In Monday's post, I gave you information about attaining a job at Mem Aud. I wanted to verify that information: Only OU students should apply. I don't want to bog down the production assistants with calls from people who don't even go to OU.
While I'm here, by the way, go see Natalie MacMaster tonight.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Singing Men of Ohio
School of music shows at Mem Aud aren't very excited. The band concerts and choral concerts all have a great following, but for the stage hand, there's not much to do. In this post, I'm going to give you a quick view of a long, slow day at the auditorium.
For SMO, we had three stage hands, Sean Kacir was the SM (it was his first show) and Curt Marker, also an SM, was there to supervise in case Sean needed help with anything. Here's how the schedule went:
10:00 a.m. We set up the risers and the orchestra shell.
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. We went to lunch.
12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. We hung out for rehearsal. This is one of the longest parts of the day. We have nothing to do but hang out in case they need anything. I spent the afternoon in the SM office where I read an entire issue of People, played multiple games of TextTwist and changed my Facebook profile.
4:00p.m. - 6:00 p.m. We went to dinner break.
6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. We had multiple jobs until the house opened around 7:30. The show started late, a little after 8 p.m. and lasted until around 10 p.m. During the show, I ran the light board, another stage hand ran the sound board while the third stage hand called the show from backstage, meaning she cued us as to when SMO was about to go on stage, leave stage, etc. Here are some pictures of the light board and the sound board that we stage hands get
Below: The light board. You can't see it, but there are headsets at each board, which are used to cue from backstage.
Right: The massive sound board, a new piece of equipment just installed this year.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Talkin' It Out
Over the past few weeks many questions have been brought to my attention. I'd like to use this post to address all of your comments.
Road Crews v. Stage Crews
I don't personally remember any show crew as unfavorable. The variety of people that come through Mem Aud are all different, and they all have good qualities and bad just like anyone else. I asked some stage managers if any bad experiences with a road crew stood out, but nothing came to mind. If stage managers have a bad experience with a show, it's a combination of factors that normally don't reflect on the road crew itself. For example, many times stage hands crewed for a show don't show, leaving SMs understaffed and unable to accommodate road crews, which may leave them very unhappy thus making SMs very unhappy.
In response to attending shows:
If you're working a show, it depends on what task your assigned. For big shows if a stage hand is working wardrobe then you might be able to watch part of the show from backstage. For smaller shows, like Singing Men of Ohio or band concerts, stage hands have the opportunity to run the light board, spotlights, etc. In these instances, you have every opportunity to watch the show. As stage hands, however, we would not be allowed to show up at the auditorium and watch a show for free unless its free admission. All crew members are allowed to see one show for free each quarter though.
On The Lord of the Dance:
I'm not sure what the statistics are for the production's audience size or why they chose Athens. I do know that the show is on a nationwide tour, and they have performed at Mem Aud previously with better results. For more information on the production, click here.
Getting Started at Mem Aud:
I got involved at the auditorium by word of mouth. A friend of mine who was a s
tage manager at the time told me they needed stage hands and to show up at the next show (Smokey Joe's Cafe, February 2005) if I wanted to work. I did and then I was contacted by the production assistant throughout the quarter to be crewed. If you start at the beginning of a quarter, however, you attend a crewing meeting and receive an availability form. You fill out the form, send it to the production staff and then they send you a schedule for the quarter. As people call off or more shows come up, e-mails are sent to stage hands with the new calls, and whoever can take them gets them on a first come basis. If you're interested in working, call (740) - 566 - SHOW or e-mail production@ohio.edu for more information. (Above: All stage hands fill out an availability schedule at the beginning of each quarter. Here is a copy of mine for the first five weeks of Winter Quarter.)
Working Against Class:
Availability schedules work to the stage hand's advantage. On full-day work calls, SMs have to deal with revolving crew. When someone has class, they leave and someone else comes back or comes in to work for the first time. This can be inconvenient for road crews because they may have to reteach stage hands how to build something or take something apart. Many times, however, stage hands opt to skip class and take the 12 hours or more of paid labor. It's all dependent on the person. The amount of shows vary throughout the quarter. I work anywhere from zero hours per week to 20+ hours per week. On my availability form, I mark 15-20 hours per week, but dependent on my schedule, I may sign up to work another show. There may be multiple shows a week or only a speaker or two, it really varies.
I hope I answered all of your questions. I'll be back soon with a quick write up on the Singing Men of Ohio Annual Alumni Concert from last Saturday.
Road Crews v. Stage Crews
I don't personally remember any show crew as unfavorable. The variety of people that come through Mem Aud are all different, and they all have good qualities and bad just like anyone else. I asked some stage managers if any bad experiences with a road crew stood out, but nothing came to mind. If stage managers have a bad experience with a show, it's a combination of factors that normally don't reflect on the road crew itself. For example, many times stage hands crewed for a show don't show, leaving SMs understaffed and unable to accommodate road crews, which may leave them very unhappy thus making SMs very unhappy.
In response to attending shows:
If you're working a show, it depends on what task your assigned. For big shows if a stage hand is working wardrobe then you might be able to watch part of the show from backstage. For smaller shows, like Singing Men of Ohio or band concerts, stage hands have the opportunity to run the light board, spotlights, etc. In these instances, you have every opportunity to watch the show. As stage hands, however, we would not be allowed to show up at the auditorium and watch a show for free unless its free admission. All crew members are allowed to see one show for free each quarter though.
On The Lord of the Dance:
I'm not sure what the statistics are for the production's audience size or why they chose Athens. I do know that the show is on a nationwide tour, and they have performed at Mem Aud previously with better results. For more information on the production, click here.
Getting Started at Mem Aud:
I got involved at the auditorium by word of mouth. A friend of mine who was a s

