r/techtheatre

I don’t know if this is the right place for this, but basically I wanted to know if anyone has any advice for me. I recently landed my first dep agreement with a long-running West End show (and a popular one at that - not going to say any more specifics because if my colleagues figured out who I am I’d be so embarrassed). I’m loving the show, and learning my tracks, and I’m really proud of myself because working professionally in technical theatre has been something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time now, since I was a kid.

But one thing I can’t seem to shake is how lonely I feel being a dep. I can’t quite explain it, but even though I’m over a month in, and my HOD says I’m part of the team now… I still feel like I’m an outsider. I hear the full-timers in my department talking and hanging out together before/between shows, and while I know I can join them I just feel like I’m an extra person that they don’t really want around and I can’t shake that feeling. How do I make connections and build professional working relationships when I feel like I’m intruding all the time?

I’m hoping to try and get some more dep roles under my belt soon (which is a whole other can of worms because I don’t have any idea how to even start doing that - this one was a pure case of right-time right-place) and maybe that will help? But the constant fear is there that I won’t, and maybe this show will stop offering me shifts and I’ll be stuck with nothing again… or maybe I’ll get more and still feel like this? I’m definitely getting caught in my own head here, so I just want to know if anyone who’s been in my position has any advice for getting out of this cycle of doubt?

EDIT: everyone’s been so lovely in the replies - I’m going to take all your advice and trust that it will feel better the more I calm down and ride it out! Thank you everyone :)

Earlier this year I told my local community theater I wouldn't run any shows next year that had AI front and center in the promotion / production, they just recently released the posters for next year's shows and all but 1 was AI (and they have since redone that poster and I am pretty sure it is AI now). Additionally most of the images they use as prop photos are AI generated. I've been told that as a small theater they don't have the time/money to use real posters.
I'm going to look for other theaters or maybe just move do doing live music. I've only done theater with this theater so I have zero perspective on how other theaters do their promotion, is this just some theaters or will I have a hard time finding a place I feel comfortable with (that doesn't do everything with AI?) Even flyers are AI generated, they made a flyer for the memorial of the founder of the theater and the image and QR code were obviously AI generated (QR didn't work and had grey off-grid pixels)

The executive director told me she'd try to ensure the posters for the kids musicals are real since I'm one of the only people there that can handle those mic counts, but I don't plan on staying much longer.

They have been using AI for posters and such since AI was able to generate 'convincing' posters, its not exactly new, but I don't want to associate myself with that slop anymore (and the executive director has claimed they have a no-AI policy, so it isn't a tough ask). They aren't even checking the posters before they publish them, in one of the posters all the people's hands are dildos (I checked with the play director and marketing director and it very much was not intentional, and has not been fixed so far)

I’ve worked at 2 community theaters and have 3 years of experience. I left both discouraged. This last time I was doing ME, TD and LD and was shaken while on a perfectly stable A frame by someone who decided to hold it without warning and wouldn’t let go until I used very forceful words. It was as I was finishing up a $25k lighting upgrade and a $5k curtain overhaul. The first-time director called a board member in because he said I was “mean” as I tried to save my life. Not only did the board not care that I almost fell, they then told me to my face directors were more important. I quit. Never got to use the upgrades.

I want out of that environment. I designed and hung their whole theater and would prefer not to do that again due to age, but wouldn’t mind assisting others. I love LD work, understand splitters, gateways, multi-universe setups, relays, fixture, angles, plots, magic sheets, busking, DMX troubleshooting, etc. I’m a stylized immersive atmospheric designer with concert, musicals and play experience on EOS and Hog4.

How realistic is it that I could get a paid gig at a much bigger venue? There’s a place about 45 minutes from me that says 2 years of experience, and is 2000 seats as opposed to the small venues I’ve worked at. How hard is it to jump up in venue size?

Wanted to pick the communities brains - the theatre I work for is interested in acquiring some low lying fog machines. We’re specifically looking at the Chauvet Cumulus HP and the Cloud 9X, since they don’t require dry ice, an ice bath, or C02.

Does anyone have any experience with them? I’ve heard good things about the original Cumulus secondhand, but since that’s been discontinued, I’m interested in opinions on its successor and on the professional version in the Cloud 9X.

Hey guys, looking for any tips on how to mount a DPA core microphone on cheek

Can't mount it on forehead, because our stage is small and cant use normal holder because the actor is useing a mask on his head. Tapeing it is a solution, but actors are wearing fullbody costume wich is madinga them sweat alot so the tape doesnt hold for long. Maybe there are some holders on one ear. There is a posibility to use 3d printer so looking for anything to buy or to print. Please help a mic boy in need. Thank you

First post here, but exactly what the title says. I’ve taken over stage management for a small, local ballet company. There was a lot of shake-up with the production team and the managing Board from last year to this year, and we are trying to figure out music. We were told they had used ASCAP previously for music, but have since realized that isn’t true and want to make sure whatever we do this year that we’re doing legally.

Are there resources for royalty-free full recordings of The Nutcracker, or subscription sites other than ASCAP? So far I’ve only found selections or piano arrangements.

