One of the main goals for our Theatre
Education Community is to help theatre students and professionals from all over
connect and identify with each other in order to build resources and support
the theatre education field. We shine a spotlight on a different member every
other week by conducting a simple interview.
Our latest
Spotlight Member is Tracy Nunnally, EdTA professional member, tenured professor
at Northern Illinois University and owner and president of Hall
Associates Flying Effects. You can count
on Tracy to provide excellent advice on all things technical theatre
(especially rigging!) and to help others seeking to learn more about
college/university theatre programs.
Ginny: Why do
you believe theatre is important?
Tracy: Huge question! So many answers! If
I had to narrow it down to one, it would be that theatre is the well spring of
human collaboration and creativity. By its nature, the participants in the art
MUST work together toward a common goal, and that goal is set by the group
itself. They must interact, see each other, speak with each other, engage each
other, and actually communicate to bring the story to life! In this ever
changing digital age, I feel that the aesthetic gap between human souls is ever
increasing, and theatre creates an atmosphere where that gap is narrowed. Whether
you are on stage, back stage, in the booth, or in the audience; whether you are
building scenery, focusing a light, sewing a costume, acting, directing, or
taking tickets, you are part of a group of people who have chosen to gather to
experience a story. Whether you are telling it, supporting it, directing it, or
watching it, you are PART of that story on that day. This is a uniquely human
experience.
OK - one
more… with a qualifier. Why is theatre in education important? For all
of the reasons above, I feel that young people who are involved in theatre
develop skills that are the basic foundations of life. Practical skills,
attitude, communication, teamwork, self-empowerment, confidence. These essential
traits of the theatre practitioner are fully transferable to any vocation the
young person chooses to pursue. I fully believe that, on average, people who
are active in theatre during their formative years will be far better at their
chosen career than those who are not.
Ginny: If a
school decides they want to attempt flight for a performance, what do they need
to do?
Tracy: Don't attempt it, DO it :-)! The
most important step is to contact a professional, and do not be scared away by
the potential cost! Having a conversation is free, and you might be shocked
that it is not as expensive as you thought. Consider your flying director as
you would a scenic, costume, or lighting designer. They are an integral member
of your design team, and the flying effects must integrate seamlessly with the
set, lights, and costumes for your production. Flying design is an art, just
like any other element of design, and your flying director will be the one to
create the flights with your guidance. They want to tell YOUR story, and they
are experienced in using their equipment to tell your story. Just as a director
would tell a lighting designer how a scene should look and feel and what their
budget is (rather than telling the LD what instrument to use, where to put it,
and what color to put in it), tell the flying director how the flight should
look and feel, and what the ideal budget is. Contact a flying professional at
least four months before your opening date so you have time to exchange ideas
and choose the right flying effects for your story and your budget.
If you
just ask for a cost for a show, do not be intimidated by the estimate. Many
elements go into the cost of flying effects, and some of those elements are
quite flexible. You are not just paying to rent equipment. You are purchasing
the experience, which includes equipment, shipping, airfare, hotel, food, an
experienced flying director, operator training, performer training, insurance,
and peace of mind. Often, the flying director will even know the show better
than the director because it is a show they design many times each year, so
feel free to discuss how other areas of design can be adjusted to make the
flying more appealing to the story. Often, flying professionals are chosen by
referral from a trusted colleague, but if you are comparing flying
professionals, I would urge you not to let money be the primary criteria. Find
a flying designer with whom you can collaborate, and then work with them until
the cost matches what you are prepared to spend.
Here are
a few more items worth mentioning, mainly because they are recurring issues:
>
Flying performers and operators MUST be at the same rehearsal at the same time.
Performers and operators are trained at the same time.
> Be
honest when sending measurements of your performers, especially their weight.
>
Flying rehearsals can be no longer than three hours, and must be split by at
least two hours. Rehearsal is exhausting for performers and operators.
>
Allow enough rehearsal time for the flying rehearsals. Rushing the flying
director can be dangerous for the operators and performers.
>
Ensure that the stage is quiet and calm during flying rehearsals. The flying
director must be heard on stage and in the wings.
Ginny: What does a
typical day look like for you?
Tracy: I am usually out
the door by 8:30am. On Monday and Wednesday, I teach a special skill master
class (rigging, automation, structural design) from 9 to 11, teach the MFA TDs
in a graduate seminar course from 11 to 1, advise and mentor undergrads in
private meetings from 1 to 3, teach the stage managers from 3 to 5, and then
spend 5 to 7 taking care of all the notes I took all day long. On Tuesday and
Thursday, I teach undergrad technology courses from 9:30 to 12:30, have various
faculty and committee meetings from 12:30 to 2:00, return phone messages from
2:00 to 3:30, teach drafting from 3:30 to 5:00, and spend 5 to 7 taking care of
notes. After 7, depending on the day, I am either at one of the theatres
checking on crews, or drafting, writing reports, standards, etc. On Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday, I am either at Hall (the flying company) or out in the
field training performers and operators how to fly their show. This schedule is
hardly routine, however, as I am often traveling for shows, conferences,
workshops, recruiting or other awesome things. I have an amazingly competent
staff at both Hall and NIU who handle the day to day operations of all of these
events, so the irregularity of my schedule is actually the norm.
Ginny: Have you ever performed
onstage? If not, would you?
