Open Forum

​Good evening colleagues,

Thought I'd post something humorous to the group and see what fun stories we have. For my designer friends in the audience, how many time have you been coerced to put something in the design of the show, just because the theatre you work at has it?

So I worked with a director who insisted on me incorporating moving lighting in every show because we had it. Don't get me wrong, they have their place, but trying to incorporate movers in "The Mousetrap"  and "Diary of Anne Frank" is a stretch.

Interested in your experiences.

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

I have experienced this on several occasions with a community theatre group who rents our facility. I try to persuade them to see how the script or their directorial decisions might work against such choices. Or point out how it may in fact distract from the world of the show as opposed to enhance it. Sometimes I am successful, others I am not. 

What has always troubled me more is when someone comes to me with an internet video of a very lavish professional production of the show we are doing and say "how can we do this with little budget and very little time?" I prefer to create our own production that focuses on the strengths and talents of our team, as opposed to duplicating what others have done... often in spaces nothing like ours. 

~Dave

------------------------------
David Simpson
Performing Arts Center Manager
East China Schools
East China MI
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-12-2018 18:16
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: We got it. We gotta use it!

​Good evening colleagues,

Thought I'd post something humorous to the group and see what fun stories we have. For my designer friends in the audience, how many time have you been coerced to put something in the design of the show, just because the theatre you work at has it?

So I worked with a director who insisted on me incorporating moving lighting in every show because we had it. Don't get me wrong, they have their place, but trying to incorporate movers in "The Mousetrap"  and "Diary of Anne Frank" is a stretch.

Interested in your experiences.

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

For this reason, I stay away from Disney. I can’t possibly do the special effects and the kids watch them over & over that I can’t compete with their expectations. I love doing alternate versions of a known show because we get name recognition but the script & songs are different.

Maria Stadtmueller
St. Augustine School
Kendall Park, NJ

Sent from my iPhone
____________________________________________________________
The 5G Story Nobody Is Telling You
The Crux
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5b9d00c785b50c72590st03duc


Original Message------

I have experienced this on several occasions with a community theatre group who rents our facility. I try to persuade them to see how the script or their directorial decisions might work against such choices. Or point out how it may in fact distract from the world of the show as opposed to enhance it. Sometimes I am successful, others I am not. 

What has always troubled me more is when someone comes to me with an internet video of a very lavish professional production of the show we are doing and say "how can we do this with little budget and very little time?" I prefer to create our own production that focuses on the strengths and talents of our team, as opposed to duplicating what others have done... often in spaces nothing like ours. 

~Dave

------------------------------
David Simpson
Performing Arts Center Manager
East China Schools
East China MI
------------------------------

Yes!! We have a full screen that comes down so I try to incorporate media technology. The problem is, it’s downstage just behind the curtain so I have to have the curtain open to use it then it slowly goes up. I’ve only used it for Oz. General ideas?

Maria Stadtmueller
Director
St. Augustine School
Kendall Park, NJ

Sent from my iPhone
____________________________________________________________
Oncologists Freak Out Over True Cause of Cancer
pro.healthresponses.org
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5b9a7bd64a6947bd53d09st04vuc


Original Message------

​Good evening colleagues,

Thought I'd post something humorous to the group and see what fun stories we have. For my designer friends in the audience, how many time have you been coerced to put something in the design of the show, just because the theatre you work at has it?

So I worked with a director who insisted on me incorporating moving lighting in every show because we had it. Don't get me wrong, they have their place, but trying to incorporate movers in "The Mousetrap"  and "Diary of Anne Frank" is a stretch.

Interested in your experiences.

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

Well said, David Simpson.  We must all continue our efforts in communicating the fact that both stage and tech directorial choices are not about toys, but interpretation of the author's intent and impact with story-telling.  Maria Stadmueller, I also have a slow moving projection screen just upstage of the Grand Drape.  We finally purchased a light weight fabric projection screen to hang where we please.  We use it for both front and rear projection.  I try to give my students a variety of opportunity throughout the year, some projects with media, some without, some with a full set, some without, etc.

------------------------------
Kathy Siler
Theatre Educator
Payson Unified Schools
Payson AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-13-2018 11:01
From: Maria Stadtmueller
Subject: We got it. We gotta use it!

Yes!! We have a full screen that comes down so I try to incorporate media technology. The problem is, it's downstage just behind the curtain so I have to have the curtain open to use it then it slowly goes up. I've only used it for Oz. General ideas?

Maria Stadtmueller
Director
St. Augustine School
Kendall Park, NJ

Sent from my iPhone
____________________________________________________________
Oncologists Freak Out Over True Cause of Cancer
pro.healthresponses.org
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/5b9a7bd64a6947bd53d09st04vuc


Original Message------

​Good evening colleagues,

Thought I'd post something humorous to the group and see what fun stories we have. For my designer friends in the audience, how many time have you been coerced to put something in the design of the show, just because the theatre you work at has it?

So I worked with a director who insisted on me incorporating moving lighting in every show because we had it. Don't get me wrong, they have their place, but trying to incorporate movers in "The Mousetrap"  and "Diary of Anne Frank" is a stretch.

Interested in your experiences.

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

I am a director: it is what I studied in school and what I identify as professionally . I taught directing for many years and I take the responsibilities of the director very seriously. So, I do not answer this question lightly. The director needs to get back in their own lane. It is not the job of the director to decide what sort of tech is used anymore than it is the job of the lighting designer to dictate an actor's objective. I am all for collaboration and everyone should be able to contribute thoughts, but these decisions should be the realm of the designer. 

Of course, all absolutes have caveats: if you spent five years lobbying for moving lights, you probably should use them (so don't do Diary of Anne Frank). If you aren't working with a designer but someone is helping you out, they may prefer more specific ideas. And every director/designer relationship is unique.

------------------------------
William Addis
Chair of Visual and Performing Arts
Westtown School
West Chester PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-12-2018 18:16
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: We got it. We gotta use it!

​Good evening colleagues,

Thought I'd post something humorous to the group and see what fun stories we have. For my designer friends in the audience, how many time have you been coerced to put something in the design of the show, just because the theatre you work at has it?

So I worked with a director who insisted on me incorporating moving lighting in every show because we had it. Don't get me wrong, they have their place, but trying to incorporate movers in "The Mousetrap"  and "Diary of Anne Frank" is a stretch.

Interested in your experiences.

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------