Learned Experience and Guidance

Working at Six Flags has been an eye-opening experience. Manipulating live sound as opposed to the pre-recorded sound I'm used to at Drake is very different. I've gotten better at getting the best sound with the least likely amount of damage to the equipment (always a good thing), and because I'm run one show in particular every day I work, I'm learning not just what songs the cast gets excited about (therefore increasing the chance to overload the mics), but also within the songs, which parts are higher/ louder, and therefore also more likely to cause damage.

An interesting thing I've also learned- the train's whistle as it goes by sounds a lot like feedback during some songs... This has caused me panic more than once, although now that I'm getting used to it, it's getting better and my blood pressure is staying at a nice, healthy rate.. :D

But here's where I could use some help. According to the head of our department, we should be doing a mic check before every show. I agree with this; the majority of the cast does not. It doesn't matter how I phrase the request, or if I give them a few minutes warning or ask that it be done immediately, they always have the same negative reaction. I don't like feeling like the bad person, but at the same time, it takes less than five minutes. All the cast does backstage is mess around and play games between shows, so it's not like I'm asking them to come back from break early or something else that Six Flags could get into legal trouble with or something else along those lines.
So today I tried something new: I didn't remind them of the check. What happened? Before our first show, they had six (6!) minutes to get their mics on, do the check, and get backstage so I could open house. Before our second show, I gave them a fifteen minute warning before I opened house (this is usually when we did the mic check). One girl didn't quite hear and came onstage with her mic on. As I was about to start the check, she asked if that's what we were doing. I informed her that I was simply giving them a house- opening warning, and would be happy to do a mic check if she wanted. She declined and went backstage once more.
As many of you probably know, I usually fly by the seat of my pants. During shows, however, doing this makes me extremely uncomfortable. I worry constantly to the point of making myself nauseas. So obviously I should be doing a mic check for my own sanity as much as because that's what our head of department wants. Here's where I need your help: how do I do this? Above is what I've tried, and it doesn't work (at least, not in any positive manner). So I'm asking for suggestions for some type of middle ground. Yes, they're being whiny little whatevers, but I can't go off on them (as much as I'd like to) because that won't solve anything... So please-- help?

It's Been a While

Hey all, I know it's been a while since my last post, mostly because it's summer and therefore we're between shows. I'm currently down in St. Louis, MO for the summer, working at Six Flags as a crew member. This includes running sound for the improv show, lights for the game show, and driving/guiding floats in the Glow in the Park Parade.

School starts up later in August, at which point I'll continue writing about Drake Theatre.

Finish Line in Sight

'Fefu and Her Friends' had its last production meeting yesterday. We start tech this weekend, and with Drake Relays going on at the same time, we're hoping we don't lose power like we did last year. Cross your fingers!

After this show goes up, we won't have another show until next semester. That season has been released, and is as follows:

'Bare' - Nov 11-14, 2010 (a musical) (PAH)

'Smoking Lesson' - Dec 2, 4, & 5 (Studio 55)
'Prisoner of Second Avenue' - Dec 3, 4 & 5 (Studio 55)

'The Cherry Orchard' - March 3-6 (PAH)

'Standing on My Knees' - March 24, 26, & 27 (Studio 55)
'Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You' - March 25, 26, & 27 (Studio 55)

'Glory of Living' - April 28- May 1 (Studio 55)

Haven't found out any design assignments yet, but we should know by the end of this semester.

Hit the Ground Running

"Fefu and Her Friends" had its first production meeting yesterday. The designers have presented overall ideas to the cast so they can understand what sound, lights, furniture, etc. they'll be dealing with during the run. During the rehearsal process, the performers are given 'rehearsal props', which includes any furniture and other things they interact with through the play. Once we go into tech rehearsals, these rehearsal props are exchanged for the props and furniture that will be used during the show. The reason for this delay is to help prevent as much damage to the show props as possible.

It looks like there will be a wallpaper design used for this show as well. Sound fun, not too complicated, fast and easy, right? Wrong. Because our sets are usually so large and would have much surface area to cover, just for the sets to be pulled down a week later, it's not cost- efficient to buy the wallpaper. Instead, we use stencils and paint the pattern on the wall. It takes a long time, which is why it's discouraged for large surface-area sets, but with this one being in the round, there is an archway which i'm doing to attempt to do a wallpaper. We'll see how it turns out.

Also, for those of you who answered the poll after I had posted how long it took for the first show- that's called cheating. Tisk, tisk... :P

A Small Break

'Talk Radio' has gone up and come down. The show had only a few minor technical difficulties, but overall (for it being the first time we've done something like this at Drake), it was really cool. The show itself was about a talk show host, and the play followed the course of the show. People who 'called into' the show would appear on a projection screen that the audience could see. All had some sort of background (via green screen) whether that be a kitchen, office, bedroom, etc. The talk show host also had a camera on him that played live on the 'website' (the other projection screen).

Next up- 'Fefu and Her Friends'. This is a play that will be done in the round. An approved ground plan has been sent to those who need/ want it. We start regular design meetings the Thursday we get back from spring break. In the meantime, there's still much to be discovered, figured out, discussed, etc.

One Down, Two to Go

"A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" is official done and closed. Next up- "Talk Radio"!

