PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE THEATRE ARTS PROGRAM ...

and the installation and maintenance of the lighting, and rentals at that time
there were a much smaller number of rentals per year.
The position has evolved over the years as the program needs and PAC
rentals needs have changed. For example, several ballet companies have
been regular clients of the PAC for 10 years plus.
In 2006, Frances Marsh started work at the PAC as Rental and Technical
Coordinator and PT faculty member in technical theatre.
In this combined role she has brought together curriculum, the PAC labor
needs and the TA technical theatre skill necessary to create a fluid TA
program/PAC labor force linkage for students and alumnae of varying
levels. To achieve this, she created a Stagecraft course (TA 116) that
transfers to PSU and SOU and provides a base of safety and construction
skills that students can utilize in our scene shop and far beyond. She also
manages up to 35 casual labor employees (mostly current and former TA
students) on the PAC rental crew. This allows PCC Theater Arts students
to graduate from our non-degree bearing TA program with both practical
and professional experience on their resumes, as the rentals that come
through the PAC facility are often professional level productions.
In order to bring consistency to the ever changing labor force (students
and alumnae by their nature are not with us for long periods of time), she
created rental crew training protocols as well as a policies and procedures
manual. With the help of the PCC web team Frances has also created a
PAC rental website, thus increasing PCC’s local and national exposure
while deferring some of the labor needed to address the heavy traffic of
telephone inquiries.
She has also worked with the safety and risk department to create a fire
evacuation procedure for the PAC and to train employees in important
safety protocols. She has set standards for her event supervisors to have
OSHA Rigging, and Ladder training as well as CPR and First Aid. In lieu
of the unlikely creation of a CTE program in Technical Theatre, she has
initiated and fostered a relationship with the local professional stagehands