Author Topic: how essential is a kit?  (Read 10909 times)

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DeeCap

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Re: how essential is a kit?
« Reply #15 on: Oct 24, 2006, 09:22 am »
I have a kit.  It sits in the storage room of my rehearsal hall where it pretty much has been for two years.

If you are working for a resident theater, and they have an office and supplies, why bring a kit?  So, my office supplies, my first aid supplies, my toys are get used, stolen or broken?  (speaking as somone who has purchased over 20 tape measures in his career)/

The kit is great to have if you are freelancing and moving about, but honestly I am not sure why I would be expected to bring in supplies - that's the theatre's responsibilities to have tools, to have first aid supplies, to office supplies, etc, etc - not mine.

Now, when I freelanced, sure, I loved have the kit, and being there ready to pull out a sepctic pencil or some off office supply - but I work in a different thing now - where I stock my office, and I make sure my office has everything I need . . . when I leave here, who knows.

I agree. I have a kit and a file box. I only open it once a year to throw out stuff that got funky. The theatres I tend to work at have these supplies. I did work for a small company this summer where I requested petty cash to get supplies.

I finally threw out the file box when I got my laptop.
If I continue to work for larger theatres, I will probably store my kit away. I won't throw it out since it was the first thing I bought when I decided to go into stage management full time.


Jessie_K

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Re: how essential is a kit?
« Reply #16 on: Oct 31, 2006, 02:23 pm »
After touring for so many years and not needing a kit (who needs a kit when you can have a whole road box?), I am thrilled to be carrying a kit again.  The theatre supplies most first aid and office-y items, so I can stock my kit with odd but useful items like common prop items that pop up all the time (like a syringe, a small bell, a fan, skeleton key).  I love it.  Even if you only use something once a year, it is always a thrill to have something right there when you need it.

Aerial

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Re: how essential is a kit?
« Reply #17 on: Oct 31, 2006, 09:06 pm »
I also work at a big regional theatre, so they provide most of the first aid and office supplies.  What I stock in my kit, and at lot of this was determined last year when I worked for the connected grad school, are fix-it things:  velcro pieces, more-tite, hot glue, goo gone, eye hooks, 1 5/8 screws.  As well as things to make common things I encountered: a syringe, red  & blue food coloring, and baggies to make blood packs, glow in the dark paint, exactos, tie line, aluminum wire, and suction cups.  The contents of my kit is kind of strange.

BLee

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Re: how essential is a kit?
« Reply #18 on: Jan 26, 2008, 11:36 pm »
The one time (and I mean ONLY time) I ever didn't carry my kit with me because I didn't plan on being there long (and I have a full kit) a part of the dance floor being used got untaped and there was no good tape and no scissors at all. We found some gross semi-sheer tape and I had to rip it with my teeth (which was disgusting because I have no idea how old that tape is or what is what meant for). I will never ever ever go anywhere without my kit near by. You just never know. It is those obscure (and sometimes obvious) needs that you just need your kit for.
XX. The only valid excuse for missing one's cue is death.
-Proverb from the Techie Bible.

 

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