TECHNICAL DIRECTOR'S MANUAL FOR STUDENT THEATRE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA COPYRIGHT 1991 BY BARDO S. RAMIREZ Table of Contents i. Preface 1. What Does a T.D. Do? 2. Who's Who in Penn Theatre 3. Who's Who on Your Production Staff 4. How to Deal with Your Set Designer 5. How to Make and Keep to a Budget 6. How to Recruit and Manage a Crew and Schedule Building 7. A T.D.'s Responsibilities to His Crew 8. How to Get Your Set Approved 9. Shop and House Regulations 10. Load-in and Strike 11. Sample Tech Week Schedule 12. Where to Order Materials 13. Reading List-- Highlights of Peter's Library i. Preface The purpose of this manual is to introduce prospective technical directors (T.D.'s) to student theatre at Penn. It is supposed to give an overview from a T.D.'s point of view of the process of putting up a show. It does not answer all questions; it is intended to give basic, sound advice for new T.D.'s and information on where to get further answers to their questions. I primarily wrote this because I love theatre, and I love technical direction. Secondly, I believe that student theatre should spend more time teaching, and if I can add to that process I would like to; however, a T.D.'s best resource for learning is the people around him or her. When in doubt...ask! Bardo S. Ram¡rez I would like to recognize and thank the following people for their help in putting this manual together: Peter B. Whinnery, John Schmidt, Marc Weitz, Norman Morrison, Brian S. Leanhart. 1. What Does a T.D. Do? A T.D. makes a set designer's creations a reality in a safe and efficient way. This begins with talking to the designer to decide on details and materials. When all of the details are squared away, they are finalized in the form of working drawings made by the T.D.. From these drawings, the amounts of materials and hardware can be determined and itemized. Once materials are chosen, the T.D. orders them. Paying for them can be handled through purchase order accounts set up by your producer, money advanced to you by the theatre company, or by cash from the T.D.'s pocket that will be reimbursed by the producer when you hand in a receipt. The last method mentioned is not recommended unless you can afford to wait up to two weeks to be reimbursed. Now the T.D. is ready to show the drawings to the crew, to schedule building, to order materials as needed, and to get started building. The T.D. is responsible for supervising building. He doesn't need to be in the shop at all times, but he must make his builders aware of all safety procedures, all details of the set, all shop rules an customs, and he must keep the shop neat. The T.D. must also deal with higher-ups: justifying expenditures to the producer, ensuring safety to the satisfaction of Peter Whinnery (and if in the Annenberg Center, Michael Durkin), and meeting the visions of the designers and director. Load-in (when the set is put up) and strike (when the set is taken down) are two of the most crucial events that the T.D. is responsible for. The T.D. plays the role of safety supervisor, construction foreman, and trouble shooter on these days as well as all through tech week. A need-to-know list is: 1. building safety 2. budgeting 3. people skills-- public speaking 4. how to tie knots 5. drafting 6. carpentry 7. electric safety 8. sewing (drops, cycs, etc.) 9. painting 10. time management 11. house and shop rules One important warning that I must give to a new technical director is to avoid getting emotionally attached to your set. After all of your hard work, the lifespan of the set is usually only a couple of weeks. Furthermore, the T.D. is the instrument of destruction of the set, a fact which at first may seem self- defeating and purposeless. However if a T.D. approaches his job as providing a service to the theatre community rather than providing a product, the job will become more fulfilling. 2. Who's Who in Penn Theatre Non-Students That T.D.'s Will Come in Direct Contact With: Mike Durkin -- Technical Director of Annenberg Center. He has the final say on safety and other rules and requirements for Annenberg shows. Peter Whinnery -- Technical Advisor. He can answer all of your questions. Robin Neiman -- House Manager in Annenberg Center. She enforces fire laws, oversees seating, and enforces house rules (e.g. no food) during shows. Paul Reynolds -- Building Manager in Houston Hall. He locks up after you. Don't make him stay late! Michael French-- Performance Supervisor in Annenberg. He is not required to do more than supervise and enforce safety rules, but can be persuaded with kindness to help during tech week. Annenberg Staff-- Be nice to them, you may have to work with them some day. Carolyn Noone -- Director of Student Performing arts. She is the mediator between you and the big wigs at the university. Laura Hammons-- She reviews the books, handles billing and purchase order accounts. There are many other politically important people you should know, but your producer or board of governors will deal with them. Don't forget fellow students are also valuable assets for help and information! 