Having wasted a good deal of time sitting around doing nothing at our so-called Tech Rehearsal on Sunday, I was wondering how other groups organise theirs. When I direct, the Tech Rehearsal consists of the actors walking through the play, allowing the backstage guys (and gals) the opportunity to set their cues and tell me of any problems or queries. It also allows me to see if any changes need to be made to the lighting/sound etc.
So what do the rest of you do? And more importantly, what do the techies prefer?

That's the way we try to do it at SLT, but of course there's usually some kind of hitch or something and its always fairly time consuming and a little dull for the actors....

I do ?cue to cue? tech rehearsals, which encompass al the show cues, for lighting, audio, set moves & music. The performers are just warm props & give the first, last lines & places, as they relate to the cues. In most respects you can do it at least twice thru & more in a very short time. The warm props hate it, especially if they grumble too much, I add in all the costume changes as well!
In musicals, this is very helpful for all the tech team & in turn the actors - although they never ever say so <_<

We always try to incorporate the tech rehearsal with as complete a run through as possible. This, hopefully, gives benefit to the cast as well as the technical crew. A great deal of patience is always required due to the stop-start nature of things but we usually manage without too many tempers being lost

Ours usually starts about two hours after they wanted it to....

We do our entrances/exits and occasionally a bit of a song.
Then they change their mind and remove about three cloths....


....and dump them in the scene dock with most of the other set.....


Then the ladies arrive!

...then a full dress until midnight or whatever time we get kicked out...

Usually it take 30 minutes for a tech rehearsal cue to cue. I don?t have the dress until later at another time or day, I never mix the two, as this is when you have problems between the crew & cast. When the crew is happy & the tech runs work, then do a dress rehearsal!
The tech rehearsal is the domain of the techs!

For many societies, the technical rehearsal is the techies' first chance to run through the whole thing. So priority must be given to what THEY need. If they need practice something several times or adjust the set, the cloths, the lighting or whatever, then so be it. Allied to that is the fact that it's the first time the actors will have done their bits with the set and lights so these are the bits they too need to practice at the technical rehearsal.

Other than that, well frankly the actors have had their chance to get their bits right so why try to compress the time techies need in order to use the time in rehearsal?

For our less technically demanding plays (lights on, lights off, bit of music), we will sometimes use the technical rehearsal time for a full run through but never at the expense of techie rehearsal time.

Well said Maureen!

I will of course be drummed out of the luvvies' union for such heresy...

I couldn't agree more Maureen that the Techies have priority at the tech rehearsal. However, it is often the case with our club that the tech rehearsal will be the first time that the crew have seen the production right through and they often pick up things that may have been missed if we simply concentrated on cues and events.

We are always extremely limited time wise, as our techs are the venues, paid by the hour (by us) and will clock off at their finishing time, so our tech is normally a full run, with the odd pause here and there. We quite often have it costumed as well, but only if it doesnt get in the way of the tech side of things.

xx

Gosh !!

A voice of common sense and reason.


Actually we operate alonf the same lines

We do each scene change in turn with linking dialogue. adjusting Light, sound
and set where required.

Ditto Maureens comments. It does depend on the show complexity

In most venues I worked in, when it came to local groups hiring the space. I would attend their rehearsal & production meetings, on my own time, taking copious notes & giving suggestions on cues & production aspects, to assist the group. This I would do all the paper work, to make it easier for them to achieve a cost effective production, invariably this would reduce the need for blown out tech rehearsals & save the group money by them only having to concentrate on the minimum hire of 3 hour for a dress rehearsal.
I would do this for free because it also reflected upon the professionalism of the venue, to ensure quality productions.
It took a lot of my time to orientate the amdram groups, which was worthwhile for them to know what they needed to have in train, when hiring a pro venue & the ways they could pre-plan their productions to save them costs & avoid paying thru the nose for down time. Invariably a lot of these larger groups, would privately contract &/or a fee to the lighting bloke direct, for designing the lighting for them! Which in most cases was a total rip off, as this bod would only give them the standard lighting rig, with a few specials thrown in - it was extra money for doing nothing, on the techies part, as invariably the work was done during his normally paid time & this was a tax free cash in hand bonus! I would hit this practice on the head where ever possible. So be very weary of what you pay for & what you really get?
Also watch out for the extra consumable?s charged by the venue, such as Gaffer tape, gels, batteries & equipment hire! If you use a small piece of their Gaffer, a battery or specify particular gels. I guarantee you will be charged for a full rolls of gaffer, sheets of gel & & blister packs of batteries, also with extra equipment hire, when it should really be included in the normal venue specifications hire costs.
It is always a good idea, for the group, to appoint their own Production Manager, who is the only one who can issue &/or authorise extras, to look after the groups interest, when dealing with the venue. Instigate a duplicate production Order book & advise the venue, in advance, that only authorised Orders issued will be accepted for any extra charges. This saves a lot of arguments, when your receive the final account, after the productions over - In nearly all cases you won?t remember the small details of what happened during a production! Also especially with Matinees, Your Production Manager, can ensure you are paying for the correct amount of crew & your are not charged for the ghost crew member as well & of course this is an open opportunity for venues to charge extras, like a wounded bull, because you can?t prove otherwise!

