<p>You can format your portfolio any way you want: a binder is fine, so is a presentation cover, or an envelope portfolio. There are other options, too. Check out the portfolio section of an art supply store. The advantage of loose boards over pages in a binder is that you can more easily change the order for different schools or take one board out and hand it around. Structure the book the way you want to present it. You’re telling a story about what a good fit you are for their school. </p>
<p>It’s too bad you didn’t keep things you could have used for your portfolio but at least you have some idea what you’re missing. Since this is a high school portfolio, you don’t have to show everything as it actually happened. For example, because you didn’t use proper notation in your prompt books, create a few pages that show proper notation and then just explain that you didn’t really know what you were doing earlier, but if you had it to do over again this is how you’d do it. For another example, go through your scripts again and recreate paperwork that shows what you did, for example, a lighting plot or a props list. Use the product pictures sparingly. </p>
<p>Finally, it’s a good idea to use designs created just for the portfolio. In addition to your own sketches, you can include source materials you used for inspiration and samples of materials you might use to execute your designs. If you have more time, use it for depth and detail rather than more plays. You want to demonstrate how you think about theater.</p>
<p>When my daughter was interviewing, she used the book, “Developing and Maintaining a Design-Tech Portfolio: A Guide for Theatre, Film, &TV” by Rafael Jaen (Oct 2, 2006). It is out of stock on Amazon but he seems to have a more recent book, “Show Case, Second Edition: Developing, Maintaining, and Presenting a Design-Tech Portfolio for Theatre and Allied Fields” (Sep 14, 2011). These are professional portfolios, of course, a little intimidating, but also a great source for ideas.</p>
<p>You knock em dead, hear?</p>