I'm not so much worried about people messing up in the first couple tries -- but the scenario described, where the stage crew was unaware of where the scenic pieces went by the day of the show, that really does just strike me as foreign. I'm perfectly used to dealing with a "green" crew, but one way or another they're going to learn the changes before the curtain goes up. Whether that takes two rehearsals or twenty is dependent on the experience of the crew, but if it takes twenty rehearsals, that's what needs to happen.
Where do you call your shows from? (High school especially)
- Thread starterbendersen
- Start date
I'm not so much worried about people messing up in the first couple tries -- but the scenario described, where the stage crew was unaware of where the scenic pieces went by the day of the show, that really does just strike me as foreign. I'm perfectly used to dealing with a "green" crew, but one way or another they're going to learn the changes before the curtain goes up. Whether that takes two rehearsals or twenty is dependent on the experience of the crew, but if it takes twenty rehearsals, that's what needs to happen.
soundlight
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I was in the same boat too. What's even more fun is cueing dance pieces as they're happening. And having no real time for revision because the school gets locked up and you have to go home.
Raktor
Active Member
For my high school's production, I remember getting about two hours before their dress rehearsal (no tech, obviously) to plot what I thought would fit from reading through the script and attending what they seemed to think were rehearsals. Even then, I was supposedly "holding them up" and "pushing them for time" by using two hours, but this sounds like the case in most high school events.
TechiesDoItInTheDark
Member
our director doesn't have the slightest idea what it takes to tech...so he spends all of his time making sure we do everything else (because no one is intelligent enough to know how to use a screw gun) so then when he's ready to actually rehearse, we're scrambling. generally it just ends up being a team effort, the student director sits behind stage with a walkie talkie to tell us what's coming up as we plot and hang.
Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I missed this earlier and since I design facilities, I'm definitely interested in this topic, but here's my take:
At least for audio, the mix position is ideally out in the audience so they can hear what the audience hears rather than being isolated in a booth. Many times, both the lighting and audio are out in the house. This isn't always feasible, but when it is it makes little sense to have the SM by themselves in the booth (although the SMs may like that idea). Having the SM out in the audience is usually not a good idea as calling cues and call lights are very distracting to the audience, some of whom may have paid to see the performance on stage rather than the SM's performance. If you have monitors for cameras, clocks, etc., the potential distractions for the audience get even greater.
The SM usually needs space to lay out scripts, notes, cue sheets, etc. It's nice for them to have some dedicated space and finding sufficient room in an often already crowded booth or FOH can be difficult. And you try to talk an Owner or Architect into pulling out seats so you can provide space for the SM at FOH instead of their being on stage.
This may not be applicable with qualified stage crew and ASMs, but those can't be assumed to exist in all cases. In many school or community theatres the SM takes great responsibility for the crew safety. During a performance the lighting and sound board operators probably aren't going to do anything that's safety related beyond maybe falling off their chair. Not so on the stage. So it seems to makes sense to have the SM where they can most directly prevent or react to any situations.
So I often incorporate a dedicated tech position or additional comms and 'god mic' connectivity at FOH so that tech rehearsals can have the SM, LD, etc. out in the house, but this is not used during dress rehearsals or performances. SM position is usually on stage, typically downstage right, sometimes with a dedicated movable desk, with the comms main station at that location. A remote comms station or secondary connections for a comms station are in the booth for an ASM or alternative SM location. This seems to be a fairly standard configuration
At least for audio, the mix position is ideally out in the audience so they can hear what the audience hears rather than being isolated in a booth. Many times, both the lighting and audio are out in the house. This isn't always feasible, but when it is it makes little sense to have the SM by themselves in the booth (although the SMs may like that idea). Having the SM out in the audience is usually not a good idea as calling cues and call lights are very distracting to the audience, some of whom may have paid to see the performance on stage rather than the SM's performance. If you have monitors for cameras, clocks, etc., the potential distractions for the audience get even greater.
The SM usually needs space to lay out scripts, notes, cue sheets, etc. It's nice for them to have some dedicated space and finding sufficient room in an often already crowded booth or FOH can be difficult. And you try to talk an Owner or Architect into pulling out seats so you can provide space for the SM at FOH instead of their being on stage.
This may not be applicable with qualified stage crew and ASMs, but those can't be assumed to exist in all cases. In many school or community theatres the SM takes great responsibility for the crew safety. During a performance the lighting and sound board operators probably aren't going to do anything that's safety related beyond maybe falling off their chair. Not so on the stage. So it seems to makes sense to have the SM where they can most directly prevent or react to any situations.
So I often incorporate a dedicated tech position or additional comms and 'god mic' connectivity at FOH so that tech rehearsals can have the SM, LD, etc. out in the house, but this is not used during dress rehearsals or performances. SM position is usually on stage, typically downstage right, sometimes with a dedicated movable desk, with the comms main station at that location. A remote comms station or secondary connections for a comms station are in the booth for an ASM or alternative SM location. This seems to be a fairly standard configuration
Tank
Member
At my HS it was a bit whacked out, there was the director, LX op, SND op, and often some other random teachers who decided to join in. and there was no communication with those on the floor. the LX and SND was run seperately... no prompt copy or anything of the like. I was "SM" on the floor, but was basically an ASM, running the scene changes etc. with some crew for help etc. to communicate with the bio box (booth) during the show, we had to go outside the hall, in the foyer, then up a ladder, through the green room, then in the back door to the bio box... :\
At Tafe i guess its a more standard setup; LX op, SND op, SM in the bio box, then one or two ASM's on the floor. For our current production we have a "set co-ordinator" instead of an ASM, but they're essentially the same. The AV and Dome op's are on the balcony, but they shouldnt be talking on cans, only listening, so that should be good
At Tafe i guess its a more standard setup; LX op, SND op, SM in the bio box, then one or two ASM's on the floor. For our current production we have a "set co-ordinator" instead of an ASM, but they're essentially the same. The AV and Dome op's are on the balcony, but they shouldnt be talking on cans, only listening, so that should be good
achstechdirector
Active Member
We use our entire booth as storage until I got there, they ran sound and lighting from backstage, I found that out and had a fit.
We now use our giant booth for lighting, sound, stage manager, and followspot
forbiddenpluto
Member
When things run as planned we have lighting and sound in our tiny booth and the SM directly out front. There's also an ASM on SL and SL as well as a runner on backstage in the dressing room in case of missing performers and/or crew.
In our theatre, we don't have a balcony, or much of anything else, except a catwalk and a booth. Our SM calls from the booth, because we have planty of space. The light board is far to the right, the sound board far to the left, and spots are on the catwalk, leaving the center open for the director and SM. We also have two ASMs who are actually in the wings, one for stage right, and one for stage left.
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Do you have quiet spotlights? Our spots are in the corners of our booth but they're really loud... one can barely hear monitors when they're on...
We use the Comets that a lot of other theatres seem to use. The fans are a little loud, but there aren't loud enough to be heard in the audience, which is the most important thing. But I guess if you moved them into a confined space like the booth, they would seem a lot louder.
we have a stage manager and a assitant stage manager. the SM calls the show from the lighting booth. and the the ASM is backstage in charge of both sides but is mainly in charge of one. and then does anything that needs to be done during the show.
rosabelle334
Member
What we usually have at our HS is that everyone is basically independent. The Assistant Director gives cues to the actors and contols that aspect, Costumes contol the quick changes, Props have their own crew on both sides of the stage, with a co-property master on each side, then the stage manager sits right next to the curtain stage right, controlling set changes and the curtains. The lights and sound also do their own thing. It works out ok.
