The old, "I can't, I have rehearsal." excuse has never been more relevant to my life than it is right now. Attending the University of Evansville as a theatre major is a truly amazing experience. We have professors that worked on Broadway for 20 years and alumni's that have won Emmy awards, and yes this is me bragging about my school. I'm very proud to be a part of this prestigious program and although stress is always involved because I am constantly working on a show, I wouldn't ask for anything different.
I'm currently in the dressing room waiting for a show to start, with an apron tied around my waist while actors are busy readying themselves for the performance. The show that is running is called Failure: A Love Story by Philip Dawkins. This comedy is a half narrated and half acted tragedy full with love and, well, failure. Although work began on this production much before school even began, tech week is one of the most tasking week's of the productions run.
Work first begins with the design of the set, costumes, sound, lights, props, and even makeup. The rehearsal process varies from a few weeks to two months. With the specific production I am working on, we spent about a month working with the actors and building the show from the ground up. Of course the designers are constantly working throughout this process but the run team is only brought in about two weeks before opening. I am aware that I am using terminology that some might not understand. The run crew consists of people who help make the designs come to life.
At the beginning of the week consists of the set crew finishing putting up the set for the actors to begin rehearsing on the actual performance space. Simultaneously lights bring in a light board operator who, during the actual shows, listens to the stage manager for cues. This individual is the one that fixes any problems and runs the lights for the performances.
Now, halting here for now, let me explain what one of the first tech runs looks like. Usually on a Saturday, actors show up early in the morning and run into the late afternoon. Starting at the beginning of the show, the crew starts and stops while lights arrange, rearrange, and rearrange again. This can be extremely tedious. Sometimes actors might only say one or two lines before the stage manager calls to hold. Actors get frustrated, tired, hungry, or all of the above while lights and set move around them.
After a few dry runs with hours upon hours of work, props begin to be worked in, along with small costume pieces. They do this to allow the performers to get used to moving around in the costume pieces that might be the most hindering or difficult to grow accustomed to. Soon enough the first full run takes place, and this is addressed as "First Dress" because this is the first dress rehearsal of the production. Dressers, run crew that take care of the costumes throughout the run of the show and hep actors with quick changes, are now being put to work. Disclosure, this is what my specific job was on this production. First dress can go a number of different directions, but is typically stagnant and stressful. Sometimes actors have only 30 seconds to change and you can only image how stressful that might become. Typically productions have 2-4 dress rehearsals before opening night, and these rehearsals are polishing the smudges on the canvas that is that art of theatre. Some bigger productions might even need to add a prop master to the run crew in order to take care of all the props were the assistant stage manager(who sits backstage and communicates with the stage manager throughout the show) would usually take care of the props instead.
Being a freshman I cannot even begin to explain all that occurs during tech rehearsals. I certainty cannot attest to what it is like to be a stage manager or even an actor simply because I have not had that experience yet. But I promise you, when a friend says that they can't hang out because they have tech rehearsal, they are NOT making an excuse.
I'm going to be completely honest with you, I began writing this article during the show and because things got so busy I am now finishing it a week afterwards. Tech week is the week that everyone that work on the show comes together and works together to make the show everything they dreamed it out to be. Sometimes there is tears. There is usually a lot of sweat. And rarely there is blood, but it does happen.
The play I just finished was a huge success by the way. "Just because something ends doesn't mean it wasn't a huge success." - Failure: A Love Story
Some people might think I'm crazy because I'm still very young in the field but I enjoy tech week. It's full of passionate and creative people and I enjoy seeing them work and I cannot wait until I am one of them.
And too all those theatre majors out there:
