Technical Director

So You Want To Be a Technical Director...

Mark Rousculp ’94 Alex French ’05 Kirsten Olson ‘14, Rin D-K ‘25

original 2002, edit 2005, edit 2014, edit 2024

This document is being written as a companion to the MTG Producer’s Guide. It covers some of the things a Technical Director should know to do, be aware of, and prepare for. It is, and will always be, an incomplete work in progress. Please add liberally as new wisdom accumulates. Remember that the list of things to do is not exhaustive and the directions may require adjustment for specific circumstances.

Time Requirements: How much time should you expect this job to take

This job is part hands on, part brain power, and part organization. (We will get into each of those elements in a bit.) Expect all of your weekends after auditions to have a Saturday or a Sunday (depending on coordination with other student groups) completely busy as you will be hosting a Set Build that will be, most likely, 4 hours long, and you will need to do some prep work and some clean up around that.

Expect to have to make several shopping trips to Home Depot, Backstage Hardware and the like as well. These can often be fit into the morning before build. Dinner after build is a great time to cement relations with the cast and crew. You may be spending at least one night a week in the shop also, and one or more nights in meetings, designing, and planning, and spending more time in the shop as Put-In approaches.

If you’re really cut out for this, you’ll start losing sleep to worrying and redesigning things about a week after you’ve designed anything. The amount of time spent on the set will vary based on the complexity, but it will always be more than you expect it to be at the beginning. Some TDs like to front-load all of this work, and have the set done by the end of Put-In. Some TDs will just get most of the stuff into space and then work on putting it together there. Our ability to do that latter strategy has been limited in recent years (post-2020) by our ability to use power tools in the theater, but more on that later.

At least two months before opening

Get involved in the interview process for Set Designer, Lighting Designer, Props Designer, and Sound Engineer if you can. You will want to know early on whether these are people you can work with easily, and you will want to build a good rapport. You also want to know early whether any of them are likely to flake out on you. You should be involved in Costume Designer and Hair and Makeup Designer also, though you’ll interact with these people less (as long as they do their jobs well).
Hold a preliminary design meeting with the Director, Set Designer, probably the Lighting Designer, and as few other people as possible. Have the Director come with a written description of what they want and what the show needs technically before this meeting, and have designers present thoughts and ask questions at this meeting. Have another small meeting in about a week for designers to present initial ideas.
After that first meeting, lay down the law on a timetable for designs. This is especially important for sets. You should have a preliminary set design in your hands within two weeks, which should include a summary of the major pieces to be built and the basic mechanics of the set.
Find out now if you are working with an artistic designer or a mechanical designer. Each has pluses and minuses. An artistic designer will provide all the detailing to make a piece pretty, and you just need to get it built, but you will probably have to do most or all of the design drawing and all the effects planning yourself. A mechanical designer will provide you with design drawings and will probably think through effects carefully, but you will have to keep in mind facing details, artistic considerations, and niggly bits. In short, you must compensate a little for what your designer is not.
Get yourself a floor plan of the space you’ll be working in and get familiar with it.
Arrange with the Set Shop Manager to schedule a set shop cleanup. Spam heavily for it. As well as getting the shop organized, use this time to get familiar with it yourself and start to learn about the folks (cast members) who will be working under you. In recent years, we have been using the first build of a show to double as this Set Shop Cleanup. Ideally, the Set Shop Manager should oversee this, but sometimes we don’t have one of those, so here’s what to do if that’s the case:

