A Brief Explanation

We are in tech for Alice.

For those non-theater types reading this (and I know there are a few of you out there) “tech” refers to the week (in a good situation) or the day (in a really bad situation) where all of the technical elements are incorporated into a show.

It starts with load-in to the theater. Shows rarely have the luxury of actually rehearsing in the theater they are performing in. They rehearse in a rehearsal hall that has been taped out to match the dimensions of the stage and set as closely as possible.

During load in each respective designer (lights, sound, set, props and costumes) brings their element into the space and gets it up to working order (lights are hung, set is moved into the space, costumes are tried on and props are brought in and tested). When tech actually begins it usually takes the form of a very slow, very specific run through of the show, with lots of stops and starts as sound and light cues are written in and adjusted to suit the director’s vision.

In a nutshell, tech means several long days, with a whole lot of sitting around for the cast and production team as exact moments are perfected. Two out of our three days of tech are “10 out of 12’s” which means that you are called for 12 hours and you have 2 hours worth of breaks (ergo, 10 out of 12).

We had our first 10 of 12 today. It actually went very smoothly with very little tension from the team and things moving relatively quickly. We did not make it through the whole show, but did make it to the 2/3rds point, which was what the director was aiming for.

As AD my job can be pretty vague during tech. In this case I ended up running sound through rehearsals so I answered a few questions on that front and tried to be on call if needed. I wasn’t needed much.

But as always, these things are learning experiences.

I relish the day when I can work in such a professional setting with a similarly talented team of designers and such an attentive crew. It is a luxury.

Spirits are high, so that is a good omen.

Not much else to report. I am directing a fifteen minute musical for a festival of short plays that I have worked on for the past two years. We had auditions Sunday and Monday, and will have callbacks tomorrow night. The writer/lyricist/composer is a friend whom I have had the pleasure of working with a number of times and someone who has truly made me appreciate the potential that comes with a good collaboration. More on that to come, I am sure.