Directing: Tech rehearsals w/o lights?! NO

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Tech rehearsals w/o lights?! NO

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2840
Printed Date: 10/31/25 at 12:12am
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Topic: Tech rehearsals w/o lights?! NO

Posted By: Nanette
Subject: Tech rehearsals w/o lights?! NO
Date Posted: 11/26/07 at 6:24pm

We do our shows in a local church and it just hit me today ... we had to reschedule half of our season to work around school events (testing, prom, band contests, etc.) so two of our shows will be staged on a Sunday, rather than on a Saturday.

Well, our tech rehearsals are on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, which means we really can't set ANYTHING up until Sunday after services! So I've pondered on this all day and have decided that we simply can't run a tech rehearsal w/o lights, now can we. Everything gets loaded in on Friday and then taken down after our rehearsal on Saturday, then put back up 2 1/2 hours before call. Nothing like making opening even more stressful! EGADS!!!

(Add that to the fact that I have to lay a beard before the show, too!)

Anyone have any Tylenol? I'm going to need it! :o)

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In a world of margarine, be butter!

Replies:

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 11/26/07 at 8:24pm

As most shows I have done, the numerical majority of cues are based & hinged around the lighting.
Which normally is the bench mark for all the other type of cues to dove tail into. on the running sheet.
Unless the the show is blat focused with general wash & maybe a few specials thrown in, going without a tech can be achieved, depending on the techies doing it?
Winging it can bring out unexpected creative accidents, but it is something that should be avoided, as it is a hit or miss situation.
Is there anyway the set &/or lighting re-bump in time can be reduced?
Like leaving the lighting rigged or what ever.
Thus holding a tech before the show call?

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[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 11/27/07 at 10:03am

We use a general wash so it isn't a focus issue. It's getting the kids familiar with what the lights will be like when they are on stage. We might be able to leave the lights up from the tech and just re-run the cables just before the show. I can get my better half to tape them down for me while I oversee everything else.

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In a world of margarine, be butter!

Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 11/27/07 at 11:32am

Thats no fun at all...

by the way... does your topic title make you No No Nanette? (apologies to anyone to young to remember)

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Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."