Building Access
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Running Your Theater
Forum Discription: General questions about how to make it work
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2688
Printed Date: 11/22/24 at 5:43pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Building Access
Posted By: trutter
Subject: Building Access
Date Posted: 9/25/07 at 11:44am
we have one of those 10 digit combination locks that you push in. We change the "code" after every production.
The "problem" is that many of our board members are also involved in other production places in the area. Some int he same city, some in another city, etc. On more than 1 occasion, we have found people are coming into the building, leaving doors unlocked, rifling through costumes and/or props, or using power tools when nobody should be in the building.
On one hand, I would like to think the entire board of directors would be able to have access to the combination and be trusted, but on another, I think that only those involved in the current production should have the combination.
If I suddenly restrict the combination even more, it can be inferred to be "we don't trust you" and people would get mad and possibly quit.
Just wondering how others control access to their building and whether or not they have surveilance, a sign-in/out sheet, etc to keep track of coming and goings.
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Troy A. Rutter
Author, "Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents"
http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ - http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/
A Heinemann Drama Publication
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Replies:
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 9/26/07 at 8:01am
It can be an issue in most theaters and is in one or two that I belong to.. I could go into a big speal on the different problems.. but the bottom liine comes down to trust... (as you already said)... For me, the slice comes into "those who do the work" of the theater should be able to come and go without out a "by your leave".. As far as not properly using what is intrusted to them, THAT is the real issue.. If they are not securing or puting things away properly or impacting the current production than they probably need talking to.... To often we respond with something as hard and concrete as a lock rather than a few minutes of heart to heart to clear things up.
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Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
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Posted By: Theatrestation
Date Posted: 9/26/07 at 9:01am
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We had the same problem with too many people having keys.
Several years ago we adopted a policy where the staff members each have a key, the board president, and the chair of building and property.
For productions the director and the stage manager can sign a key out for the duration of the show. The people who teach may also sign out a key for as long as they are teaching at the building. No one is to give their key to anyone else (that is one of the conditions they agree to when signing a key out).
If someone needs access to the building and does not fit any of the above categories they can request a temporary key.
We have the keys that are not allowed to be copied. So far this has worked very well.
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http://www.castbuilding.com
http://www.theatrestation.com
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Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 9/26/07 at 9:19am
Oh there is no doubt that you can control access with locks and keys... In a smaller organization anyway, it becomes an issue of trust, ownership, and feelings... keeping those who want to be involved involved... In our group, or so I have noticed, that many of the "workers" feel unappreciated or untrustworthy if they don't have keys.. it also cuts down on productivity... but like I said, each group is different, and it comes down to trust.
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Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
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Posted By: Shatcher
Date Posted: 9/26/07 at 11:27am
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We had a problem like this at one of our local theatres. We solved it by installing a cctv camera pointed at the door. I am not sure they ever had to review the tapes but they have a record of each person who opens the door. People are less likley to take things if they think someone is looking. You might not even have to have it on all the time. If people think its on thats all that matters
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Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 9/26/07 at 11:40am
Again, we are a small theater company with maybe 20 "ACTIVE" members.. (we have many more who come out for shows but these are the ones who "Do The Work" of the theater...) Our experince is probably not comparable to many of yours... if we put in a camera, we would all know where it was, if it was on etc etc... We did do a big key change out this year and that was a good thing because we had many keys out to people who were not active with our playhouse anymore and were working with other groups.. There was some valid suspitions that things were being "borrowed" when we weren't there..
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Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
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Posted By: Theatrestation
Date Posted: 9/26/07 at 11:41am
Originally posted by MartyW
Oh there is no doubt that you can control access with locks and keys... In a smaller organization anyway, it becomes an issue of trust, ownership, and feelings... keeping those who want to be involved involved... In our group, or so I have noticed, that many of the "workers" feel unappreciated or untrustworthy if they don't have keys.. it also cuts down on productivity... but like I said, each group is different, and it comes down to trust. |
For two of our volunteers having keys was their power trip. They would come in even when there was a project that didn't involve them and try to tell people what they could touch, where they could move stuff and what materials they could use. When the building was re keyed and they did not automatically get keys they complained, took their toys and went home. An extremely positive occourance for the health of our organization.
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http://www.castbuilding.com
http://www.theatrestation.com
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Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 9/26/07 at 11:44am
I understand theaterstation, but again, maybe "dialog" vs hardware... ??? In case you can't tell, trutter hit one of my pet peves... But, I have taken a breath and am now in control again... ahhhhh.. Hope all works out well for you trutter...
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Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
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Posted By: biggertigger
Date Posted: 9/26/07 at 9:26pm
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A theater group I had worked with was doing a 1920's "flapper" era show and the local historical society loaned them historical flapper dresses and accessories to copy the designs for the show. One of the historical dresses came up "missing" over a weekend. Talk about panic by everyone. The dress was found in a neighbor production of "Gentleman Prefer Blondes". The director (who did work for both theater groups) came over to borrow a dress for his production with out clearing it with anyone else. He didn't realize it was on loan from the historical society so the dress could be copied by the costume designer.
Needless to say, the key policy quickly changed similar to Theatrestation.
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The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.
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Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 9/27/07 at 8:35am
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Still comes down to communications and responsibility.. Ask to borrow, care for what you use.. thats the real "key"... But again, maybe you have a big enough base that it is either impracticle for everyone to have access and can afford to loose a few over the feelings. Some of my theater friends and I were discussing it last night and as we discussed, even the big companies spend big bucks to have experts come in and tell them that a "key" to efficient and happy work forces is a "buy in" or "pride of ownership" With our little group that comes with the privilage and responsiblity of a little brass key.. But as I said, every group is different..
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Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
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Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 9/27/07 at 6:06pm
I'm good enough to put in more hours at the theatre working on a show than I do at home. I'm responsible enough to build your set, have possession of the theatre Lowes (or other home improvment store) credit card. But don't dare trust me with a key to a place that means so much to me? Perhaps it isn't the theatre's loyalty in me that needs a closer look but my misplaced loyalty in a theatre that doesn't trust me with a key.
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Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse
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Posted By: Theatrestation
Date Posted: 9/29/07 at 1:35am
Originally posted by pdavis69
I'm good enough to put in more hours at the theatre working on a show than I do at home. I'm responsible enough to build your set, have possession of the theatre Lowes (or other home improvment store) credit card. But don't dare trust me with a key to a place that means so much to me? Perhaps it isn't the theatre's loyalty in me that needs a closer look but my misplaced loyalty in a theatre that doesn't trust me with a key. |
That's a very individual thing. I would think most places would give a key to someone also holding charging rights.
In some cases you have people involved with an organization that do a lot to help, but also over step their bounds and start to boss other volunteers around, loan our things without proper approval, tell other volunteers they are not needed (thus destroying the community atmosphere), move things around so only one person knows where they are, lie about others involved in the group, tell people false statements about their own status with the group, etc. In that case, no matter how pretty a set they build, their key and their ability to come in and boss at will needs to be restricted.
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http://www.castbuilding.com
http://www.theatrestation.com
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Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 9/29/07 at 8:34am
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Keys! We have had whole meetings lasting for hours about building access. Our problem is that we rent space. One year the owners of the building restricted us to one key. Who gets the key? The director? The music director? The set builder? The costumer? It was a nightmare. We put the key under the plant pot. Now there is security for you. I had meltdown after the set builder left for the weekend with the key in her pocket. We got more keys, but I had to cry. The policy is that at the end of a run all the keys get turned into the producer. They then pass them on to the next producer who passes them out to the appropriate people for that show. Yes, they are sometimes the same people.
Linda
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