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« on: Oct 22, 2006, 02:18 pm »
It sounds similar to some of the non-union children's theatre tours that I've been on. They're a great way to get started touring. Don't feel that your lack of knowledge of sound would be a deterant - I was hired for a tour when I told them I was an SM who could double as lights - and I ended up in charge of sound for the tour.
Sound is not as bad as it sounds, you'll probaby tie into as many venue sound systems as you can - where you can leave it all up to the venue person to hook everything up. Pay attention to what they're doing and you can pick a lot of knowledge up. For the size, they'll probably have their own wireless mics for their 4 actors, and maybe a tiny support package that they travel with (if they hit venues without their own sound systems). Tell them that you have only a little sound experience, but would be willing to learn. They probably have a crash course in sound that they give to their SMs as I bet they don't get many SMs who are sound whizzes.
Find out the whole itinerary before you assume that you'll be up north the whole trip - but also know that you won't spend a blizzard under an underpass. In both the Dakotas and Northern MN they close down the interstates and don't let anyone leave town if there's going to be a bad snow storm. Also assume that, as the company is based in ND, they will understand about weather delays and missed shows due to road closures - they probably have polices and procedures in place for when you hit bad weather.
And its not always bad weather - I took a tour to Montana once in Feb. and was making my plans for being trapped at hotels when the roads shut down, and it was 60F the whole time. But assume right now that driving will be one of your responsibilities, you'll either have a 15 van or a small box truck. Box trucks are actually not too bad to drive in snow, the set gives them enough weight that they stay on the road well. It'd be the 15 passenger van that you'd have to worry about a bit more.
And don't assume that bad weather is restricted to the north - down south you get ice storms in the winter, which can be worse some times. Later in the spring it becomes hurricane season on the gulf coast, and Feb is the month that it rains in CA. Summer is tornado season all through the midwest, and an earthquake can happen at any time on the west coast. These are all things you'd have to be aware of, and have plans for dealing with, on any tour that you were in charge of. And don't forget the nor'easters that hit the east coast.
I noticed that they don't cover housing during rehearsal - that'd be a question to ask them, if they had any reccomendations, or staff who rent out rooms to tour folk.
I know you sounded like you weren't interested in you last posting, but I'd say that this job, or type of job, would be your best introduction to touring. It gives you a taste of what different types of venues are like, while having only a small number of actors and set pieces to be responsible for. I like the small tours as they also give you a bit more flexibility in movement - if you want to detour to see the world's largest cow (in ND if you're interested) you'll have the power to adjust things. You could make a detour on a day off and spend the day at the Mall of America. That type of thing which you can't do on bigger tours with stricker schedules.
Please don't take this negatively, but if just the thought of bad weather and possibly hard challenges (learning sound) is enough to really put you off, then touring itself might not be for you. If its just the sound part and you're interested in the tour itself - I can give you a few pointers via PM on things to watch for with wireless mics and you can ask them if they'd show you their system.
I'd say go for it - I think everyone should tour at least once in their lives, even if they never do it again. My 2 cents.
-Centaura
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