KIT: kit

[bearbos]

i have used a little eyeglass repair kit more often than most. only cost $1 and is at most registers.

[Aerial]

a lighting gel book- on my last show, during a daytime rehearsal after a preview that was mostly acting stuff, the lighting designer asked the board op if he had a gel book, I said I did, produced it, and he proceeded to make the afternoon interesting to him by working on his color picks for his next show.

I'm not sure if anyone's said this already...tampons.  Your female cast members will be very grateful.

Emergen-C packets.  I like them.  I noticed my actors bring them in a lot, and they're fairly cheap by the packet at the Whole Foods.  This helps to keep folks healthy in the cold/flu season.


Other stuff I find really useful:  a set of small screwdrivers, a 2 prong to 3 prong electrical adaptor, a power strip(as one who likes to have the laptop in rehearsal), and a hot glue gun.

[Debo123]

Um, and also- they might have supplies that you can use so you don't need to be spending personal money on bandaids and ointment, even though YOU paid for those cool retractable sharpies in your kit yourself. :-)

[Knave]

RICOLA!  especially if you are doing opera/multiple musical seasons

I was doing 5 musicals in rotating rep, and rehearsing a new show every week.  I wrote ricola with my situation and they sent me a case for free.

[MarcieA]

I keep two kits: 1 is a big one with so much crap I won't even start to list it here. The other is a lunch box-sized tabletop kit for rehearsals.

What I do for the tabletop kit is pilfer from the theatre because we are required to have first aid stations (and we have four spread over two buildings) that are stocked by an outside company. Rather then send an actor down the hall for a scrape, I've filled a lunch box with ointments, band-aids, single size asprins, Aleves, immodium, pepto and things like that for easy access. I've also stuck in hand sanitzer, lip balm packets (single serve again from the first aid kits), tampons, safety pins and I can't think of what else.

Look for what the theatre has available for use and use it. That's what it's there for.

[Mac Calder]

I am so excited - the producer for the show I just signed up to do (Les Mis) has given me a SM Kit Maintenance budget of AU$150, as well as a SM budget of AU$800!!! Sure beats the usual AU$50 budget I have for the entire SM team. I will be able to actually BUY some working props instead of building my own from cardboard and stickytape, buy a range of spike tapes and lots of gaffer and... Oh god it will be nice.