I don't mind waiting while tech issues get sorted - I do get annoyed when 30 people are sat around doing nothing for 45 minutes while the fight scene gets choreographed...

I agree, when the morons choose the Tech rehearsal to do it!

I think what scares me most about this is the fact that a FIGHT scene evidently won't have been very well rehearsed by the time performance comes. That's how people get hurt.

It didn't occur to the collective group to have extra rehearsal time for the fight sequence? A bit like realising choreography is required in a musical on the tech rehearsal!

For me the Tech run is easy (depending on the complexity - for the comments below read musical, for easy drama then a simple run will do)

At the tech the Stage Manager will take charge stopping and starting running from cue to cue. The director, lighting sound or SM can call a stop but it's the SM who ensures everyone is ready going from point to point. That's the quick version. A bad tech is simply down to poor organisation.

I attend rehearsals from the initial full runs of each act. At these I expect to sit down with the director and work out the required lighting changes - if the SM is there all the better. A good Director will have a production assistant who will take notes of the cast at these rehearsals. I expect to see a full rehearsal. If things (like a fight scene) aren't rehearsed them I'm afraid that is a failing of the director.

At subsequent rehearsal I with the SM will try to look over the show and identify problem areas. We expect to see quick costume changes practised at these rehearsals. DON'T LEAVE STUFF TO WORK OUT AT THE TECH!!

To accomplish a smooth tech prior preparation needs to be done. Prior to the get in I work with the Stage Manager to work out the best ways of getting each job done with the minimum disruption to each other I make sure they have adequate time to get the set up and I have good time to rig focus and plot. There is no excuse for starting the Tech late because your set/sound/ lighting isn't ready - this is more important if you're restricted for time or paying your crew!

Prior to the tech all of the production team will get together and agree on which points will be covered if time someone will write it down and distribute it to all members including the cast

I feel that it's the responsibility of the production team to stay calm and present a united front to the cast and importantly reassure the cast that everything will function. The cast can be like children at a tech (no insult intended) they get worried and concerned about their individual entrances etc without looking at the big picture - reassurance before hand goes along way to smooth the rehearsal

Make sure you explain the format of the rehearsal before you start and stick to it. If things go wrong - take notes and work past it don't spend all night on one problem.

I think Martin's hit the nail on the head with the last paragraph there. Having been on both sides in various productions, communication is paramount. Most of us on the acting side understand that the tech rehearsal(s) are mainly not for them, but the (often necessary) waiting around is a lot easier if you're kept informed of what's going on...

I think Martin's synopsis is very accurate and is worth saving elsewhere as a guide.

A lot of Blood sweat and tears have got me to this point

Perhaps Jane will cut n paste it to main site?

As we use Radio Mics quite a lot, its important to do a full run through, to ensure that mics don't get smothered or knocked at anytime

If you're using Radio mics alot (as we do too) then working out a mic plot in advance (who wears which one when) allows you to determine any quick changes you need.

And as long as the cast are well briefed before hand and Sound has had ample opportunitys to voice check each one - I would consider the rehersal of them to be on the dress

I reccomend a dedicated sound assistant backstage dealing with radio mics and in direct contact with the sound operator in case thing need checking and sorting onstage (battery failure, actor turning off mic pack off etc

The main problem I have as a supplier is that the accessories always go missing. Obviously this is not the case with the head wires, but the small croc clips on the mics often disappear during quick changes etc, also the mic leads get tugged and eventually start to play up. In fact I find I have to supply a couple of back up mics on a bigger show, say 6 mics upwards

Oooh - get you lot with your 'radio mic's!

We have to make do with our voices!

(Still some potential to go wrong, less likely to be due to croc clips though...)

Well you could have told me that last week

twice we had mics turned off " by magic" in the Panto

Yes but was there a spare person to look after the things, there hardly ever is on shows I am involved with!