Working Against Class:
Availability schedules work to the stage hand's advantage. On full-day work calls, SMs have to deal with revolving crew. When someone has class, they leave and someone else comes back or comes in to work for the first time. This can be inconvenient for road crews because they may have to reteach stage hands how to build something or take something apart. Many times, however, stage hands opt to skip class and take the 12 hours or more of paid labor. It's all dependent on the person. The amount of shows vary throughout the quarter. I work anywhere from zero hours per week to 20+ hours per week. On my availability form, I mark 15-20 hours per week, but dependent on my schedule, I may sign up to work another show. There may be multiple shows a week or only a speaker or two, it really varies.
I hope I answered all of your questions. I'll be back soon with a quick write up on the Singing Men of Ohio Annual Alumni Concert from last Saturday.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Dancing With The Lord of the Dance
For the Mem Aud crew, The Lord of the Dance show was a success; however, for the production's road crew, it was probably a little disappointing. This show was slightly different from other events hosted by Mem Aud. Normally organizations (like University Program Council) seek shows, but The Lord of the Dance was th opposite. The production actually requested to perform, but only about 1,100 tickets were sold. The crew itself was very satisfied with our crew and Mem Aud's service, but I can only assume it must be disappointing to perform for a smaller audience than usual.
For stage hands and managers at Mem Aud, a show is successful based on how efficiently we get trucks loaded and unloaded and sets built and torn down. The faster we finish, the sooner we get to go home, and when you've spent 12 hours or more at the auditorium, going home is your biggest concern. Because even when the last truck is loaded, and the performers are all on the tour bus, the theater's stage crew usually still has work to do. Normally we don't stay much longer after the road crew heads back to their hotel, but there's always work to do in the theater. We have to restore the stage, and what doesn't get finished the night of the show, gets finished the next day. Often soft goods and electrics have to be restored to what is normally up at the auditorium. Soft goods are the different curtains we use, like the traveler or borders, and the electrics are all the different stage lights.
The work call for The Lord of the Dance began at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday and ended around midnight. The road crew and performers were very nice and polite, which they usually are. It must be exciting to meet new people and see new places every couple of days. I also found it pretty cool that many of the performers had accents. I'm not sure if they were Irish, Scottish or a combination of both, but I was surprised either way.
Well as promised, here are a few more pictures from The Lord of the Dance:
Above left: A copy of the event prep show log. Stage managers have to log all the work the crew completes, and the the time it takes to do it.
Right: The first row of floor laid.
Left: Signs hang throughout the
auditorium to direct performers around backstage.
Right: A rack of men's
costumes hang in the dressing room.
costumes hang in the dressing room.
Left: This is one of the dressing
rooms used by the female dancers.
Right: A basket of costume shoes
sits outside the dressing rooms on
each floor of the dressing room tower.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
A Preview Through Pictures
I'd like to clarify a part of my last post concerning copyright laws. According to Todd, sets, wardrobes and even rehearsals are bound by copyrights therefore so are my photographs. I can take pictures of sets so long as you can't tell what it is. I can take pictures of a rack of costumes, but I can't take a full length photo of a costume individually. The rules I'm constrained by make the artistic process very difficult, but I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to legalities. Todd will not be acting as an editor or a censor by pre-approving my photos, but more like a legal consultant. He knows what I legally can and cannot photograph and publish. So without further ado, here are some photos to give you a preview of what is to come from The Lord of the Dance post:

Above: The Lord of the Dance road crew and Mem Aud stage hands unload road cases from one of the trucks. The work call was scheduled for 8 a.m. and the load-in began around 9 a.m.

Above: Road cases lined up along the backstage wall.

Above: Crew members completely unloaded the first truck by approximately 10 a.m.
Above: The Lord of the Dance road crew and Mem Aud stage hands unload road cases from one of the trucks. The work call was scheduled for 8 a.m. and the load-in began around 9 a.m.
Above: Road cases lined up along the backstage wall.
Above: Crew members completely unloaded the first truck by approximately 10 a.m.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Introducing Memorial Auditorium
This blog will give a backstage peek of the happenings at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium, the Ohio University owned theater located in Athens, Ohio.
As a student employee at Memorial Auditorium (Mem Aud), I am publishing this blog as an independent project for an online journalism class. This blog is in no way affiliated with Ohio University or Memorial Auditorium. I did, however, receive permission from Todd Coogen, the auditorium's associate
director and production manager, to report on auditorium events from a behind-the-scenes perspective. I do not have permission to disclose information concerning upcoming events that previously have not been released to the public. Also all photographs that I publish will be pre-approved by Todd so as not to violate copyright laws.
With this blog, I hope to serve the university community with a sneak peak into the auditorium, allowing readers to see the work involved in productions from a stage hand's point of view. All published information will be from my observations as a stage hand, interviews with other production employees and research I do on university events. All content
In upcoming weeks, I will publish a number of posts concerning events at the auditorium. Tonight Magic Arts & Entertainment will present Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance Experience at 7:30. A fresh look at this production should be up by the end of the week. I would appreciate comments of what you, the reader, would like to see or learn from this blog.
Far above: The house at Mem Aud from the backstage door.
Above right: The balcony and part of house at Mem Aud from the overhanging catwalk.
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