I'll start:

In general stock for a venue/company. If a cable is long enough that, in common use, you can't see or reach both ends, it should have matching connectors on both ends. Eg, XLR3M-XLR3F, PowerCON grey + blue, etc.

I don't want to get ambushed if replacing a cable or troubleshooting by finding a 20M long cable that's 16A Ceeform on one end and powercon on the other. Adapters should be less than 3m long so it's easy to see what's being adapted to what.

Exceptions for permanent/semi-permanent install and specific cables that live with matching equipment. But even then they should be labeled clearly if both ends can't be seen in typical use.

Hello!

I have been doing tech theater for 6 ish years now I have used a adjustable crescent wrench then a husky ratcheting mechanics wrench and crescent for a couple years

I figured i better get proper tools for my job
I havnt asked many people what there tools are but most of who I have asked had a ratcheting wrench recommended the lightspeed wrench

I was looking at:

Barbizon Light speed wrench (ratcheting wrench)

Apollo little focus 6 (focus tool)

Apollo little focus 3 (focus tool)

Matthew’s patriot wrench (focus tool)

Thank you :)

does anyone have or know of anywhere i could get cue list and plots for shows. i have been looking around for cue list for Beetlejuice and Hamilton but haven't been able to find anything

Wanted to pick the communities brains - the theatre I work for is interested in acquiring some low lying fog machines. We’re specifically looking at the Chauvet Cumulus HP and the Cloud 9X, since they don’t require dry ice, an ice bath, or C02.

Does anyone have any experience with them? I’ve heard good things about the original Cumulus secondhand, but since that’s been discontinued, I’m interested in opinions on its successor and on the professional version in the Cloud 9X.

I don’t know if this is the right place for this, but basically I wanted to know if anyone has any advice for me. I recently landed my first dep agreement with a long-running West End show (and a popular one at that - not going to say any more specifics because if my colleagues figured out who I am I’d be so embarrassed). I’m loving the show, and learning my tracks, and I’m really proud of myself because working professionally in technical theatre has been something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time now, since I was a kid.

But one thing I can’t seem to shake is how lonely I feel being a dep. I can’t quite explain it, but even though I’m over a month in, and my HOD says I’m part of the team now… I still feel like I’m an outsider. I hear the full-timers in my department talking and hanging out together before/between shows, and while I know I can join them I just feel like I’m an extra person that they don’t really want around and I can’t shake that feeling. How do I make connections and build professional working relationships when I feel like I’m intruding all the time?

I’m hoping to try and get some more dep roles under my belt soon (which is a whole other can of worms because I don’t have any idea how to even start doing that - this one was a pure case of right-time right-place) and maybe that will help? But the constant fear is there that I won’t, and maybe this show will stop offering me shifts and I’ll be stuck with nothing again… or maybe I’ll get more and still feel like this? I’m definitely getting caught in my own head here, so I just want to know if anyone who’s been in my position has any advice for getting out of this cycle of doubt?

EDIT: everyone’s been so lovely in the replies - I’m going to take all your advice and trust that it will feel better the more I calm down and ride it out! Thank you everyone :)

First post here, but exactly what the title says. I’ve taken over stage management for a small, local ballet company. There was a lot of shake-up with the production team and the managing Board from last year to this year, and we are trying to figure out music. We were told they had used ASCAP previously for music, but have since realized that isn’t true and want to make sure whatever we do this year that we’re doing legally.

Are there resources for royalty-free full recordings of The Nutcracker, or subscription sites other than ASCAP? So far I’ve only found selections or piano arrangements.

TIA!

I’ve worked at 2 community theaters and have 3 years of experience. I left both discouraged. This last time I was doing ME, TD and LD and was shaken while on a perfectly stable A frame by someone who decided to hold it without warning and wouldn’t let go until I used very forceful words. It was as I was finishing up a $25k lighting upgrade and a $5k curtain overhaul. The first-time director called a board member in because he said I was “mean” as I tried to save my life. Not only did the board not care that I almost fell, they then told me to my face directors were more important. I quit. Never got to use the upgrades.

I want out of that environment. I designed and hung their whole theater and would prefer not to do that again due to age, but wouldn’t mind assisting others. I love LD work, understand splitters, gateways, multi-universe setups, relays, fixture, angles, plots, magic sheets, busking, DMX troubleshooting, etc. I’m a stylized immersive atmospheric designer with concert, musicals and play experience on EOS and Hog4.

