Even in my old, antiquated school space, we still have clear-com hookups. However, the actual wiring was cut out and removed years ago when new HVAC was installed. The faculty at the time (including the Drama teacher), never knew what they were and no one bothered to ask what those hook-ups were for.
Hence, I have done what many other groups now do and use wireless, walkie-talkie style radios. We looked into getting a system like our football team uses, but they are too bulky (they're designed to drown out crowd noise) and VERY expensive. So, we found a system on Amazon (and recommended by other theatre professionals) that has worked very well.
So far the Arcshell Rechargeable two-way radios with headsets are working out well. However, I would recommend upgrading to a higher quality head-set rather than the earpiece that comes with some systems. The radios are very durable, but a boom-style headset has proven more secure as our crew moves around backstage (a photo sample is below).
As with most technology, you get what you pay for. We've used less expensive systems, but they had a short life-span and/or were unreliable.
In all, we have 12 radios, headsets, and a couple of back-up replacement headsets for just under $300. We've used these radios for several years now and they've worked out well.
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Josh Ruben, M. Ed.
Fine Arts Head
Northwest Whitfield HS (dba, The Northwest Theatre Co.)
Tunnel Hill, GA
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-05-2022 15:28
From: David Trump
Subject: Comm System
Just took over a theatre program that currently doesn't have a communication for the SM to communicate with the sound booth and backstage run crew/ASMs. We are looking at renting them for our upcoming production of The Little Mermaid, but I wanted to see if anyone else had any ingenious ideas that they used that wouldn't break the bank. Hope to invest in a quality system in the near future, but don't have the time or budget at present.
Thanks,
David Derringer
Drama Teacher
Milford High School
Milford, OH
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David Trump
Drama Teacher
Milford High School
OH
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