problems which occur and how these can be addressed
review of portfolios of evidence and third party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate
Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands and the needs of particular groups (eg people with disabilities, and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties such as speakers of languages other than English, remote communities and those with interrupted schooling).

Resource requirements

Assessment of this unit requires access to:

a venue for the staging of an actual production
staging equipment

Communicating ideas and information
Interpreting production documentation (2)

Collecting analysing and organising information
Briefing other staging personnel (2)

Planning and organising activities
Working with cue documentation (2)

Working with others and in teams
Liaising with production team during performance (2)

Using mathematical ideas and techniques
Calculating timings (1)

Solving problems
Responding to equipment malfunction during performance (2)

Using technology
Using control desk (1)