Email out to mtg-members requesting people’s help with a Set Shop Cleanup on a date that you have chosen.
Contact facilities (as of 2024, the contact person is Jarrod Jones, jarrod@mit.edu and jarrod@plant.mit.edu, email both emails) ideally at least a week before your Cleanup date to request a Wood Dumpster for the Set Shop for that date. If you don’t get a response in a day or so, email again. You might need to get a bit annoying. (This comes with the territory of being a student group. We are not their highest priority so sometimes we need to make a bit of noise.)
Get to the Set Shop at least 30 mins before the Cleanup is scheduled to begin. Maybe bring a friend. Grumble about how the last TD didn’t clean things up properly (even if the last TD was you). Figure out what you want to use for the show, what is probably going to be useful for future shows (regularly shaped platforms in lengths and widths that are normal measurements are always good to have), and identify what should not exist. Anything that should not exist should be pulled apart (toss the screws) and recycled (wood in the wood dumpster).
Don’t do this yourself. Instead, make a plan for what needs to get done and organize them in your mind as “projects” that you can assign to other people when they arrive.
When your helpers start to arrive, put them in groups of 2, 3, or even 4 depending on the project and then send them off to do that project. Sometimes projects only require one person, but I’ve found it’s nice to let people always have a buddy so that socializing can happen while productivity occurs.
Keep that list of projects either in mind or on paper in front of you as the clean out progresses. When people come to you for another project, give them another one and keep going until time runs out.
You should also try to jump on a project yourself, but pick one that either has two other people on it (so they can continue it when you get called away) or one that is just you and can be easily paused to give instruction or help others. Stay active. If you check out during this process, the rest of your crew will as well.

Discuss with the set shop manager inventorying tools and anything that needs to be repaired, hardware or tool related consumables that need to be replaced, or possible new tool purchases.
Get a budget from the Producer. Don’t let the Set Designer run their own budget. One third of all expenditure is miscellaneous, and occurs during prod week. This is one of the most-forgotten realities about sets budgeting. If you are given $600, plan out how the show will be built for $400, and watch the rest vanish into all the things that come up during prod week. Even the smallest show will need about $100 for paint.
We have a lot of parts in the shop that can and should be reused. That’s why we keep them around. A new coat of paint, some fresh facing, and voila! Free set piece.
When asked for your preference as to prod staff meeting scheduling, keep in mind that every Saturday or Sunday for the next two months or so (more in summer, less during IAP) will be given over to the show. Keep this especially in mind when someone suggests the other weekend day as a good day for meetings.
Assign cast members to tech crews for the production process. There should be an option on the audition form that allows them to specify preferences and experience. Sit down with the Stage Manager and get everyone assigned, then make sure email goes out to let them know.
Start making sure everyone in the cast knows their responsibilities for Put-In, and make sure each department head is clear with their crew on the specific expectations for builds. A standard requirement is usually attendance at 2 or 3 full weekend builds as well as Put-In and Strike.
Set crew will almost always need the most people. The goal is to assign people for maximum productivity- that means each crew should have the numbers and skills it needs, and that people should be happy to work on the crews they’re assigned to.

Six weeks before opening

You should have the preliminary design. If you don’t, lean on the Set Designer daily until you get it. Remind them that the later you start, the more you’ll have to cut from what they want. Review the design carefully, keeping in mind scene changes, crew requirements, and storage space backstage. Don’t forget about sight lines. Do all the moving pieces fit in the wings? Do they fit around the fixed pieces? Don’t forget to factor in height and overhangs. Especially if you’re in KLT, remember that lights and sets may have to fill some of the same space. See Appendix II for a partial checklist of things to consider when reviewing an initial design.
Meet with the Designer and explain patiently any changes that will need to be made. Negotiate and compromise where you can, but do not bend on the most important changes. Try to suggest solutions rather than cuts.

CAC Interlude (written 2024)

Show the person in charge of safety at CAC a mostly-finalized set design about three weeks after your set designer is selected. Keep in touch about changes throughout the process. As of 2022 CAC requires all set designs to be presented to them using computer-aided design (CAD), so if you cannot CAD find a set designer, master carpenter, or co/assistant TD who is able to. (Many mechanical engineers are forced to have this skill as a major requirement. Many other TDs were forced to learn for the job. It shouldn’t be hard to find someone.)
As of 2023, we are not allowed to build platforms higher than 6 feet without fall protection training, which needs to be coordinated six months in advance. Platforms in that 4-6 feet zone are touch and go (some guidelines say okay and some say no). Be prepared to go digging around on random OSHA websites to justify your set to CAC. If you can show them that it’s safe and meets guidelines, they’re not going to deny it.

You should not be delegating this negotiating to a less technically-experienced set designer or director — that is a recipe to get denied outright. Getting your set approved is a lesson in professionalism. Try to understand where they are coming from. Make concessions if you need to. Don’t die on any unimportant hills.