3. Who's Who on Your Production Staff Producer-- He or she decides what your budget is. All expenditures must be approved by him. All purchase order accounts must be set up through him. Keep him up to date and he'll stay off your back. Director-- He or she should be kept informed on any changes in the set by you or the set designer. This is important as set changes affect blocking and choreography. Set Designer-- Keep a close relationship with him or her to make sure you're keeping to his intentions! Lighting Designer-- He or she needs to know any changes in the set and must be supplied with detailed, updated ground plans. Master Electrician-- He or she runs the lighting aspect of load-in and strike, so go over tech week scheduling with him. This is crucial if you share crew members. Also, focusing cannot take place until the set is in it's permanent place. Stage Manager-- He or she is your best friend during tech week. He/She knows all of the cast members, and they are used to listening to his commands. He is experienced at getting actors to listen and will schedule and necessary safety meeting with the cast for you. 4. How to Deal with Your Set Designer Your first responsibility is to your designer. It is your job to make his ideas a reality. It is very important that you understand all aspects of the set. Discuss specifics about materials that are to be used. Get from him a ground plan and a front elevation. Have him explain them to you in detail, then explain it back to him in order to avoid any miscommunication. Make working drawings immediately, while the words of the set designer are fresh in your mind. Use his drawings to guide you. Go over the working drawings with the designer. Make any necessary changes until he is satisfied. Remember, unless time constraints, lack of money, or the laws of physics forbid it, the designer gets what he wants. Once building starts encourage him to come into the shop occasionally to check up on progress and even to build. Most designers on this campus do build, but it is by no means required of them. Before load-in, double check your ground plan with the set designer, lighting designer, and director to make sure that the placement of pieces is still the same. Then make a large final ground plan to be used as the guide for load-in. This will make load-in go more smoothly, but there will always be minor floor plan adjustments during load-in or tech week, so don't think anything is carved in stone; however, do notify the director and lighting designer of all changes every step of the way. 5. How to Make and Keep a Budget The way the design process often works, your budget may be made for you before you see any inkling of what the designer has in mind. A good set designer will make your job easy by designing within the budget; however, don't count on it. A good place to start figuring out how much your set is going to cost is to make working drawings of all of the major set pieces. Then count feet of lumber, yards of fabric, etc. Get per unit prices for the materials from someone knowledgeable, or, for unusual material (foam, fencing, plastic, etc.), call a few distributors and get estimates. Next talk to your designer about paint. If the set must be flame-proofed, the flameproofing (Spartan X-12) can be taken from shop supply and the backpainting can be done with slop lying around the paint room, so it is not an economic factor. Find out how elaborate the painting is going to be. Can you get by with regular flat latex, or are you going to have a to buy real scenic paint (a little more expensive). It takes a little experience to estimate the amount of paint you will need, but the designer or someone else can help you. Now that you have the major stuff down, it's time for the little things that add up. For instance, hanging hardware, wood screws, and small bolts are not commonly kept in stock. Also keep in mind that the designer may spend money on drafting supplies, modelling materials, and paint for renderings that come out of the set budget. Any legs or blacks that have to be rented for the show also come out of your budget. Next, make sure you've accounted for all furniture and small set pieces (stairs, small platforms, etc.) that can't be taken from stock. Try to work out the furniture costs with the props person (sometimes you can talk with him/her into paying for that throw pillow that cost $50!). Finally, add it all up and add 20%. Give this number to the producer and tell him/her that this is a realistic amount that you can work under. If the producer approves, DO NOT GO OVER THIS BUDGET. Cut non-essential small set pieces before going over budget. If the producer does not approve, go to the set designer and discuss what alterations can be made. He/she will probably work something out with the director so that you can make the producer happy. On rare occasions the producer may have had a bigger number in mind than yours. In order to take full advantage of this possibility, try to find out what the producer has in mind for your budget long before you give him your estimate. Knowing what he is thinking early on will also give you time to argue for more money if you really need to. The sooner you ask for money, the more likely you are to get it! Remember, any extra money you have can be used to bail out other staff members who weren't as frugal as you. Keep in mind as well that any materials that you can afford to donate to the Irvine shop (paint, brushes, fabrics, etc.) will be very much appreciated by groups not as economically well off as yours. 