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Feline Autobiographer

This is my first thread and I figured, "why not get things rolling with something I really care about?" Here is something for all my fellow theatrical designers out there (found on tumblr):

"Theatre isn’t just something you did in high school.

It’s a lifetime commitment to an uninsured industry.

I barely have any time, but I think it’s important to take some time out of writing this research paper to talk about being a technical theatre or stage management major.

I’m here to break down the stereotypes and shed some light on this industry and what we do. So many people I’ve met think we all just prance around on stage or are just having fun and screwing around by not getting a “real degree”. I’m tired of the hypocrisy of people’s cardboard box comments and turning around to worship celebrities within our industry. I don’t even care if nobody reads this or reblogs it and it’s long; this needs to be said.

I have switched my major about four times. Out of everything I studied, or attempted to study, theatre has, by far, been the most challenging. All the traits that make up the stereotypical difficult classes, like biology or physics or some upper-level political science classes, we have in our programs. We are required to work harder than any other major I have seen or experienced out there.

Difficult mathematics and physics? Take a gander at Yale’s Technical Directon MFA and read up on their Physics of Stage Machinery class, which uses Newtonian mechanics to predict the behavior of moving scenery, or their Structural Design for Stage, which uses precalculus and basic calculus to figure out the application of statics for scenic structures. Even in our Stagecraft and Stage Electronics classes, we have to calculate electric flow as well as load weight by using basic physics so we don’t accidentally kill someone.

Research papers? Every theatre history class we’re required to take at a Bachelor’s level requires you to write at least a 10-page research paper. We also have to write a theatre critique to graduate and include research on the background of the playwright, reviews and reception of different productions of that play, and research on the subject matter. You only get three grammar and spelling mistakes in your entire paper before you fail. If you fail, you don’t get your degree.

Long labs? It’s about three hours per lab in the STEM classes, and you maybe have to meet two to three times a week. All you do is crunch some numbers, burn some things, and mix some chemicals together. We have to work in our shops, and our obligations aren’t over as soon as that clock hits the end of your time. Shows are going to open when we have publicized them to open, regardless of whether or not everything is built. Costumes are falling behind? Time to go into the shop all weekend or stay late to finish, which sometimes means all night. Set not painted? Better work before dress rehearsal, but don’t forget to give it time to dry. Actor broke something? Fix it quick. It’s not a grade. It’s a reputation. It’s the reputation of you if your name is on that design or build, and it’s the reputation of your department or theatre. And if we really wanted to talk about long hours, I can write a dissertation on the rehearsal process for stage managers. When stage management students are in shows, they will literally be in classes all day and then move to rehearsals until 10-11p. When the shows open, they have to run the show, make sure that all the crews have done their job, gather all the information for the day, and send out a report to the entire team. Heaven forbid something goes wrong and they have to use their conflict management skills to figure out how to handle an elderly patient that has fallen and can’t get up or the roof is leaking or something is on fire and we have to evacuate. Luckily, they prep for all these situations before with their copious amounts of paperwork (as in easily over 300 pages of paperwork per show) so they are ready for any situation. This is on top of babysitting actors.

As for hazardous and corrosive materials, we work with them on a daily basis, from substances like some rancid scenic paint to Barge, a liquid cement that could kill you if you don’t use gloves and a respirator. In addition to that, we build with almost every kind of power tool imaginable and we all have to know advanced techniques, like MIG welding. All of us. We also have to crunch numbers while building to make sure the set pieces are the proper height specified by the designer or the proper weight so they can fit the space and be safe enough for actors to abuse. Drafting patterns require a lot of simple math as well because we have to make sure that everything fits and accommodates the movement of the actor.

Difficult concepts to understand? We discuss philosophy and detailed history in our classes. We have entire years dedicated to multiple levels of costume and architecture history. Lighting design is a completely intangible subject, but you have to understand the human psyche and condition enough to know how to manipulate moods and the passage of time without making it look like a Lady Gaga concert just landed on the stage. Same thing with sound. And both of those, you have to understand the technology components, both digital and analog, in order to troubleshoot in case all your LEDs aren’t picking up DMX signal, and designers are coming in to program the next day. Or the theatre you’re working in says they have enough stage pin to twistlock adapters, but you find out they don’t. Time to rewire as many plugs as you can. You have to know how to mix colors and how to manipulate the basics elements of art and design in order to achieve the reaction you want from the audience. You have to pull apart a script to its skeleton so you can build your own body on top of it. Sometimes, that script isn’t even in your native language.

