Approaching A Design

TOC

Initial Show Conceptualization

1. Factors For Selecting A Show
2. Things To Insist On

Factors For Selecting A Show

There are of course many factors to consider when selecting a show to work on, some of which are completely obvious and some of which are not. In most cases, you will be approached by the producers or directors of a show, sometime around "application season", and asked to sign on as quickly as possible. Before saying yes, I like to consider the following things (in no particular order):

• Time commitment: how big is the show?
• Script: is the script interesting (for shows like dance, is the type of dance interesting)?
• Concept: does the director have a good concept for the show?
• Personalities: can I work with the director/designers/producers?
• Practicalities: can the director/designers/producers effectively pull off their concepts?

Although I'm sure other people will have a other ideas, I'll run through how I think about each factor just in case it helps you organize your thinking about shows you are offered.

Time Commitment

The amount of time a show will consume varies widely, and of course depends on many things. But, assuming that: a) you are working on a small show, say in the Kronauer space, where mostly everything is provided for you, b) you are working with good directors/designers, who can effectively communicate with you, and c) you have a pretty good idea what you are doing, you can expect to spend the following minimal amount of time:

• Weeks before load-in
  • 2 hours: initial discussions
  • 6 hours: script work
  • 6 hours: production meetings
  • 3 hours: attend rehearsals
  • 3 hours: design/plot based on above
  • 1 hour: prep for loadin
• Load-in/tech/strike
  • 4 hours: load-in
  • 3 hours: focus
  • 3 hours: write cues
  • 10 hours: tech show
  • 2 hours: strike

These are, of course, incredibly rough estimates, but the point is that to do a decent small design takes a fair amount of time. The early phases, of course, can be spread out and can be done whenever you have free time, but then there's load-in week where you have lots of stuff to do in a small time frame. Also, consider what happens for larger shows (Loeb Mainstage load-ins usually take about 18 hours); if your directors and designers change their minds or aren't clear in what they want; if you make mistakes or need to change your ideas late in the process.

So, when you sit down to decide on a show, take a look at your other time commitments and figure out if you can afford to commit the time you are expected to. If you can't, the show will inevitably suffer. Make absolutely sure you can keep tech week clear, and don't depend on getting much help!

Script

Before accepting any design, you should read the script. Clearly, if it's not a scripted drama, you will need to find some other way to determine what the show is about, but the point is you should at least have a basic idea of the source for the show. Often, you can get the director to get you a copy, and I'd just sit down and read the thing through once or twice and see if you like it. Be aware, though, that good directors can make a poor script stronger (and vice versa), so you also need to find out what the overall concept for the show is. In all cases, though, stick to what you like. If you really don't like musicals, then it'll have to be a pretty strong musical with some really good production ideas to draw you.

Concept

Every director will, or at least should, have a concept for the show. It might be something innocuous, or it can be something wholely different from the original intent, like a Shakespeare play set in a post-apocalyptic rave atmosphere. Obviously, the best concepts are well-supported by the script itself, and your job is to figure out whether the director has a clear idea what he or she wants out of the script, and can express that effectively. You should look out for warning signs like concepts that are "forced" onto a script, maybe just because the director thinks it's a cool idea, and alternatively for directors who are just planning to do it "straight" just because they can't think of any new and interesting twist to put on it (the point here is that doing a play "straight" is actually a statement of a sort, and should be just as well justified as a radical concept).

Be prepared to be surprised, and keep yourself open for options. Other designers may significantly shift where the show is going, so talk to them if you get a chance as well. If you feel that the director has a cohesive vision that can be expressed, then perhaps it's a good show to do.

In a related point, you should think about what you can do with your concept of the show. If the director has his or her own wacky concept, but has decided to leave no room at all for new ideas for lighting, then that's bad. If you can't find something new, interesting, different to do in this production, then maybe you shouldn't do it. As a simple example, I try to, as a matter of policy, use a new gel color I haven't tried before in every production. Analogous to that, you should look for new things to work on, so you are always growing as a designer.

Personalities

By this point, you should have spoken to the director and designers at least once, and gotten a feeling for their personalities, how they express themselves, how they listen to you. Now, ask yourself, will you enjoy working with these folks? I must say, it is only extremely rarely that I've met people that I really felt I couldn't work with (I am, I think, a pretty easy-going guy), but on those few occasions when I did, it was really a pretty bad experience. Keep in mind that you really need to spend quite a bit of time with these people, and that if you want the show to turn out well, you'll need to spend quite a bit of time actually talking to them as well.

If you get a bad feeling about the director, producer, or other major show element, go with your gut and get out. I've always found it amazing how much my satisfaction with a show was dependent on my liking the people I was working with. I've rarely found that I could say, "Oh well, I don't like the staff, but my work is going really well." Of course, if you find that every staff you come across seems to be populated by losers and idiots, then perhaps you should consider finding a different field to work in. Theater is an intensively collaborative occupation, and you need to be able to work with everyone.

Practicalities

The practicalities of the show are actually more intimately related to the other factors mentioned that one might realize. Getting people to help on a show is directly correlated with the popularity of the staffpeople, and any exciting conceptual show will draw help. I must say, I don't think I've ever seen a show actually not happen at all, although I have seen shows that were dramatically cut or altered late in the game. But the real point is that you don't want to have to struggle to make it happen, you want it to organically happen because of the good will and collaborative efforts of those involved. Clearly, having a good producer and director to find good people to work on the show is absolutely key, and it's also essential that the design staff be talented. It's truly horrible to work on shows that lack vision, that don't work as theater, that just don't satisfy you artistically. In these cases, it's even possible to have a show that "happened", at least in the physical sense, but didn't "happen" for you in any artistic sense.

It is therefore very important to assess the practical experience of the staff you will be working with and ask yourself: Do they have the experience to put on a show of this size? Experience or no, do they have the drive, the vision, the desire to put it on? Can they find the staff to help? Will you and the rest of the designers get the resources (budgetary and otherwise) to do your jobs effectively? Can you communicate your needs and desires to these folks, so that you can do your job?

Things To Insist On

Well, by this point you've decided you'd like to do the show, but want to make sure that you get the resources and help that you'll need. Hopefully, by reading the script and talking with the director, you are starting to have some ideas about how you want to light the show. You should take the time to think about this early on, and figure out (roughly) what that means in terms of what you'll need to do the show.

For instance, if you decide that you want lots of fancy moving lights, that implies a certain budget. If you already have the lights you need, but you have a lot, or you need to set them up in a special way, you'll need people to help.

Also, it's helpful to take a step back and talk to the producer/director about your expectations and theirs, just to eliminate the possibility of a misunderstanding. They may expect you to find crew, you may expect them to give you full blocking notes developed from rehearsal, etc etc.

Once you've thought about these sorts of things, you should make a short list of essential "ingredients" for the show and discuss it with the staff. You can even make your working on the show a condition of your expectations being met. I almost always ask for an ME, so I know I at least have one person to help me. If I feel like I'll need a certain budget, I'll ask for that. If I feel like the staff expects too much time/effort from me, I'll make that clear. By bringing these problems out into the open early, the idea is to avoid them later when the pressure's on. Don't be afraid to bring up concerns, even if they're not in your domain. You really really don't want the show to be lame because of some wacky idea that somebody thought up that you knew was dumb, but didn't say anything. And as a final point, of course, with any list of expectations you come up with, you will probably need to compromise on some things.

Once you feel like the show will be possible for you, will satisfy you artistically and emotionally, and that the staff has addressed any of your concerns to your satisfaction, go ahead and commit to the show!

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Initial Show Conceptualization