6. How to Recruit and Manage Crew and Schedule Building Unless you want to build the entire set by yourself (as some T.D.'s have tried), one of your most important tasks is to work yourself into the favor of people with building experience; however, the great majority of your crew will probably be inexperienced and in need of training. A good source of talent is the new freshman class. They are enthusiastic and usually take direction well. Get them hooked as soon as possible so that they will have every ounce of freshman eagerness in their system. Also, techies tend to form loyalties early in their academic career so they might as well be loyal to you. Always keep in mind that most of your crew will consider theatre as an extracurricular social function. Perpetuate this notion! Emphasize how fun the cast party will be. Make them feel like a club. Have food available during late night sessions just before load-in. Join them for a beer after an especially long work day. Get them to coffee-club meetings and introduce them to all of the other techies. Make derogatory remarks about actors and producers (just kidding). In essence, make them proud to be a part of your crew and make work fun. Once you have a crew gathered and ready to go, you must direct and organize them. Although a social atmosphere is good for building, a schedule should be made and taken seriously. The first few meetings should include all of the crew. These meetings should be as soon as a crew has been mustered. The ground plan, front elevations, renderings and models should briefly be explained in order to give them an overall view. The working drawings should then be gone over, in full detail. Explain to them your priorities: what needs to be built first and what qualities you want to emphasize in each piece (stability, mobility, low cost, etc.). Their concern is initially with only the pieces that need to be built or pulled from stock and repaired. Early on you should explain any out of the ordinary materials, procedures, or skills that will be employed on the set. Then you can begin to find out who is most interested in working on what pieces. Now is the time to spring the building schedule on them. Explain to them which pieces need to be built and when. Find out what kind of free time they have, and schedule shop hours. Shop hours should be specific but flexible, and should be regarded as the minimum or as a guide and not a rule. Assign builders to specific tasks or set pieces as is practical. This gives builders short term goals to shoot for, and it allows you to check on building progress more easily and identify any training that builders may need. If a crew member feels personally responsible for a particular project, he will be more likely to report any problems to you and learn the right way to solve his problem, rather than pass the problem quietly on to someone else. It is not necessary and sometimes even undesirable to have all crew members working together at the same time. Also, you will find that some people prefer different times of day or week to work. It is often easiest to make a schedule on a weekly basis. A good idea is to have a brief (as short as fifteen minutes) weekly meeting that all crew members attend, where objectives and schedules can be gone over. Starting a week before load-in, the schedule may be made on a daily basis as things tend to happen quickly at this time. It is desirable for you to be in the shop as much as possible while building is going on; however, there are ways to ease the weight of your supervisory responsibilities. Good working drawings and a work schedule is an excellent start. There is no ambiguity involved in good working drawings, and scheduled objectives allow you to check on progress even when building is not going on. If you have a specific schedule of who is supposed to build what and when, it is easy to see who is having troubles. Above all, stress safety and neatness. Keep an eye on your crews working habits. The best way to teach them is by example. A few minutes taking out the garbage is well spent, and at least fifteen minutes should be scheduled after every building session to put away tools, sweep, and lock up. Also if you see any of your builders using a tool improperly or not using appropriate safety equipment (i.e. goggles or ear protection) STOP THEM. Explain to them that you would rather see slow safe progress than reckless unsafe building. If you stress this enough, your crew will learn to put safety before speed. 