Tracy: As an undergrad
in Georgia, I actually held the lead role in a few musicals, including playing
"Big Jim" Warrington to Trisha Yearwood's Little Mary Sunshine. As a BA in a very small program, we did everything
for all of the shows, which gave us the ability to find our niche. I feel that
spending time on stage in front of an audience provides a person with a bit of
empathy for what performers experience on stage, which I think makes that
person a much better designer and/or technician.
Ginny: Any tips
for students looking to break into the special effects world?
Tracy: This applies to special effects,
but also to all aspects of the entertainment industry. Seek out a mentor you
trust and respect, who is doing what you want to do, and then develop a
partnership with that mentor for life. Dedicate yourself to learning everything
they have to offer. Learn from them but challenge them. Be open and honest
about your needs and your dreams. Treat the relationship with care and do not
abuse it. Don't take the mentor for granted. Look for PEOPLE who have your best
interests at heart. You do not learn from fancy facilities, nifty gadgets,
famous places, or websites. You learn from emulating people who are at the top
of their game. You may find those people as professors or teachers at a school,
a practicing professional at a company, or an independent artist.
I began
my life as a mentor in my twenties as the TD of Theatre Calgary. In my spare
time, I worked with several local high schools to bring in young stage
technicians as apprentices, and I had a young man and a young lady one time who
were about 13 or 14 who apprenticed together, and we all just clicked. I think
it was a three month apprenticeship, but when they were done, they stayed in
touch. They would bring me their challenges and we would work through them. Now,
almost thirty years later, they are married and living in Log Angeles. He is
the VP at HBO who supervises Game of Thrones, she is a production manager at a
theatre company, and they have a beautiful baby. We still communicate regularly
and visit whenever we are near each other. That is the type of relationship you
should look for, students. Choose well and do well.
Ginny: What is
unique about the program at NIU?
Tracy: This is another
hard question to answer quickly, so I will narrow it down to the source. The
people. The faculty of the School of Theatre and Dance is an incredibly
effective team of practicing professionals who are highly respected in their
fields, but our first passion is the professional development of the young
people who have chosen us as their mentors. Departmental politics is
practically nonexistent, which allows our creative energy to be directed to the
students. NIU is a professional training program and our goal is to train the
students (actors, dancers, designer, technicians, stage managers, etc) to earn
the jobs doing what they love to do. To train the students outside of class,
the school produces fourteen productions annually, and at least six more
student-produced productions occur as well. In addition, the undergrad acting
students spend their fifth semester in Russia studying at the Moscow Art
Theatre, the dancers perform at festivals across the US, and the designers and
technicians apprentice with their faculty mentors on shows outside the school. I
am so thankful to be in the company of such dedicated artisans.
Ginny: Name
something on your bucket list.
Tracy: Riding along with a precision
fighter jet team (Blue Angels, Thunderbirds, Snowbirds, etc.). I can fly small
aircraft and I love the freedom of flight. Going supersonic one time would be
absolutely amazing.
Ginny: If you could
have a different career, what would you choose?
Tracy: Wilderness
adventure guide/ instructor. Growing up in the north Georgia mountains, I did a
lot of this for fun in my youth. While in college and university, I earned
money in the summers guiding for outfitters, and managing rock sites and
guiding backpacking trips on the Appalachian Trail. Rock climbing, rappelling,
ropes course construction, zip lines, white water guide, horseback guide. I
loved it and would probably still be doing that if I had not caught the theatre
bug.
Ginny: How do you
relax after a busy day?
Tracy: Heh. They are
all busy days. Honestly, drafting on my computer while listening to some tunes
is how I relax.
Ginny: What
will you miss the most after retiring?
Tracy: Seriously? You use the
"R" word on me? I have no vision of a future where I retire. I am one
of the luckiest people in the world because I live my dream every single day of
my life! At NIU, I get to giggle when I watch young fresh faces stumble into my
life, some already knowing it all and some not having a clue; worry and fret as
I help them struggle and grow; and cry with pride and joy when I watch them
head out into the world, confident that they are the best. At Hall, I get to
use pulleys, ropes, cables, harnesses and physics to add a fourth dimension to
a director's vision and create what appears to be the impossible. I get to
witness the first moment when a character from a story transforms from an earth
bound concept in a performer's imagination to a creature of supernatural
ability soaring above the ground. Why would I ever give this up?
Ginny: What is
your proudest accomplishment?
Tracy: My children. My son, Robert, who
is a business major at NIU. My son, Alex, who is a mechanical engineering major
at NIU. My daughter, Sara, her husband, Sean, and their three beautiful
children.
Ginny: Do you
have any hobbies or interests outside of theatre?
Tracy: The outdoors stuff I mentioned
before. I do miss having some time for that, but every year or so, I will sneak
away for a day and go for a walk in the woods.
Ginny: What is something we would be surprised to
learn about you?
Tracy: Heh - Nice try. My
students will read this.
Ginny: If you
could live anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Tracy:
1)
Georgia - I still own the house where I grew up. When I finally decide to leave
teaching, I will definitely end up there.
2)
British Columbia - The people are amazing, the weather is perfect, the wildlife
is in harmony with the people, the scenery is breathtaking, the earth is
stable, and I might get to meet Bigfoot.
I love talking
to people who are as passionate about theatre education as Tracy is, you can
feel his drive and energy leaping off of this page. If you enjoyed Tracy’s
interview as much as I did, add him as a contact in the
Community!
Do you know someone who deserves a moment in the Spotlight? Tell me
their name and why at gbutsch@schooltheatre.org. Want to read more Community Spotlights? You can find them here.
Photo via applachiantrail.com