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Tips Of the Month |
May 2008
Three Little Words Three words to avoid when dealing with ticket buyers over
the phone: "That's our policy." It's better to prepare explanations that sound credible to your customers; hiding behind
policies only turns them off. If, as a lighting designer, you find that the rest of
the production staff say they are too busy to meet with you and go over plans for lighting, prepare a synopsis
of your design for circulation. A synopsis is a list of cues, but in a general sense. Since
people often find it easier to edit than they do to fill in a blank sheet of paper,
you can expect the synopsis to come back with alterations and annotations that can be reconciled into a master synopsis. Before quitting for the day when working on a project, such
as blocking a scene or preparing a report, write yourself a few notes on where you go next with the undertaking. That will
make it much easier when you pick up the effort again. When dealing with a know-it-all, don't attempt to be
a know-it-all in return. When you disagree with know-it-alls, they will immediately freeze their ideas and won't
budge--and then you've created a standoff. It's better to ask questions about the
idea, since know-it-alls love to answer questions. As they look for answers, they might just discover that some ideas you
present could be useful. In fact, they'll probably blend some of your ideas with theirs and think they came up with all of them. If you're trying to create the effect of a radio or television playing on the set, use the unit's original speaker if possible. Many old TV and radio speakers had a thin, tinny sound that is hard to create artificially. It's usually as simple as disconnecting the leads that link the electronics inside the unit to its speaker and running your own speaker line to the built-in speaker. Make sure that the rewired speaker works properly, and that it plays as loudly and clearly as you need.
April 2008
Up in the Air When a children's production needed an "anti-gravity" device, designer Dex Edwards used a balloon half-filled with helium, half with air, so that it stayed roughly where it was placed in the air, instead of rising. The effect almost always drew gasps from the audience. Period Costuming When costuming a show set before the present time, remember that while you're trying to be true to a period, ultimately it's all illusion. That's the advice of costume consultant Charlotte French. "You want to create something that looks realistic in terms of the period. However, you can only do so much. Corsets, for example, changed over time, and we don't have access to all those. So you're stuck with boning costumes or using merry widows that can at least give you the stiff body carriage. The best thing you can do for actresses is to get them into a practice skirt, particularly if the costumes will have trains. It will give them the chance to get used to the demands of the costume, and the result will be a more natural, more realistic, performance." K.I.S.S. "The experienced actor thinks simply but deeply, and tends to follow a few hunches," writes Hugh Morrison in his book, Acting Skills. "A dramatic character will not stand up to psychoanalysis; what's needed is a deep human understanding, and the profoundest common sense." Lights Up For a production of The Women, lighting designer Brenda Berry used intensely bright light to reveal a character's duplicitous nature with a dazzling display of clarity. In a profile about Berry in American Theatre, she describes how the stage lights had been dim for a very long time, "and we brought all the lights to full and just flooded the space. The first time we tried it in the preview everyone clapped. It's one of the few times I can remember getting applause for a light cue." Audience Building New Jersey's George Street Playhouse has offered six special nights for each of its productions: pay-what-you-can on the first Tuesday of each run; audio- described; sign-interpreted; Young Professionals Night (which includes a buffet and post-performance get-together); Lambda Night (offered as a social alternative for the gay and lesbian community); and a Half-Century Singles Night (for patrons who remember sock hops and big bands). Similarly, Paper Mill Playhouse, in Millburn, NJ, has offered audio-described performances for some of the run, before which the blind or visually impaired audience members were invited to visit backstage for "sensory seminars," where costumes and props were available for touching. Paper Mill also has offered an Adopt-a- School program that involved students from 12 inner-city public schools who attend performances and workshops and then work in their own classrooms with theater professionals. Some Don't Like it Hot Most lighting systems suffer significantly from having loads patched or plugged into the dimmer while the dimmer is on and its control channel is reading more than zero. This is referred to as "hot patching," and the resulting arcing damages the components of the patch system. Another problem is overloading, which occurs when there is no proper documentation on what load is in each circuit. Accidentally patching too many instruments onto one dimmer will trip the circuit breaker or other over-current protection device. In newer setups this may cause a momentary inconvenience, but remember that as circuit breakers age they begin to fail under smaller loads and should be replaced. Bypassing an over-current protection in any way can lead to serious damage to your equipment--or a fire. Looking Back The newsletter of the Punxsutawney, PA, Theatre Arts Guild has run a series called "Company Scrapbook." Each was "a look at the productions and events that made the Guild what it is today." A recent edition focused on the company's 1984 production of No, No, Nanette, pointing out its shortcomings and successful moments. This is a good way to remind long-time members of the company's progress--and make newer members more familiar with the company's history. Keeping It Together Swiftachment Guns and Fasteners are used by retailers for tagging garments. Many costume shops also find these useful for several projects that would normally take hours of hand tacking. For example, keeping scarves and shawls attached to overcoats for fast chorus changes, or securing items that might fall off in the dark backstage. One designer used them to attach silk scales to a foam pod to make dragon scales that fluttered when it moved for a procession in the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona. The gun and fasteners are manufactured by Avery Dennison. Harsh Lighting Can Be Good To achieve a bleak, oppressive look for a production, professional lighting designer Brenda Berry bought yard lights and used them for footlights, then hung bare bulbs from the ceiling. Lighting the show cost under $50.
94-03 March 2008Antique clothing as
costumes? The front page of the summer edition of the Elkhart [IN] Civic Theatre's
four-page newsletter announced its season. On page two was a six-photo layout of
the previous season. This is excellent idea. After all, you can only promise what's to come, but photos of the previous season prove that you can deliver.
Be careful in choosing photos, however, Use ones that are interesting in themselves, that don't depend on the viewer having seen the show. And give your
photographers' names major play--it's good exposure for them and may help keep their fees lower. Some 175 members of the Austin Circle of Theaters
signed up for a preview call-list. Members get to see shows free in preview and the casts get
to play before audiences prior to opening. The Waxahachie [TX] Community Theatre newsletter
asked readers to return a coupon on which they could list choices for upcoming shows. Some titles
were provided, but those responding could write in the name of any show. Several years ago, Fantasy Theatre of Sacramento, CA, sent out a fundraising
letter that had response boxes for contributions of $500, $100, $50, $25 and "Other." At the suggestion of an anonymous-but-poor theater lover, the next
year's letter asked for a $10 donation only. The company received over $17,000. Almost anyone can part with
$10, and we know of one person who said, "They only want $10; I can give them $20." How much better your patrons will
feel if they can double their gift rather than think they are at the low end of your gratitude. If you're building 19th century women's costumes with "boning" (actually metal these days) you may have to trim the bones to make them fit, costume consultant Charlotte French suggests that you cut the boning with metal shears to the correct length, shape the newly cut end, and dip it two or three times in a liquid plastic product normally sold to coat the handles of tools. The liquid tries to a tough, rubbery coating that keeps the metal from puncturing the fabric--or the wearer. It comes in various colors, but white is the most practical. Several brands are sold; French's favorite is Plasti Dip, sold at many hardware stores.
94-01
February 2008Your Name in LightsOklahoma's Gaslight Theatre developed an unusual fundraising idea. Using its
marquee, the company offered to create personalized messages or fake theater billings and photograph them. For $19.95 theater patrons saw their name up in
lights as the star of a play or musical of their dreams. Patrons were encouraged to be creative in their messages.
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