If you have any questions about lighting specifically, Meredith on CAC is very knowledgeable and you can ask her.
If changes are made to the set design after it is presented to CAC, give them an email update. They will be walking through the space during prod week at some point and want to see that the set looks the same as the one presented to them
In addition to the set design, CAC will also want three documents:

A List of CAC Requests
A Work Safety Plan
A Safety Checklist

All of the above documents are copy+paste from show to show. If you ever lose track of the templates/the ones from the previous show, feel free to reach out to Kirsten Pappas (keolson91@gmail.com) and she can probably track them down for you.

Back To Six Weeks Before Opening

Start building pieces you know you’ll need, and about which there is no argument. If there is complex effects tech, start working on this now. You may have to fine tune it in space, but get as much preliminary work out of the way early as you can.
You may get a burst of early set shop volunteers, especially when you have the least to do. Go out of your way to keep everyone busy, and feeling important. If you don’t, the cast will come to the insane conclusion that tech is so on top of things that they aren’t needed, and will never be seen again. Even if you don’t touch a tool for weeks on end, but only manage others, make this a priority.
Keep track of who comes to set builds. It will keep the cast honest, and the producer will love you later when it’s time to assign (or withhold) comps.
Make and keep up-to-date a build list. Indicate who has been working on each project, and note at the end of each build how it’s coming along. Check up on project progress at least once per build per project.
At the end of every build take time to sweep up, remove trash, and tidy the shop. If necessary pause to clean during builds. A clean space will make work more efficient and much safer. Trash can be disposed of in the large trash totes stored at the north end of Walker. We can bring totes to the shop but should not keep more than one at a time.
Encourage your best carpenters, Director, and Designer to drink, and go out to get dinner and wine with them after set builds. Encourage the other folks even more, they’re the ones you really need to convince to keep coming back. The Cambridge Brewing Company and The Asgard are close and convenient. Meadhall is also awesome for after builds.
Bug the producer about reserving some time in the space before Put-In if possible. An evening or two is usually all that’s really necessary, but if you have any rigging or other space-intensive work that should happen before cluttering the place up with set pieces and sawdust, it’s a tremendous help to get it done ahead of time.
Spam show lists regularly with build announcements. If the producer hasn’t, create a show-ninja e-mail list for folks who aren’t on the prod staff but might help out.
If you are doing a summer show, reserve a truck for Put In and Strike. Central Square U-Haul is the most common rental source. You must do this early, or risk not getting a truck, because summer show Put In often falls very near the busiest moving day of the year. Driving the truck is lots of fun, but getting somebody else to do it for you will let you be much more effective managing Put-In and Strike.
Have your Stage Manager make sure that anyone new to the Guild is absolutely clear on their technical requirements- builds, Put In, Strike, any other specifics.
Constantly talk to the Stage Manager and Director about what set changes need to be fast, what needs to be done while a scene is going on, what can be done in blackout with cover music. Compare this to your plans, and adjust the plans accordingly.

Four weeks before opening

You should have a final design. If you don’t, you run the grave risk of a very long prod week, rebuilding set pieces. Debug the design. Check it against your script, scene notes, and wing dimensions again. Do not be afraid to make cuts, but try not to get into an antagonistic relationship with the Director or Designer if you can help it. Rethink through every place one scenic element connects with another and whether there’s a better way. If anything has been built incorrectly, fix it now instead of waiting until you’re in space.
If there are major changes that still need to be made, meet with the Director and Designer and make your case clearly and completely. There may be options you didn’t consider that they can point out to you. Consider asking for outside advice. If there are effects you have been putting off thinking about, finalize them now, and prototype them. If they don’t work, you’ll want to know now, not during prod week.
Start scheduling when certain pieces can be finished.
Start painting or at least priming anything you can. This is a great way of finishing pieces that would otherwise stand around the shop, 90% done, waiting for some final touch that will never come.

Make sure fire retardant is mixed into the paint. Every visible surface has to be painted with fire retardant.