7. A T.D.'s Responsibility to His Crew The technicians do shows for two reasons: to learn and to have fun. The T.D. must facilitate this. Encourage them to ask questions and to sit in on meetings with designers, Peter, and Durkin. Share your trains of thought with them. If you start your building early, you can teach new builders skills. This increases the talent pool and lightens your work load. If a set needs to be built in a hurry, usually tasks are given to those who are experienced and good at them, and little learning takes place. The second objective, fun, is easily attained. Introduce them to other theatre people. Make sure they go to cast parties and buy them gifts for the final cast party. If they enjoyed working with you, usually word will spread and you will get more volunteers. Remember, a T.D. who can attract large crews will get hired over an anti-social T.D. who's a good builder. Finally, keep in mind that no matter how important the show may be to you, it is only student theatre and everyone is a volunteer. Therefore, DON'T OVERWORK YOUR CREW. It leads to shoddy work, unnecessary accidents and bad attitudes. If you see a builder taking too much on and stressing out, get him to take it easy and put things in perspective. Also don't push reluctant builders to commit more time. Make them want to work through enticements, and also subtly reinforce the idea that those who work hard get bigger titles on future shows. And never forget, a little praise goes a long way. 8. How to Get Your Set Approved Unless you have a really simple set, or you have a very good reputation with Peter Whinnery or Mike Durkin, you'll have to give a sales pitch to get your set approved. The first step in getting a set approved is to use common sense. A T.D. must talk a designer out of any really outrageous ideas. Then between the T.D., the designer, and Peter, the method and materials are decided upon. Any problems should be discussed with Peter. Tell him any ideas you have for solutions, then ask him how he would do it. After deciding on the best alternative, double check with the set designer to make sure you haven't deviated too much from the original idea. Once you're satisfied that all of the problems are worked out, set up a meeting with Mike Durkin. Show him rough drawings of the set, and present to him one or two of the questions you asked Peter to get his feedback and to show him that you have put some thought into the more challenging aspects of the set. At the end of the meeting with Durkin, humbly thank him for his time and assure him that final ground plans are on the way. The set is still not in the clear, so a T.D. must arm himself for round two. The best weapons are detailed ground plans and working drawings. Peter will show you how to make these. The drafting process forces a T.D. to review all details of the set and is usually where many of the more subtle challenges of the set are discovered. Peter can spot a potential difficulty on a drawing board a lot faster than after merely hearing you explain the set. Once the wrinkles are ironed out, it is time to see Durkin again. This meeting should be two weeks before load-in. The more pieces of paper that you can give Durkin the better. Bring your producer to this meeting. Have him bring a schedule for tech week building and rehearsal and a list of production staff. Of course this is where you show your ground plan and working drawings to him. If Durkin discovers a real problem that you haven't, you're in big trouble so make sure what you show him has been gone through with a fine-toothed comb. Durkin will customarily throw his list of warnings and reminders. Just assure him that everything is flameproofed, all crew members have received safety training, and that Peter is helping you. It is a good idea to bring Peter and your set designer with you to this meeting, as they can save you if you don't know the answer to a question. Always remember that every show you do determines how your next show will be received. Be courteous to all Annenberg staff and Peter. Make them enjoy working with you. Invite Peter and your SAC supervisor (usually Mike French) to the cast parties, and make sure the producer thanks them in the program. As a small token of appreciation for the help and patience of the Annenberg staff, a case of good beer in the tech lounge on opening night, is a good idea. This can sometimes be paid for out of the show budget if you have a nice producer. If not, list it under your lumber budget as a sheet of plywood! In short, go out of your way to make all Annenberg staff trust and like you. If you do things right, they will breath a sigh of relief and pleasure every time they find out you're T.D.'ing the next student show in their theater. 9. Shop and House Regulations The shop is a T.D.'s second home usually for several weeks per show. It should therefore be treated with respect. The first rule is neatness. Clean-up is an important part of every building day. If builders leave the shop a mess, it is the T.D.'s job to clean it and yell at the crew later. This teaches the crew through example, ensures that the shop is clean for other groups, and earns you Peter's respect. The second rule is courtesy. The shop is not for storage. Leave as much room as possible for other groups to work, do not touch any supplies or set pieces that are not yours, and don't monopolize particular tools or remove them from the shop unless given permission. Neatness is also a part of courtesy, as no one likes a messy shop. The most important thing is safety: 1. Get a safety course from Peter. You must attend a workshop that will include the details of how to safely operate all of the shop tools, and safely use flammable and/or poisonous materials. 2. No Smoking-- There are flammable materials in the shop. If you smoke, take a break and go outside. 3. Wear eye protection-- This is required on power tools and when using hammers. 