The Rake's Progress Teachers Guide - San Francisco Opera

Questions and Activities
In general, jobs at the opera can be divided into two categories: specialists and generalists. What skills are
necessary for the specialists such as the set designers, lighting designers, costume designers, stage managers
and departmental directors? What skills are necessary for the generalists such as the development staff?
Where is there crossover in traditional “schooled” learning and on-the-job training? Which department do
you think you would like to work with at the opera?
Development
What product or company do you think should sponsor The Rake’s Progress? Write a proposal to the
president of the company explaining why you think it would be beneficial for them to give funding to a
production of The Rake’s Progress. Remember to tell the president what benefits there are for her or his
company!
General Director
If you were running a company, which aspect do you think would be more important to you, spending
money on artistic expenses or maintaining a balanced budget? Do you think one outweighs the other?
Write a statement of your philosophy as if you were the General Director and had been asked how you make
your decisions.
Information Services
If you were to design a website for The Rake’s Progress, what would it look like? Who would it reach?
Who would be the “audience”?
Marketing
Create an advertisement for The Rake’s Progress. Decide whether you should put it on TV, radio,
newspaper, a bus, etc. Include whatever you feel is the biggest “selling point” of the opera-- what makes it
exciting? Why should people come to see it? Write it as a presentation that you might make if you wanted
San Francisco Opera to use your ad. Then act it out!
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