I did contact the SM, and she checked on one of the occasions and reported that it WAS turned on, when I eventually got the pack I turned it on, and "as if by magic" it worked

I always get someone on the crew to look after mics before gettign to the theatre. It's often overlooked until things go wrong - and I've been that person at the soundesk when all the mics have gone off line at the same time (props person decided that her light was more important than anything else)
and not been able to do anything about it now I'll always have a mic person on stage - the cast appreciate it too as they don't have to worry about the mics

but do you have a mic lady & a mic man?

as I said before, even the bigger shows I am involved with dont always run to enough spare people to mind the mics. Even if the benefit of micing the leading lady up is pointed out to them!

still your story Martin takes some beating

One of the main things with radio mics, is to ensure the batteries are always changed out with fresh ones, for every performance!
I did a Gala [pronounced ?Galah?] Opera Concert at the Burswood Casino Show rooms, after going thru the tech process with the stage crew, who tried & kept trying to insist on audio reinforcement, for the cast. After spending time attempting to explain to them, that it was not required or wanted. I ended up having to raise my voice, which is something I rarely do, & spat the dummy!
I called the cast on stage to prove that any reinforcement was redundant! Therefore if any reinforcement was required, it was better served with the 21 piece orchestra! Believing I had demonstrated the point successfully, I stood the cast & the pit, until the performance call.
At the performance call, I noticed a young female crew member, I hadn?t seen before, fussing about in the dressing rooms, trying to attach radio mic packs, to the cast? I quietly suggested to the head Technician. That this young lady, would be more useful, checking the audio for the orchestra! while he complied & dispatched her to the pit, the dressers removed the radio packs & placed them in a cardboard box, leaving only the mics on the costumes of the cast.
The performance went extremely well & there was no mention about the radio mics, until later into the performance, when Audio requested, that backstage check on the radio mics, because there were a few small problems? I advised it was far too late to worry about it now, as the show sounded great!
At the interval the head tech came to me beaming & totally chuffed, suggesting that they were right in reinforcing the casts voices & that I would be able to hear the difference in the second act. When they sorted out the little technical hitch, with some of the radio radio packs! I suggested that they should check on the batteries first, as this is always a problem!
I then reached down & picked up a cardboard box & said "May be you should change out these with fresh batteries?"
It is rather disturbing to see a grown man, attempting to imitate a goldfish out of water!
But he got over it - I think?

Which story is that?

It's hard to get extra crew at the last minute that's why I request them when I am signed up

Roy - I don't have gender specific people for any tasks - if you can't deal with dressers, mic people etc of the opposite sex (unless your dealing with minors then make sure you have a chaperone present) then you really shouldn't be on the stage

(IMOH that is anyway)

The power being pulled from all the radiomic receivers by asm or whoever it was.

Groups are often good at supplying enough followspots ops. Both the last two I did with two spots had a full team to cover the run. But as to dedicated radiomic ops. No can do.

If we're doing something mediaeval (e.g. Blondel or Lancelot) it has been known for us to stir up a 'situation' by letting people know how radio mics are fitted, and that the men will be in tights.

There have been fights to be the sound assistant...and not just between the girls!

all I'll say is see the BFBS TV Report link in the Misc Discussions thread, that was our first sort of Tech rehearsal,
basically first rehearsal with scenery etc on the stage pretty chaotic

BACK TO THE MAIN QUESTION--HOW DO YOU RUN YOUR TECH:

The first thing I do is require ALL CREW MEMBERS to attend every "run" rehearsal, whether it's just the run of an Act or the entire show. I also make them make notes and write questions concerning their department (makes them active and not just audience members). The purpose is three-fold:
a) the crew becomes part of the company, not just hangers-on
they are familiar with the show, pacing, and even where the actors struggle with lines [helpful for those who might skip 3 pages in the middle of 20 cues]
c) the cast gets audience reactions

Next, I usually give the cast a day off before the first tech. On that day I schedule all crew members, designers, etc. for a paper tech. We spend 4-8 hours writing down the cues (in pencil) in the script and discussing purpose, description, timing, etc.

On the first day of tech, we do a Q-2-Q. I have the wardrobe crew and make-up crew prep their areas for later during the day while the Q-2-Q is in progress. We walk through each cue with the assistant director acting as a model. NOTE: This is not the time to be focusing lights. Also, the lighting should already have some basic cues built (such as general washes for areas that under high use). When setting sound levels, remember that the volume will be lower when the house is full because the bodies will absorb the sound waves. Generally, I set the levels where they sound good and then have the grand master turned up during performances.

After the Q-2-Q is over (1 hour on a simple show and 4-6 hours on a complex show), we bring the actors in, wearing costumes and full make-up. I usually have them ready to go right after a meal break with the tech crew. We do a runthrough with them, stopping and backing up when necessary.

Make sure you set goals for each tech rehearsal. Your first runthrough with tech and costumes will not be at performance level. If after 3 tries your scene change crew just isn't getting a changeover, then call them in early the next day to work it--don't hold up the entire rehearsal.

By the second runthrough, you should be able to demand performance level.

That is a very comprehensive article! Where abouts do you operate in?