4. Wear ear protection-- Do this whenever you or anyone in the shop is using a noisy tool for an extended period of time, if you value your hearing. It also shuts out the sound of the organ. 5. Never use a tool that sounds strange or appears broken. 6. Don't use any tools that your not familiar with. 7. Don't work alone. 8. No alcohol or other intoxicants before or during visits to the shop. 9. Open all doors, including the shaft, when using fume producing materials. 10. Wear rubber gloves when flameproofing-- the boric acid in Spartan can really burn your skin. The final thing to remember is security. Lock all doors and tool closets before leaving. Make sure Peter's office is locked if you're going to be in the shop and no one else is in the office. Don't give out any keys or combinations, and cooperate with building managers. It's also a good idea to label all of your materials with the name of your company and/or show to prevent misunderstandings. Here's the most recent list of official shop rules published by the office of student life: 1. All usage must be scheduled through the technical director. Failure to do so may result in a $50.00 fine. 2. No tools are to be borrowed without the permission of the technical director. All tools must be signed out and inspected upon return. Damaged tools must be replaced. 3. Smoking is not permitted in any of the construction areas. Eating will be allowed as long as you clean up afterwards. 4. Any painting done outside the scene shop must be done with an adequate number of dropcloths. Groups must clean up all areas used for painting at the end of the work day. All unused paint must be disposed of/stored properly. 5. The shop and all work areas must be cleaned at the conclusion of the working day. If you are scheduled to be the last group in the shop, allow yourself enough time for clean-up. Preceding groups must "neat-up" the shop as well. 6. The paint room, tool room and shop must be kept locked when not in use. 7. There will be no unauthorized use of any area in the building. Rehearsals may be scheduled in advance through the Performing Arts Council and/or the Office of Student Life, 110 Houston Hall. 8. No unsupervised work will be allowed. Do not work alone when using power tools. It is expected that goggles or glasses will be worn when working with any kind of power equipment. 9. The mechanical level of the shaftway is not a storage area. This constitutes a violation of the fire laws. 10. No one is authorized to tamper with or alter the wiring of the dimmer board on stage. The power vault in the basement is off-limits to all students. 11. Report any damage or breakage of equipment to the technical director immediately upon discovery. By doing so, the item can be repaired or replaced quickly without interfering with the work of everyone using the shop. 12. No doors are to blocked open at any time. Awareness of your safety and building security should always be your top priority. 13. All storage rooms must be kept clean and free of debris at all times. No doorways may be blocked. 14. Trash, scrap material, paint and all related construction materials must be properly disposed of daily. Don't let it pile up until it threatens to devour us all. 15. Please be considerate of other organizations. When a performance/movie of any sort is occurring on stage, a minimum of noise from the scene shop is greatly appreciated. Your full cooperation with these rules is always greatly appreciated. Please feel free to approach us with any additional concerns, questions or suggestions. * * * * * * * * * When it comes to theater regulations, non-Annenberg spaces have fewer regulations except for common sense and local fire and safety codes. In Annenberg, however, there is no food or drink in the theater, no smoking, and no painting. Construction is to be avoided, except for assembly of large set pieces and structural reinforcement. Also, remember that there may be other shows or rehearsals going on so be quiet in the hallways and keep the theater doors closed at all times. For all shows, a safety supervisor must be present when anyone is working in the theater (and they're not required to work overtime). This is strictly adhered to in Annenberg. Also remember that set pieces must pass the safety supervisors inspections, including flameproofing. 10. Load-in and Strike The object of a good load-in and strike is quick efficiency and, above all, safety. Achieving these goals begins with good organization. One of the best indicators of a well-planned strike is the absence of surprises. There are always going to be problems, and sometimes big problems, but a good technical director sees them coming and plans for them well in advance. A common trap that dooms a load-in occurs when a T.D. is under pressure to complete the set on time, so he focuses on specific tasks and ignores the big picture. It's the job of the builders, carpenters, painters, etc. to concentrate on specific tasks; the T.D. must think holistically and bring everything together. So how do you make a plan? Well, first of all you must know the set. How long will it take to transport all of the pieces to the theater? How many people will you need? How long will it take? Will you need carts, or even a truck? In what order should the pieces be delivered? Are any of the pieces fragile? Are some pieces too big to be