Tech Week in the Theatre Realm

So I think we can all quickly name off famous actors from theatre. Hugh Jackman, Ben Platt, Josh Groban, and the list goes on and on and on. What about the tech crew, though? Can you name some people who have been involved with successful shows like Hamilton that worked as a stage manager? Or how about a lighting designer from the show Lion King on Broadway? It becomes a bit more difficult. These magnificent people that work behind the scenes are the true heroes of the theatre realm. And around a week or two before each show starts, lighting designers, stage producers, assistant stage producers, audio designers and choreographers of all shapes an sizes (and believe it or not, occasionally individuals take on two or more of these roles for a show on the local theatre level, HUGE shout out to them!) give up sleep, food, and sometimes healthy hygiene habits to make sure a show is ready by the time it is supposed to open. I'd like to dedicate this post to my beloved tech crews I've worked with and any one out there that has a tech person that they love and cherish. Let's talk about tech week in a show: specifically my experiences with set, sound and lighting.

First thing: set. Set designers and set constructers usually are slowly introducing different set pieces as the rehearsal process progresses. Doors, platforms, giant peaches, backdrops, ships, you name it, and a set designer can tell a story with a beautiful set alone. But occasionally, actors are clumsy (usually not purposefully) and they break a set piece, or damage it mid-show, or in some cases they somehow drop an atomic bomb on a set piece, leaving everyone wondering how the heck that happened. Set designers also occasionally have to modify something if it isn't to a director's liking, which leads to a bit of discouragement and occasional negativity, but set designers always come in clutch. I'd like to recognize Tressa and James Padilla, Alan Wolford, and Shawn Kidd,for their work they've done with me in regards to sets and creating wonderful worlds that enable an actor to help the audience step into the world of the play/musical.

Having great sound in a theatre space can really make or break a show. I've had the opportunity to work in an outside theatre setting, where one can't rely on the good acoustics of an indoor theatre. In a setting that is as particularly difficult as that, the sound is crucial. But let's jump back to good sound for theatre in general. A door creaking open, the busy sounds of Times Square, and let's not forget making the actors loud enough to be heard. In some cases, actors wear microphones. In others, the microphones are placed on the stage in strategic locations that help the story to be told. And if an actor doesn't rehearse at the same volume they usually do for a show, or at what we call "show volume," life can be down right miserable for a sound technician. So, if you're an actor, please note that when you do mic-check (that's a time before the show starts where all actors with a microphone perform some of their lines/music to make sure their microphone is good for that night/matinee) do your mic-checks at show volume and recognize your sound designers/technicians. A huge shout out goes to Ed Hasenbalg in Farmington, NM for what he does for local theatre in that region in this regard.

Now imagine the last time you took a moment to clean/detail something. Perhaps a car, or your shower, or the kitchen. That much effort and then some go into lighting and finding the right gels/LED lights to match the mood and design of the show. Each light has to be placed just so, and not only that, but the lighting cues also take such a long time to edit and put in place. Just as any actor has to remember lines, a lighting designer has to remember the sequence and order of the lighting and of the show in general. And it really rains on the parade of the show when an actor doesn't stand "in the light," as we say. If an actor is two or three or even one step off of their normal location, the lighting could miss them completely. And guess who gets blamed for it? I'll give you a hint, it's NOT the actor. At least not from the audience's perspective. But you can bet your bottom dollar that your stage manager/director (whomever gets to you first) will give you (the actor) the note that you need to "stand in the light." I'm sure there is something really cool metaphorically I could say about the phrase of "standing in your light." But really, when I see an actor miss their mark and mess up the lighting design of a show, the show is completely ruined for me and even thinking about it now just stresses me out!

Next time you're at a show, take a minute and send some love to the technicians booth. They are behind the scenes, in a dimly lighted room, and are the unsung heroes of theatre, especially on the local theatre level, which if we are honest, is where most of us frequent anyway. Thanks for your time today and I hope this sheds light and allow those that help with stage, sound, and lighting to "stand in the light" and be recognized. (See! There's that powerful "stand in the light" metaphor.)