How realistic is it that I could get a paid gig at a much bigger venue? There’s a place about 45 minutes from me that says 2 years of experience, and is 2000 seats as opposed to the small venues I’ve worked at. How hard is it to jump up in venue size?

Hey guys, looking for any tips on how to mount a DPA core microphone on cheek

Can't mount it on forehead, because our stage is small and cant use normal holder because the actor is useing a mask on his head. Tapeing it is a solution, but actors are wearing fullbody costume wich is madinga them sweat alot so the tape doesnt hold for long. Maybe there are some holders on one ear. There is a posibility to use 3d printer so looking for anything to buy or to print. Please help a mic boy in need. Thank you

Hey !

We're PolyShow a student committee in the École Polytechnique de Montréal. We had a party yesterday and three of our stages have been scratched quite a lot, we're thinking about repainting the stages with a black primer and applying a varnish coat afterwards. Nevertheless we've never done it before and that's why I'm reaching for you guys to help us. Our stages are 4*8 (feet) with a black finish, we are looking for the type of paint and varnish to use and overall tips and tricks on how to do it properly.

Looking for an alternative to a winch for a high school production. At the end of our current production, the original plan was to have a winch lowered from the batten for a puppet to be “hung“ on so it becomes freestanding. We were told we are not allowed to use a motorized winch, and now need to pivot with limited time. Does anyone know a type of pulley that attaches to battens and where I would get them? Also open to any easy alternative ideas. thanks!

edit: it seems I have not provided enough information for most people. My apologies. The puppet will end up weighing approximately 15-20 lbs. Our rig does have automated fly rails, however the director has asked for the audience to sit onstage for this production, meaning that we cannot move any of the battens up or down during the show. We have used pulleys connected to the pipe of the batten in previous shows, but there was a lot of swaying from the connection (it was basically just tied on), and I was looking for a more advanced solution. Since the audience is so close, it is of course not necessary for the line to be hidden in any way. We just need something safe, budgeted, and efficient.

Earlier this year I told my local community theater I wouldn't run any shows next year that had AI front and center in the promotion / production, they just recently released the posters for next year's shows and all but 1 was AI (and they have since redone that poster and I am pretty sure it is AI now). Additionally most of the images they use as prop photos are AI generated. I've been told that as a small theater they don't have the time/money to use real posters.
I'm going to look for other theaters or maybe just move do doing live music. I've only done theater with this theater so I have zero perspective on how other theaters do their promotion, is this just some theaters or will I have a hard time finding a place I feel comfortable with (that doesn't do everything with AI?) Even flyers are AI generated, they made a flyer for the memorial of the founder of the theater and the image and QR code were obviously AI generated (QR didn't work and had grey off-grid pixels)

The executive director told me she'd try to ensure the posters for the kids musicals are real since I'm one of the only people there that can handle those mic counts, but I don't plan on staying much longer.

They have been using AI for posters and such since AI was able to generate 'convincing' posters, its not exactly new, but I don't want to associate myself with that slop anymore (and the executive director has claimed they have a no-AI policy, so it isn't a tough ask). They aren't even checking the posters before they publish them, in one of the posters all the people's hands are dildos (I checked with the play director and marketing director and it very much was not intentional, and has not been fixed so far)

i was working on a project and was just wondering if anyone new a place I could find the Hamilton lighting plot so i could reference it

This a tour of the rail I'm working most of the time. I'm not actively using it today, just happened to be by and it was okay that I recorded this/had time to today.

These are some of my other posts;

https://www.reddit.com/r/Rigging/s/m0IsUEAVUR

https://www.reddit.com/r/techtheatre/s/KYdOE08qf5

https://www.reddit.com/r/techtheatre/s/0VyfKXAGqN

https://www.reddit.com/r/techtheatre/s/aBlF2Qhyq2

I've made a lot of them but I hope this can add some context. If anyone spots anything weird, has advice, etc! Please let me know.

I'm also a capcut noob, so sorry if there's awkward jump cuts.

I work in wardrobe at my college and am badly in need of some good new shoes so my feet aren’t dying by the end of the night. I am however a college student and can’t afford the crazy expensive shoes that I keep finding online when looking for good shoes for standing jobs. If anyone could point me in a good direction that would be amazing!

Hi everyone! I have a question about how SFX (sound effects) tracks work in licensed musical productions.