assembled before they are in the theater? Also, go into load-in with a detailed ground plan and make copies. Getting back to the "no surprises" theme, a T.D. should know the answers to all of these questions plus the ugliest question of all: "Is the set going to be completed by load-in day?" You can get away with not being done by load-in if you plan properly. Load-in is the only time that you'll have a large number of warm bodies willing to put in a hard days work for you. It is an unforgivable crime to let these people sit around with nothing to do. If the set is not done on time, load-in is your day of salvation. An amazing amount of work can get done with the labor force you have for load-in. Taking advantage of this starts several days before load-in. The week before load-in, if you suspect that you will not be done on time, sit down and make a list, as detailed as possible, of all of the tasks that need to be done. Divide these by the set piece that they belong to. Be sure to include all of the small sub-tasks that go into the job. For example, assigned to a staircase would be ordering the lumber, cutting the wood, assembly, flameproofing, painting, and putting on legs. The next step is to divide the tasks into two groups: skilled labor and unskilled labor. The unskilled tasks can be saved for an actor to do at load-in if time is short. An enthusiastic actor can finish a menial task in half the time you can because he/she has not spent the past month in the shop. It's only a one day thing for the cast members. They won't get as frustrated as you or one of your builders might. Examples of such mindless and potentially irritating tasks are base coating flats, cutting lengths of tie line, sorting hardware, and legging platforms (with legs pre-cut and drilled). Combine this list with a list of tasks that can only be done at or after load-in. This is the list that you keep with you at load-in. This will free you for getting the rest of the set done. Prioritize what needs to be done before load-in. First build all the pieces that in no way can be cut. Also build first the pieces that have a lot of load-in or post load-in labor associated with them (like pieces with many parts that need to be assembled during load-in). That way you have things to give actors to do during load-in. In contrast, a piece that is simple and can be completed in the shop can show up a day or two late without taking up stage time for construction. Before load-in can happen a safety meeting must take place where the set is explained, the tech week schedule is gone over and safety and house rules are gone over. Load-in and strike are mandatory for all cast and production staff members. Failure to attend will result in the offender being banned from Penn theater for a semester and will make them the recipient of much abuse. Anyone who intends to be at load-in must attend this safety meeting. A few good rules that should be explained at the load-in meeting are: 1. Put your hair up if its long 2. No jewelry 3. Lift with your legs not with your back 4. All tools must be tied to your body if you are on the grid, or on a ladder or genie 5. Clothes worn should be comfortable but not baggy, and they should be the kind your willing to get dirty. 6. Shoes must be worn by all persons in the theater during load-in and strike. 7. No one may leave the theater during load-in or strike without notifying the proper person. This is the T.D. for set crew, the ME for lighting crew, and the stage manager for cast members. 8. No one is allowed to walk the set until the T.D. has inspected the safety of the finished set and has given the OK. This means no walking on stairs that may not be secured, no walking through doors that may not be properly hinged yet, no walking on platforms that may not be braced. In other words assume that all set pieces are only half finished, and not yet "actor proof". Peter may have more suggestions for you, and he can help you give the load-in and strike talks. Remember, your job at this meeting is to stress to the cast the importance of safety. Tell them that you will not hesitate to remove from the theater anyone who does not follow the safety rules. They must believe that during tech week everything you tell them to do is for their safety and must be immediately obeyed. At load-in a good deal of the cast may not know you, so take advantage of this. Project an image of authority so that they'll listen to you, but don't get an attitude. It is very easy to develop an "Us vs. Them" atmosphere during tech week when fights over stage time occur that can create animosity between actors and techies. Always remember that you all are on the same team with the same ultimate goal of a good show. If the techies feel negatively toward the actors it is usually the T.D.'s fault and it is always the T.D.'s responsibility to put an end to it. This can be easily done by reminding techies that everyone's on the same team, and by being pleasant to the cast and director. Between load-in and strike there will be a lot of tools in the reach of inexperienced hands. Many actors and crew members will get a rush of adrenaline when using power tools for the first time. This is natural, but the T.D. should not let it get out of hand, especially during strike. Strike is the true