Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2022 - 43

was successfully cutting a sheet of ¼-inch
plywood to the correct size to back a
bookcase. I was not just given a set of dimensions,
the saw, and the raw material;
rather, I was shown the scenic model,
briefed with the stack of blueprints crafted
by the scenic designer and technical
director, and was told of the critical role
the featured furniture prop played in the
storyline. When I brought my parents to
see the production, I took great pride in
that bookcase-backing effort, not because
it was a clear demonstration of savvy circular
saw skills, but I could celebrate that
I was a part of an artistic something much
larger than myself.
Commit to a range of technical experiences.
Articulate programmatic learning
outcomes for any student pursuing
a four-year degree. Such outcomes for
technicians should include exposure and,
better-yet, hands on experience in working
with common technical encounters
such as rigging systems, turntables, automation,
tracking, etc. (USITT's continuing
education is an excellent resource
to expand one's skill set.) This desired
engagement should be intentional rather
than opportunistic based solely on the
production season demands. Productions
should only serve as a portion of the " lab "
offerings of any academic theatre. The
very best programs include lab projects
that supplement any onstage production
learning.
Project ahead on a comprehensive
calendar. Theatre is a calendar-driven art
form, often working backwards multiple
weeks from opening night to determine
due dates for everything from preliminary
design conversations to strike. A welldeveloped,
shared calendar also serves
to articulate sequential action steps, reinforcing
the interdependent nature of the
production process for all to see. I have
been quoted on many occasions in saying
that " It is not that we can't work the long
hours (think all-nighters, which I have
never done), it is that we chose not to because
we do enough advance planning. "
Hold people accountable. One of the
real joys of theatrical production is that it
is a collaborative artform, partially predicated
on the belief that the contributions
of the whole make for a stronger production
than that which would be possible
only by the one. The failure by any single
individual to do their work and meet the
posted deadline has real consequences,
and far too often stagehands are forced
to pay the price. Even in an academic setting,
time is money and missed deadlines
have true costs.
Value protected hours. While work
often expands to fill the time, work can
also contract to be completed within an
allotted time if planned for and based
on a solid projection. We should be just
as diligent in estimating our labor hours
as we are our material cost budgets.
And we should acknowledge overspending
our time just as much as we avoid
spending beyond our financial limits.
Further, the more uncertainty we have
about a production, the greater the time
demand. No one is ever more productive
violating firm rehearsal end times,
SUMMER 2022 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | 43
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