TIA!

does anyone have or know of anywhere i could get cue list and plots for shows. i have been looking around for cue list for Beetlejuice and Hamilton but haven't been able to find anything

Hey !

We're PolyShow a student committee in the École Polytechnique de Montréal. We had a party yesterday and three of our stages have been scratched quite a lot, we're thinking about repainting the stages with a black primer and applying a varnish coat afterwards. Nevertheless we've never done it before and that's why I'm reaching for you guys to help us. Our stages are 4*8 (feet) with a black finish, we are looking for the type of paint and varnish to use and overall tips and tricks on how to do it properly.

Looking for an alternative to a winch for a high school production. At the end of our current production, the original plan was to have a winch lowered from the batten for a puppet to be “hung“ on so it becomes freestanding. We were told we are not allowed to use a motorized winch, and now need to pivot with limited time. Does anyone know a type of pulley that attaches to battens and where I would get them? Also open to any easy alternative ideas. thanks!

edit: it seems I have not provided enough information for most people. My apologies. The puppet will end up weighing approximately 15-20 lbs. Our rig does have automated fly rails, however the director has asked for the audience to sit onstage for this production, meaning that we cannot move any of the battens up or down during the show. We have used pulleys connected to the pipe of the batten in previous shows, but there was a lot of swaying from the connection (it was basically just tied on), and I was looking for a more advanced solution. Since the audience is so close, it is of course not necessary for the line to be hidden in any way. We just need something safe, budgeted, and efficient.

i was working on a project and was just wondering if anyone new a place I could find the Hamilton lighting plot so i could reference it

First year drama teacher here.
The last drama teacher bought a new scrim, thinking it was a cyc. Now we have 2 white scrims and no cyc. Advice? Our department is pretty broke as of right now (partially bc she drained our account for a bunch of stuff we don't need). We have a 5k budget for our current show and nothing extra. Would you rent one? Would you buy one? Where from?

I'm trying to understand the boundary between giving students real responsibility and leaving adult safety responsibilities with the adult.

In a school production, what choices can students genuinely own? How do you make it clear who can call a stop, who checks readiness, and who has to be present before work continues?

I'm interested in the ordinary habits that make that boundary clear without making every moment feel like a lecture. General examples about roles and communication would help; please leave out names and identifying school incidents.

I'm not asking for rigging, electrical, or other hazardous work instructions.

When controlling levels at an audio console, is there a way to assign a fader to a group of channels that will control them in a highest-takes-precedence manner?

Suppose I currently have Alex on channel 1 at -10 dB, and the rest of the cast on channels 2-12 at -inf.

Can I assign channels 1-12 to a fader in such a way that if I raise that fader to -20 dB, it leaves Alex alone but raises everybody else to -20 dB? And then if I lower the channel 1 fader to -inf, Alex lowers to -20 dB to match the group?

I don't even know what that would be called. It's not how a DCA works, because a DCA would raise everybody the same factor to keep the relative mix between them the same. I know less about groups but I don't think they work the way I describe either.

I'm interested in this type of behavior because I have a song with a structure like so:

> Alex: Long line of dialog > > Alex: Long line continues
> Everybody else except Alex: Sings background vocals underneath Alex > > Bri: Long line of dialog > > Bri: Long line continues
> Everybody else except Bri: Sings background vocals underneath Bri > > Chris: Long solo line > > Chris: Long line continues
> Everybody else except Chris: Sings background vocals underneath Chris

(etc.)

I want an easy way to bring the "everybody else" in and out each time without needing to throw 11 individual faders, but also without it adjusting the level of the current soloist who's already up.

I can make a bajillion different scenes in TheatreMix for each different "ensemble minus one soloist" group, but that feels silly when the whole song would fit in one scene otherwise.

So I'm working my first ever show as an assistant lead electrician. Unfortunately I feel kinda like the outcast but I want to do my job to the best of my abilities. For some context this is for a college production and there are SIX of us so it's hard to stand out in a positive way. Does anyone have any tips or tricks for how to become better? I don't feel like an ALE but just feel like a normal crew person but I wanna learn more and expand my knowledge.

what does the theatre scene look like around the world? is it possible to move internationally to work in theatre?

I am from the United States and recently graduated with my tech theatre BFA and am working in the US in a prop shop at a regional theatre! I like where I am right now but I'm also trying to think about my career long-term and would love to eventually move to Canada and continue theatre prop work there. I don't have a city in mind yet but I would assume a larger city would be easier to find a job in, as long as I'm in Canada I don't mind.

Do any other US Americans have experience finding tech theatre work in Canada and becoming a permanent resident or citizen? What did your process look like? Any advice would be helpful.

As the title suggests, I have an upcoming interview for a city owned theater/convention center. I'm wondering what tips you all might have that I can use to prepare for it?

The job responsibilities are basically to inspect, operate, and perform maintenance on all lighting, audio, and video systems and deal/coordinate with event organizers, promoters, etc.

For background, I have several years of experience within theaters and such, and I've done my own freelance stuff, but I've never worked in an environment at this scale. I'm pretty confident in the tech side of things, but I'm curious as to what I can expect and what I can do to prepare myself.