Many students think that taking anything more than 15 credit hours in college is taxing. That translates to about five classes. Many of our true freshmen BFAs come in taking at least 22 credits a semester on top of two semesters of 90-hour stagecraft labs and show assignments, which require you to fulfill the duty of one of the positions in your specialization. My first semester in this program, I took 12 credits, but that translated to seven classes on top of the 90 hours of stagecraft, 60 hours in the costume shop, 60 hours for scholarship, and the Assistant Design position I had.

The homework for the classes is also nothing to scoff at. I would gladly take 200 mindless math questions over the hours we spend laboring over each of our projects for every single one of our classes. There have been times where we’ve spent twelve hours straight drafting a set to the exact measurements we are given in three-dimensional space only to have our programs crash and our computers wiped. Or if we’re lucky and we actually turn everything in with no issues, one small scenic element that has been misplaced or drafted incorrectly will literally cost you your grade. Scene painting projects take at least five hours a piece, most of the time more if you’re not artistically inclined. Rendering full figures, buying fabric out of pocket, and laying in color takes at least 72 hours from start to finish. Building a portfolio takes weeks because you have to find pictures that showcase your work the best, lay it out, and make sure your color schemes match. And then you have to print it. That takes forever, and it’s damn expensive.

We aren’t lazy. We’re not sitting around braiding each other’s hair and singing Kumbaya and finger painting. The reason we put ourselves through this is because we do love it, and we’re all very passionate about our work, just like poli sci majors love what they do, or chemistry majors love science.

STEM programs aren’t better than us.

They don’t have the right to belittle us.

Many companies that have nothing to do with theatre look for traits in their candidates such as leadership skills, time management, conflict management, organization, and quick learning ability. Even though it looks like it was published on a 1998 Geocities website, this article by a professor from William and Mary shows why and how we have all those traits (and then some) and are valuable assets, even outside of our field. I can guarantee you that even the shittiest technical theatre student will probably be a better employee than most college graduates from programs that are “relevant”.

Luckily, many of us don’t have the desire to work those types of jobs because they don’t provide us with the job satisfaction we want. In order to get the jobs we want, we have classes and conferences to teach us about the industry, portfolios and reviews so we make sure our work is up to snuff, business cards/ letterheads/ resumes/ cover letters and how to market yourself, networking, communication, and interview tips and tricks.

We know our industry is competitive, so we also know we have to work twice as hard to get the jobs we want to achieve that satisfaction while making ends meet. Unfortunately, the “starving artist” ideal is still ingrained in many people’s minds, including a lot of people in the industry. Unpaid internships put a pretty bow on a shitty situation, disguising the fact that you’re just free labor for them under the mask of “doing it for the experience” or “satisfaction in doing what you love”, which won’t pay our bills. Sifting through internships or jobs to find one that will fit our experience level, build our resume, help us pay our bills, and keep us happy is a daunting process. We learn how to negotiate contracts, so we may get more out of what we’re offered. We know we do it to ourselves, but we like it that way. We just have to put in all our effort.

So the next time you think about asking where I’m a server or what street corner I’m going to live on in my cardboard box when I graduate, just remember how hard we all work and how much training we all have to make sure that we are ready to face the daunting industry that lies ahead of us. Think about the fact that everyone in this major and industry has already made the commitment to themselves to work as hard as humanly possible to make a comfortable living, which many of us achieve. And think about how we could easily take many of your jobs, but we don’t.

Also, think about how an employee working in the tank at Cirque du Soliel’s O makes about $75,000 a year as a base starting salary. I’m just saying."

Thoughts, please.
Hahah! I like this. I was a technical theatre major, and now I work in technical theatre. I don't have much of a life outside of it, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Feline Autobiographer

NataliePatalie
Hahah! I like this. I was a technical theatre major, and now I work in technical theatre. I don't have much of a life outside of it, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Thank goodness someone does! I figured this thread was a lost cause, but thanks for bringing it back. What's your specialty? I am a props person (we do exist!). I love meeting fellow people in this field.
Adagietto
NataliePatalie
Hahah! I like this. I was a technical theatre major, and now I work in technical theatre. I don't have much of a life outside of it, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Thank goodness someone does! I figured this thread was a lost cause, but thanks for bringing it back. What's your specialty? I am a props person (we do exist!). I love meeting fellow people in this field.


Hahah, yeah, we can be hard to find sometimes. Mine is lights, but I do a bit of everything so I don't usually call myself a lights person. I also do some stage management and set stuff (I try to avoid building when I can though, hah). Out of all the people I work with, the props people have always been the most fun!

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