Control/Dimming Programming - The Mystery of Edwin Drood

[DHSLXOP]

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to try to get some opinions/advice here. I am about to go into tech for the Mystery of Edwin Drood. If you don't know the show, the audience votes on who the murderer is - so part of the show is different every night - depending on who wins the vote.

My console is a Strand Palette. I need to be able to go from:

• 1 cue list for the majority of the show
• A separate set of cues depending on which of the murderers is chosen
• Back to the main cue list for the rest of the show

I want to attempt to make the "switchover" as seamless and un-noticable as possible, but also as easy as possible to execute in the middle of the show.

What do you think? Any suggestions on how to do this effectively?

Thanks in advance!

 

[KBToys82]

Can't you create cues that are not close to each other, go to them, and afterwards go back to the main show? For instance Cues 1 - 80 is the show up until the murder is chosen. Cues 100 - 120 is for one character, 200-220 another character, 300-320 another, and after that is done, go back to Cue 81?

I'm not familiar with the board, but even my crappy light board can allow be to go to cues out of order and then come back to it.

 

[sk8rsdad]

What console do you use?

 

[DHSLXOP]

What console do you use?

I use the Strand Palette

 

[derekleffew]

Can't you create cues that are not close to each other, go to them, and afterwards go back to the main show? For instance Cues 1 - 80 is the show up until the murder[er] is chosen. Cues 100 - 120 is for one character, 200-220 another character, 300-320 another, and after that is done, go back to Cue 81? ...

To further this thought: Make Q's 101, 201, 301 exact copies of Q80. Once you know which sequence needs to run (the chosen murderer), "GoTo Q 101 (or 201 or 301)." Nothing will change on stage, but you will be setup correctly. Add a "Link to Q 81" to Q's 120, 220, 320 to get you back to the right place in the cue list for the curtain call.

 

[AudJ]

I use strand palette software, and love that it can handle multiple cue lists, but I would not want to use them in this way. Either way, you have to manually move somewhere, so I would keep it simple, and do what the others are suggesting. Grouping by number will work very well for this situation. I would also suggest a clear, bold label for each jumped cue section, in the event someone else needs to run the board, or to prevent confusion.