test of a T.D.'s organization and supervisory skills. If an accident is going to happen, it's during strike. At strike everyone will be telling the T.D. to hurry: the producer doesn't want to pay overtime to the supervisor, the supervisor wants to go home to sleep, and the cast and crew want to get to the cast party. It is the T.D.'s job to put safety before speed. Know where you can save time and where saving time is not worth the trade-off in safety. One of the simplest ways of making strike go faster is to take time before strike to clean the theater of anything that is not essential to the closing night performance. That includes props and set pieces that were struck from the show, and tools and scrap materials that aren't needed for strike. Also, bring any tools needed for strike, carts to carry set pieces out, and containers for hardware to the theater that afternoon, so that you're ready as soon as the curtain goes down. Always have a pre-strike talk before the final performance. Remind cast and crew not to rush, not to use power tools that they're not familiar with, and not to take apart anything unless they're told to. Also remind them that they cannot leave until strike is over. The later the cast party starts, the later it will end, so there is never a rush. It is also a very good idea to have someone (not the T.D.) who has keys and knows their way around Irvine to go to Irvine with the first group carrying set pieces and to stay there. Then, all materials, props, set pieces, and hardware can be put in four piles: 1) gets stored in Irvine, 2) gets thrown out, 3) belongs to the theater, and 4) "other." One final tip on load-in and strike. Wear old clothes, bring gloves to avoid splinters and to hold hot lighting instruments, and wear boots or work shoes if there are heavy objects that can be dropped on your feet. 11. Sample Tech Week Schedule This is a general outline to give you an idea of what life is like between load-in and strike for a one week run opening on a Thursday. Sunday -- Load-in 9:00 am ...meet at Irvine to load scenery and lighting equipment on to carts, the truck, your backs, etc. and head to the theater. 9:30 am ...unload the scenery, and lights at the theater. Lights go to the grid or to the appropriate electrics, and set pieces get neatly stacked out of the way on stage. 10:00 am ...assembly of the large set pieces occurs on stage, and the hanging of lights begins. At this point their must be communication between the lighting and set people so that set pieces don't get in the way of ladders and no accidents occur. While set people are focusing on assembling and placing set pieces, there will be people fiddling with heavy lighting instruments and pipes over their heads. Similarly, while lighting people are balancing on ladders and genies, there will be people shoving heavy objects around on stage, so be careful. 1:00 pm ...LUNCH BREAK 2:00 pm ...set assembly and placement as well as light hanging and cabling continue. 5:00 pm ...DINNER BREAK 6:00 pm ...all of the major pieces are in place so that light focusing can begin. 7:00 pm ...now the small set pieces, set dressing and details that were put off. Everyone will be terribly tired and irritable by now so things will go slowly as those tasks that were put off in the morning rush are grudgingly attended to. 11:00 pm ...as everyone realizes that they have put in a solid sixteen hours of heavy labor, you all go home to sleep, unless there were major problems. If there were, you will probably spend a few more hours in the Irvine shop, building, or a couple of hours on the phone with the producer, director, designers, and ME, discussing how you're going to schedule the solutions to all of the problems. A short production meeting may even be necessary at this time. Monday -- Day Two 9:00 am - 12:00 pm ...sleep through your morning classes and experience your first hangover without having been drunk the night before. 1:00 pm ...skip your afternoon classes and spend the day in the theater with your crew. Iron out the problems in the set, and make sure that all safety factors have been considered. It is more important now to make the set safe than pretty. Lighting people will finish focusing. 5:00 pm ...DINNER BREAK 6:00 pm ...the set should be functional and safe if not totally finished. 7:00 pm ...the cast shows up for cue to cue. Not much can be done on stage to the set now, besides setting lighting cues and making focus and level adjustments, but small set pieces not needed for cue setting can be worked on outside of the theater. 11:00 pm ...go home confident that you're on schedule. Tuesday -- Day Three 9:00 am ...miss your morning classes again; it's only your future. 12:00 pm ...wake up and realize, in disbelief, that you are even more sore than yesterday. 1:00 pm ...go to the theater and do final touch ups. Get all of the set dressing and cosmetic stuff done and do a final safety check of all set pieces before the cast shows up. In other words jump on the set until you're satisfied that even an actor couldn't break anything. 