The
producer is paying your salary, thus you change it they tell you to. The Director and/or AD as well as the SM are your bosses and the producers representative and have the right to dictate such changes.
They can bloody well re-cue and color the entire show if they want to, and I've seen it done.
Steve B.
This. You don't know the contract between the
producer and the LD (there is a standard contract for 829, but they don't have to use it) says about the issue. It is up to the LD to dispute things like that. When your boss tells you to do something, you do it. If the director or
producer want to run around behind the LDs back it is no concern of yours. Don't get involved. Like an above poster said you might pay a courtesy phone
call to the LD if they are making significant changes. But he is getting paid whether they use his design or recue the whole freaking show.
You would be amazed at how when you climb the ladder of LDs they care less and less about their "art". It could come from knowing all theater is organic, it might be (as it was for me) that I spent less time with each show once I reached a professional
level than I did at the community or college
level, or it could just be that it was just a job.
I have had several shows recued (one even rehung!) after I designed them. Nothing I could do about it, I got paid and had my name pulled from the program credit (which is a stipulation in my contract), the lighting for the shows flopped and got terrible reviews. I never worked with those producers/directors again. The
point is that all this took place between me, the
producer, and the director. My ME knew nothing of it, and simply reprogrammed the show as he was told.
You do what your boss says if you ever want to work again.
Mike