Open Forum

Hi Fellow Educators!

I am in a fight with Google Sheets right now. It's not them, it's me.

I'm wondering what you use to keep track of needs and wants throughout the rehearsal process while also being able to share the information with the other folks on your team. I want a props list, costumes, etc. I CAN do it on Google sheets, but it's not cute. I want it to be cute. And by cute I mean I want it to look the way I want it to and function the way I want it to.

Open to suggestions!

Thanks!

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Betsy S. Goldman, she/any
Theatre & Research Teacher
Meridian Academy
Jamaica Plain, MA
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We use rehearsal reports that the stage manager updates throughout the rehearsal. It gets posted to our canvas page at the end of each rehearsal and emailed out to the designers directly. I've attached an example. You can make them as cute as you want. 

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Kristi Jacobs-Stanley
Louisiana Co-Chapter Director
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I have used Microsoft Teams for this, creating custom projects for each show.

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Jerry Onik
V.P. Theatrical Supplies and Equipment
Heartland Scenic Studio
NE
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We also use rehearsal reports and it's awesome, keeps everyone on the same page. Our stage managers created a google doc (see attached) and fills out the day's details. We post this in Canvas along with our director rehearsal notes for the day. The entire cast/crew has access to the rehearsal reports to view at any time and they are emailed to the Production Staff as well. It works great. Highly recommend. Perhaps there are better ways to create a rehearsal report but we found google docs works well for us.

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Jillian Lietzau
Lutheran High School
CO
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Leverage all Google Workspace has to offer.

1. Create a Shared Drive for the show and put all documents into it.
2. Use subfolders: Cast, Production Team.
   • It can be shared with everyone with different levels of permissions - most just "viewers", others as editors, and still others as content managers (add/delete files).  
   • Documents automatically "inherit" the permissions of the drive and any folder they are in.
   • Anyone with editing privileges can update a document.  One I always creating is "shopping list" - with a column for each area: set, makeup, costumes, props, lighting, sound, wish list (for the really expensive stuff that would be a "dream" to have)
3. There are lots of forms online that others have created you can download and use.
4. Use Google Chat instead of text messaging.  
   • Can do individual chats or group chats. So a chat for production team, another for cast.  
   • You can link to/send documents in the chat easily.
5. Create a Google Calendar just for the show.
   • Everyone can subscribe to it to have it show in their on-device calendar.  
   • Each event has a notes section where you can lay out any details such the breakdown of the rehearsal or tech work for that event.  
   • You can also link to documents in the notes section.
6. You can even create a Google site for the show if your district doesn't let you have a drama site you control and can add subpages to.  It can have links to all of the above, announcements, embedded calendar, whatever you need.  Google sites is very easy to use.

Finally, don't get hung up on "pretty".  Functional, clear communication, should be the primary goal of any form.

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Douglas Fox
Theatre Educator, retired.
NC
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