We have started setting up walls in the PAH (Performing Arts Hall), along with the main character's desk. On Friday, the scene painting class is going to help the set designer add the details to the walls now that each wall has a base coat. As we go into tech rehearsals on Saturday, the goal is to have all the walls up and everything painted, including the finishing layer of glaze (a clear coat that adds a reflective and protective finish, used especially on wood floors). Realistically, though, is that by the time we start on Saturday, the walls are up and painted, and the floor has a base coat.

Looking ahead, "Fefu and Her Friends" had another design meeting yesterday (Tuesday). Plans and ideas are coming along, and it's now a matter of finalizing everything so the serious work can begin.

Calm Before the Storm

"Joe Egg" starts it's tech rehearsals tomorrow (Sat- 2/13). This means that, for the first time, we combine lights, sound, props, and performers. Later, we'll start 'dress rehearsals', which add costumes and make-up into the mix. Opening night is Thursday (2/18). Note that there are only five days between that; that's how much time we have to make sure people hit their cues. It's fun! So for those of you that took the poll, we started our design meetings on 1/22, and our final performance will be on 2/21. If you guessed one month (for this show), you are CORRECT! Congrats!

"Talk Radio" set construction has already begun, and lights have started to be hung. On Sun (2/21), a work call will increase this speed, and we hope much more will get done in the two shifts. Depending on the size of the cast and amount of students in the Stagecraft class, we have held multiple work calls.

After spring break, rehearsals and design meetings for "Fefu and Her Friends" will start/ resume. So if you think we have a break after a show is done, you're right- for about five minutes. Then the next show gets pulled out, and we start from scratch once more to turn a play on paper into something that- hopefully- will be remembered.

Getting the Ball Rolling

"Joe Egg" and "Talk Radio" have started weekly production meetings. The two doors are in place for "Joe Egg", and some of the walls are ready to be put in place (to be "stood up"). Once all the walls are in place, the set is ready to be painted. This can take a variety of forms between the walls and flooring, such as a textured wall (stucco, brick, stone, etc), or wood, tile, linoleum, etc. Once the set is painted, a clear coating of glaze is put on the floor to give it a more reflective surface.

"Joe Egg" runs from February 19-22, with one performance each day. Because it's a chamber show (meaning less-elaborate), there is no work call before tech rehearsals get underway, nor strike after the final performance.

Instead, there is a work call for "Talk Radio" (the cast, crew, and Stagecraft I students come in on a weekend and help out one of two shifts, either 9-noon, or 1-4). Designers need to be at both shifts to attempt to get as much done as possible.

That weekend is also the dates of the Midwest Theater Auditions held in St. Louis, MO. This is a convention which many theaters put up booths, and auditions/interviews are conducted. Actors and designers/technicians present their portfolios or prepared monologues. If the theater wants another look, they ask you to attend the 'call backs' held later that night or the next day.

We also had a design meeting for "Fefu and Her Friends", during which the director, Adam Heffernan, explained what he was thinking and gave some handouts of helpful information about what was going on in the time period. He had some visions about the set and interior design styles, which was helpful without being concrete or "this is exactly what I want it to look like".

Design Meetings

It's the first week of the Spring 2010 semester, and our shows are getting underway.

"A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" has a production meeting on Friday; "Talk Radio" had a design meeting today (Wednesday), although due to the ice storm, it was skyped with the director who couldn't safely make it to campus. And "Fefu and Her Friends" has a design meeting next Friday.

So what's the difference between design meetings and production meetings? Design meeting are meant for the designers (lights, sound, set, costumes, props, and usually the technical director) to meet with the director and put some ideas on the table. This allows everyone to have a sense of what the others are doing and deciding what will work best to portray the overall wanted message.

Production meetings include all the designers, assistants, the technical director, publicist, and the director, again allowing everyone to understand what others are doing, but with a firmer grasp of the overall concept and how to achieve that goal.

Please note that although not mentioned in either of the above, the Stage Manager must attend not only all the meetings, but also each rehearsal. After each rehearsal, a 'rehearsal report' is sent to each designer. This is a series of notes taken during rehearsal, with sections for the respective designers and any comments relating to that area.

Once rehearsals get to the point of a 'run-through', a designer will likely sit in and observe the rehearsal. One reason I believe this to be beneficial is because a situation or line of text inflicts a different, usually stronger emotion when spoken than when read.

Before I Begin

Background Information:

Drake puts on 3 shows each semester- two held in a black box theater (called Studio 55), the other held on the main stage (the Performing Arts Hall, or PAH). The Spring 2010 shows are:
"A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" (black box)
"Talk Radio" (main stage), and
"Fefu and Her Friends" (black box).

This count does not include any Student Theater Productions (STP's) put on by our directing majors, which there are typically 4 per semester.

There are currently 9 declared technical and design majors, of which 2 are seniors. This means that everyone does something for almost every show. This includes designing (lights, sound, set, props, or costumes), stage management, technical director, and sometimes board operators (lights or sound).

Our Technical Director (when not assigned to a student), is John Pomeroy, affectionately called Roy by all. Not to be confused with the other technical professor, John Holman. These two work with our Costume Designer (when not assigned to a student) Josie Poppen to create much of the spectacle created on stage.

And finally, there are three directors and one musical director, with an occasional guest director (as is the case with "Fefu and Her Friends").

Disclaimer

As a disclaimer, this blog does not relate to all theater, but is talking specifically about Drake University Theatre in Des Moines, IA. While the blog will focus mainly on the technical side of things that happen backstage during a show, or the preparation work that leads to the show, there is also the work the performers put into each production.

Both sides work incredibly hard, and only by working together do we accomplish a successful show.