I’m part of the running crew for the two thesis shows in rep at my school. Let me tell you, teching two shows is a lot.
For you theatre neophytes, let me explain what I just said. The running crew are the people who make sure everything happens back stage so the show on stage runs smoothly. This includes changing scenery, setting props, even helping the cast change in and out of costumes quickly. We set up before everyone else gets there and clean up when everyone else leaves. (It was highly recommended by my professor that I do this in order to complete my required crew hours for my degree.) I’m glad to do it, honestly; it’s not that hard, but it takes a lot of time. For example, at CUA, you have a tech day for one show–a 10-hour day in which you go from cue to cue to make sure everything works correctly. Because I’m crewing for two shows, I had two 10-hour days. While everyone else gets to alternate days off, I’m there from about 6:00pm-11:00pm every night. Actually, because my main job is costumes, I need to stay late to finish washing the fake blood off of shirts, and come early to iron the costumes most days. Like I said, my job isn’t that hard, but it’s just a lot of time. This means that in between cues, when I don’t necessarily have to be there, I’m back stage frantically trying to finish my homework. Oh yeah, homework. That still needs to happen.
So now you know what running crew does, but let me delve a little bit more into tech.
Ah, tech…
Tech is a very special beast.
When you tech a show, it’s the first time you put everything together. The cast is in costume, the sound and light cues are going. You have all the real props (for the most part) for the first time. All the designers are there to take notes and make sure everything is working out the way they planned it. So is the director and, in our case, the playwright. You start at the top of the show and run from cue to cue to work out all the kinks. For example, one of the shows has magical elements where books fly off stage. It’s just me and another crew member pulling them up when they’re already hooked up to some fish line. But there was great debate as to the positioning of the book so that as it flew off, it wouldn’t knock over the lamp on the desk. Stuff like that.
It’s a lot of hurry up and wait during tech week. For one of our shows, we barely got through to intermission, so really, the first time we got through the entire show was for our dress rehearsal the night before opening when a photographer came to take production photos.
During tech, real conflicts begin. For instance, the director asks the prop master why we can’t put a curtain up on stage so an actor doesn’t have to change in front of everyone, and he answers that it wasn’t in the floor plan, so he can’t do it. Actors wielding swords suddenly have more obstacles and less space to deal with so stage combat needs to be reworked. Someone unexpectedly takes a bathroom break and everyone freaks out because we can’t run the cue without her. The playwright has adverse thoughts about the costume choice for a character by the costume designer, and the designer is adamant that we have no more room in the budget.
Drama!
There is really no way to describe how tech week feels, but I’m going to try:
Things You Say During Tech:
“I’ll be able to hang out again in 3 weeks because the shows will be over then.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t answer your text. I was in tech.”
“I’ll pull down your neglige so it doesn’t fly up when you take your dress off.”
“I can’t. I’m in tech.”
“I really need a drink to get through this.”
Things You Won’t Say During Tech:
“Oh, goodie! My call is an hour and a half before everyone else!”
“Love my new calluses from pulling the ropes for those flies.”
“Hell yes, I would love to charge that glow tape for you.”
“Why yes, I would absolutely love to practice that quick change again.”
“I wish this could go on forever.”
Tech Week = Hell Week
thelongwayaroundmylife 