5:00 pm ...DINNER BREAK 7:00 pm ...sweep the stage and remove all unnecessary tools and materials from the theater while the cast warms up. 8:00 pm ...FIRST TECH THROUGH. This run through is run by the T.D. and the lighting designer (or M.E.). It's purpose is to work out all of the logistics of physical interaction between set lights, costumes and actors. Keep an eye on the set, making sure that the cast hasn't found any hazards that you missed (ie. a protruding staple or nail that snags a costume). After tech through, the only person who may stop a rehearsal is the director. 10:30 pm ...actors get notes and you and your crew repair the inevitable damages that happened to the set during first run. Don't worry, by final dress they will know their way around the set, and you will have corrected most if not all of the potential little glitches. 11:00 pm ...go home, sleep. WEDNESDAY -- Day Four 9:00 am ...go to classes for once. 3:00 pm ...make all of the final adjustments to the set. Sweep the floor before the dinner, and do a safety check on the set. 5:00 pm ...DINNER BREAK 7:00 pm ...second tech through at lightning speed. 9:00 pm ...DRESS REHEARSAL. Enjoy. 11:00 pm ...hopefully by this time your job is done until strike. If so, return all tools to Irvine. THURSDAY -- Opening Night 9:00 am ...go to class, you're falling behind! 12:00 pm ...sell tickets on the walk. 7:00 pm ...sweep and clean the stage while the cast goes over notes, warms up, and gets excited. Do a safety check on the set. 7:30 pm ...join the cast in the dressing room and change into nice clothes for the first time in weeks. Then go out into the lobby to meet your opening night date. 11:00 pm ...OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION FRIDAY -- Performance 7:00 pm ...Sweep the stage and do a safety check. SATURDAY -- Closing Night 7:00 pm ...sweep and mop the stage and do a safety check. 7:20 pm ...before the doors open, give a ten minute strike talk to the cast (see Chapter 10). 10:30 pm ...STRIKE. Disassemble the set and leave the theater cleaner than when you got there. Make sure that everyone, including your supervisor knows where the cast party is. 1:00 am ...CAST PARTY. If strike went well, you had time to shower; if not you're there anyway. NOTE: Most shows run more than one week, so extrapolate. 12. Where to Order Materials YELLOW PAGES Business to Business for specific products and services Liberty Building Supply 1120 S. 7th St Phila. Pa (215) 468-3703 will deliver on Sat. ACE Lumber I-95 and Westmoreland Street Philadelphia, PA 19134 (215) 634-0222 for wood, sonotubes, masonite will deliver to Irvine usually within 24 hrs. closed on weekends Burke Scaffolding Joe Resta-- Sales (215) 781-9700 scaffolding (what else) Buten Paint 4902 Baltimore Avenue (215) 727-5422 paint, varnish, brushes, rollers, drop cloths open weekends need a car (they don't deliver) Drama Guild Prop Shop 400 Shurs Lane (215) 487-3446 props galore C.L. Presser Company 4224 Market Street (215) 222-1800 closes early, don't deliver hardware-- everything from screws to fences to glue and tools J.B. Acoustical 208 Progress Drive (215) 699-0250 (215) 699-6376 (FAX) polystyrene, styrofoam, insulation materials, drywall McManus Enterprises-- The Theatrical Supplier 111 Union Avenue Bala Cynwyd (215) 664-8600 paint, lighting equipment, neat toys, and general theater supplies P & S Fabric 923 Arch Street (215) 922-5261 muslin, cheesecloth, other fabrics Philadelphia Drama Book Shop 2209 Walnut (215) 981-0777 copies of plays, and books on theater Rosebrand 517 West 35th Street NY, NY 10001 1 (800) 223-1624 fabric (see their catalogue) (drops, scrim, muslin) SAC Lighting Carol Stiles 898-5823 pacshop@dolphin.upenn.edu Safeguard (215) 853-3030 (215) 876-2800 (2836) lighting equipment Scenic Services INC. 166 Valley Street Building 9B Providence, RI 02909 (401) 331-8884 (FAX) vacu-form columns, brick and stone face Taws 1527 Walnut Street (215) 563-8742 drafting supplies, artist supplies. They offer student and "club member" discounts (20%). University Book Store balsa wood, matt board, paper (drafting) 13. Reading List-- Peter's Office Browse through Peter's library during your free time. Scene Design and Stage Lighting, W. Oren Parker and R. Craig Wolf, 6th ed. Holt, Reinhart and Winston, Inc. 1990. design process, drafting, construction techniques, painting, props, sound, lights Stage Design and Properties, Michael Holt, Phaidon Press, Ltd. 1988 design process, model making, drafting, props construction, painting, easy to read "how to" book Designing and Painting for the Theater, Lynn Pecktal, Holt Reinhart and Winston, Inc. 1975. great pictures! design techniques, drawing, painting, drafting, building, sculpting, etc. directed towards serious set designers Theatrical Design and Production, J. Michael Gilette, Mayfield Publishing Co. 1987. practical construction and safety techniques, from basic electricity to design concepts and production management, types of tools and hardware Technical Drawing, Giesecke, Mitchell and Spencer, The Macmillan Co. 1958. an overwhelmingly complete guide to drafting, drawing, drafting tools Backstage Handbook, Paul Carter, Bradway Press 1988. reference book of hardware, materials, common stage pieces, knots, tools, symbols, units, handy formulae, etc. invaluable for a tech. director, buy one! Remember, an ounce of research prevents a pound of mistakes. A T.D. should read up on anything he's not sure of, so that he can ask intelligent questions and understand the answers.