TECH: Runsheets (keeping them updated)

[centaura]

(unprofessional and slow, I know..but there is no way we can fit anyone else besides the actors backstage, and at my school the only people interested in tech are the few of us that do lighting, sound and SM.)

The slow part can vary from the motivation of the actors, the amount of scenery to shift, and the room in which to shift things.  But don't automatically think 'unprofessional'.  Most of the shows I've worked on have had the actors moving scenery - it is quite common.  There are even stipulations for actors moving scenery in Equity & IATSE's guidelines.  It all depends on the situation, the scenery, and the local crews.  My favorite scenario was when I was an ASM at a half-Equity/full IATSE house.  There was a set piece that had to 'open up' onstage, but it took two people, and the one actor couldn't do it by himself.  We had to dress up one of the local IA guys in a costume, give him an arbitrary 'role', and send him out only for the purpose of helping open the set.  So the show had a random 'Chef Bill' character for two minutes.

[isha]

hheheheheheh...good solution. I'm sure the IA LOVED that!  :lol:
and sorry..I'll try not to pass judgement so quickly next time I guess professionalism has more to do with attitude than actual physical things.

[smejs]

hheheheheheh...good solution. I'm sure the IA LOVED that!  

Sometimes they DO...because in all IA contracts I've seen, they get extra money if they're in costume....

Erin

[isha]

nice

[shatbox]

Does anyone have an example of a run sheet they can post?

[MarcieA]

This is a run sheet for a show that had actors, crew and myself (as ASM) doing scene shifts.


To get it to where it is what I do is create a master sheet, such as this one, without crew assignments and then based on actor tracking, quick changes (if there is no assigned dresser),etc, begin to assign crew as soon as I know how many I will have. For this show I was lucky, and I knew about 3 weeks before tech. This wasn't a tech heavy show, but backstage storage was an issue, so it was good to be able to plan slowly.

During tech, I hand out the preliminary sheets to my crew, set up my computer and printer backstage, and ask that they make any notes on their sheets in red pen. Sheets are then handed back to me at the end of the day and I update them for the next. If there is a lot of downtime, if we're held for lights or sound, or whatever, I'll grab a crew or two and start to update. I am constantly checking in to make sure that the information I have given out is still correct, that there are no questions, etc. By our final dress I have finalized run sheets that I can keep as a master or separate for individuals.

I have to say that my greatest run sheet moment was this past summer, as a wardrobe supervisor, I created entirely accurate dressing sheets for My Fair Lady having only seen 1 run in the rehearsal room. This show was hell for everyone involved and there was some serious discussion about not having it audience ready for our first preview. I was so terrified that we would crash during the dress because of me, but somehow every single change was right. (That's not to say we actually made all of the changes in time...but a dresser was there a costume each time there was a change.) I am still baffled as to how I pulled this off.

So there you have it, my run sheets, and they've served me well.

[MarcieA]

This is a run sheet for a show where I was alone backstage, but ver busy.

They didn't fit together is one post.

Hope they help!

[Rebbe]

I just started a Run Sheets thead in the Uploaded Forms forum, and posted some examples there.

[AnnaRegina]

Hello,

I am currently stage managing an undergraduate production of Peer Gynt. I have a cast of twenty-three. We are performing in a modified thrust theatre (proscenium that extends DS into a playing circle). All of the cast are doubling as the shift crew/costume crew. We are using a lift, orchestra pit and four trapdoors throughout the play.

There are entrances from USR/USL wings (on the proscenium), a center vom (DS off the playing circle), two USR/USL trap doors (on the proscenium), two more trap doors (in the US area of the playing circle) and a lift (CS of the playing circle).

Because the cast is also the crew, they are responsible for handling their own costume changes, keeping track of their hand props and shifting set pieces that come on and off of the lift. Does anyone know of a good way to compile a large scene  shift/costume change/actor tracking/props tracking sheet (that actors can easily understand)?

[phfowol]

Like a few others have said, I find that daily updated run sheets are more confusing than helpful. I leave lots of extra space on my initial sheet - I always have a "NOTES" column, leave 1 or 2 blank rows between cues, and leave room in margins - so that the crew and I can notate as we go.

I'm also a fan of being in the audience within leaping distance of the stage as an ASM during tech unless I have a cue or need to talk thru something- gives me a chance to visualize (maybe not the right word...) how backstage needs to flow. I'll keep my computer and/or notebook near me so when we're held up on a cue I can make notes for myself and start an updated run sheet, which cuts down on work outside of rehearsal.

[BARussell]

Hello,

I am currently stage managing an undergraduate production of Peer Gynt. I have a cast of twenty-three. We are performing in a modified thrust theatre (proscenium that extends DS into a playing circle). All of the cast are doubling as the shift crew/costume crew. We are using a lift, orchestra pit and four trapdoors throughout the play.

Because the cast is also the crew, they are responsible for handling their own costume changes, keeping track of their hand props and shifting set pieces that come on and off of the lift. Does anyone know of a good way to compile a large scene  shift/costume change/actor tracking/props tracking sheet (that actors can easily understand)?

On the last show I did we performed in a 3/4 thrust so I kind of understand your pain. I decided to do an experiment with my paperwork on this show because it's educational, and that's why we go to school. I used a Who, What, Where type of run sheet that had all the information the actors needed because although I had ten crew members, all things moved onstage were done by actors, all backstage movements and presets and behind the scenes changes were done by crew.

Just to preface, If I had known how many movements and props and changes there were going to be I would have never done this. It's definitely not the prettiest thing ever but it worked, and had all the information needed on it and really wasn't even that hard to maintain throughout tech.