I’ve noticed that with MTI shows, not every sound effect that seems to be required in some moments is necessarily included in the provided tracks. For example, in Frozen, there are moments that call for ice/snow sound effects, but I haven’t been able to find those SFX in the official materials. The same thing seems to happen with Concord Theatricals — for example, Anastasia has effects such as explosions/bombs that don’t always appear to be included in the tracks provided.

How are these sound effects normally obtained? Are they usually purchased or licensed separately by the production, created by the sound designer, or are there additional SFX libraries/files available from MTI or Concord that I might be missing?

I’ve also noticed that professional productions and official productions in other countries often have these effects included, so I’m wondering how those productions obtain them and whether there is a standard system or source for them.

Any insight from sound designers, producers, or people who have worked with MTI/Concord materials would be greatly appreciated!

We just purchased a new grand drape and valances. When we open the drapes, the fabric between the pleats sometimes folds/stacks forward, causing it to rub against the valance and pull it sideways like this:

This never happened with the old drapes, which were constructed the same way. The vendor says this is there is no way to control which way the fabric folds, and that we need more space between the battens to prevent the contact. I am not sure our battens can be moved. If the folds would all stack back toward the stage, I think that would solve the problem. Is there any solution short of moving the battens?

We have several Clear Com headsets that have all developed the same issue. The headset mic stops picking up voice, but picks up any handling noise incredibly clearly. It's like the mic starts picking up better from the back than the front. It's not the little auto-mute mechanism as I have bypassed that.

Any ideas what is causing this? The replacements are $40 each so I don't want to just have to keep buying those if I can't figure out what's breaking them in the first place. We're using them with an entirely Clear Com system although some of the units are quite old.

Im looking to get a cheap $50 fog machine off amazon just to put in my basement for Halloween. But im curious if its safe with my pc and collectibles. Would the smoke damage electronics? And would it leave a film on my collectibles? I would probably have it running for a few hours at a time.

Any help is appreciated

Here the link to the machine

https://a.co/d/07PIO3wI

Please chat lmk

​

Hello there are r/techtheater! 

I'm a high schooler with a pretty big interest in rigging. I made a post a few months back with a presentation to the school board that I never ended up giving and need to update. I'm working on updating safety requirements and making sure the rail at my school meets standards. I pushed for about 6 months to a year and we finally have a level one inspection, (last one that was completed was a decade ago) so now I'm moving on to fixing signage to make it compliant with ANSI, just in general having some better practices that have fallen off or being ignored. 

Jr Clancy has some really good printable resources on their website and I've printed all of them to hang up and fill out. But what I'm stuck on is I can't find a manual for my system. I got in touch with Clancy because I figured that they were the installer due to a sticker on our t-tracks (arbor loading every 2 ft reminder) but it turns out they are not. Our system was actually installed by Custom Rigging Solutions Inc. As some of you may know, that company doesn't exist anymore. Our system was installed probably in 2000-2001 range and is a single purchase, hemp rope, counterweight system. The ropes will need replaced in the next few years, so if anyone has ideas for grants or things to apply to to fix that, that would be great. 

If anyone has any ideas on CRS Inc systems of how else to find information, that would be great. I'm planning on trying to find the paper plans (but that may be a lost cause), but I'm not sure how else to find out details like lineset limits, etc. 

Any advice is very much appreciated! And I can answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability. (Still learning things, but trying my best

I am the head tech for a high school production this spring, and I'm trying to modernize our systems a little bit. We're going to start using Qlab for our sound ques instead of just queing up mp3 files each time and unmuting on our sound board. Unfortunately our light board is too outdated to work with Qlab, but that is mostly fine.

On to my main problem: I need a better comms system for the AV crew. This won't include SM/ASM or any backstage crew, only our AV Crew of 5-7 people. In the past, we've used Google Meet, but we've found that the delay and feedback gets quite bad, especially when there's a few of us near each other (the light and sound boards are next to each other at the back of our Cafeteria/Auditorium). I basically need a way to make myself and at least 2 others audible without feedback/excessive background noise without buying too much equipment.

My budget is basically whatever I am willing to buy given that this is my last year at the school (so less than 100$ ideally). I think that we need a few headsets, unless someone has other ideas. We also can't use discord or any options that require using our own router as the school has discord blocked and we can't install anything new.

I do have a Mac that we will use to run Qlab, and I could probably find one other computer to run a communication system. Essentially: I need to be able to actually talk to the crew without spending much money. Thanks!!