If you’re using blank firing or other realistic prop guns, have your props designer contact the CAC safety person now, and the Campus Police if necessary.
Make sure you’re still keeping up with your build list.
Figure out how much you’re going to need to spend on paint, and purchase what you don’t already have. Backstage Hardware is the cheapest place you can get Rosco paint locally. They also have a great selection of theatrical hardware.
Make an inventory of any special hardware that the guild does not own and can’t be purchased locally. Order now. McMaster Carr and Rose Brand between them should be able to provide most things you need. If you think some piece of hardware doesn’t exist, keep Googling. It probably is out there somewhere.
Attendance to builds may be flagging a bit. Bug the cast, and make sure that folks who show up feel well used.
If you are doing a Fall, IAP or Spring show, reserve a truck for Put In and Strike.
At a prod staff meeting, hammer out the prod week schedule as much as possible. Make sure to allow time for sound work if you’re using wireless mics. Coordinate every detail with the Stage Manager, and make sure you’re both prepared to adjust on the fly.
Coordinate with SM and Orchestra Director what you’ll need for monitors- audio, vocal only, video, etc. Delegate dealing with this, and with communication equipment, to your Sound Engineer if possible. If not, either find someone else or make sure you have time to deal with it- this is just as important as any technical effect for the success of the show.

Two weeks before opening (one week before Put In)

Make sure that departments have finalized arrangements for rentals, borrowing, or purchasing. This includes especially lighting equipment, props, and any sound equipment beyond the Guild’s gear. Don’t let people wait until prod week to deal with things they can pick up
Start recruiting crew heavily. You should know by now how many you’ll need. Talk with your SM about whether you’ll want a run crew chief (and get one) or if the ASM will be in charge of scene change work. If you’re using guns, all gun handling details should be pinned down by now.
Make sure a Paper Tech has been scheduled and that the Stage Manager is comfortable running it. Make sure the relevant people will be there, and others won’t. You should not need to be there yourself as long as your Stage Manager, designers and possibly a crew chief are on top of things, but being a fly on the wall may help.
Make sure that you know whether there will be restrictions on how late you can stay in space. Ask CAC exactly what time you will be required to leave each night of the week.
Start keeping an eye on the weather for the day of Put In, and think about how you’ll deal if there’s rain, snow, or locusts. Waiting until the weather gets better probably isn’t an option, no matter how bad it is. Dealing with 2ft of fresh snow on the morning of Put-In can really get the cast fired up, if you’re prepared for it.
Find time during the week to make a Put In list. Make an exhaustive list of everything that needs to come over from the shop. This list should include, but is far from limited to:

Tools. Pack small power tools in the red rolly chest, just about everything else in the large black chest. Make sure you have drill bits (pre-drill/contersink for drywall screws and 5/16” for bolts) and any saw blades and sanding belts you might need.
Spare dexion (at least 30# of assorted short pieces, at least 20# of assorted medium pieces, over and above anything you think you’ll actually use). Bring all dexion nuts and bolts. Deciding how much spare dexion to bring is an art. Bringing too much will make cast members complain, but bringing too little could waste precious hours of your time late in prod week. Err on the side of caution.
Plan to bring all milk crates and buckets in the Cage. You never know when you’ll need some random hardware. This includes carriage bolts, dexion twerps, pulleys, casters, hinges, rope and string, door hardware, brackets, and several containers of random hardware. Now that you’re planning to bring everything, you can sort out some that definitely isn’t useful. Err on the side of bringing too much.
Facing. It’s painful, but bring twice as much as you think you’ll need from the pile atop the lumber bins. Sort this out if you can before Put In day. It will save time and splinters.
Spare lumber. Bring several dozen 7-8’ lengths of strapping, a dozen shorter lengths, some 2x4’s of various lengths, and a sheet or two of lauan, beyond what you know you’ll need.
Pippin boxes. Bring 8 or so more than you think you’ll need. These are always useful, and you’ll be glad you did.

As of 2024 we have no more pippin boxes. You will have to build them.

Painting supplies, including brushes, rollers, handles, drop clothes, stirrers, tupperware containers and lids, and a straight-edge. You (or your set designer or a scenic artist) should have gone through the paint cabinet and marked all paint cans to be used ahead of time. Remember any bare wood, anywhere in the set, needs a coat of paint on it to be pseudo-fireproofed.
All furniture and platforms you will need. Check your list twice. Bringing extras is in this one case not worth it, because of the bulk and labor involved.
If you’re legging platforms, don’t forget the legs.

Make sure that the cast is clear on their Put-In requirement. In your email announcing Put In, make sure you mention that it is an all-day commitment, and that people should dress to work. Mention work gloves, pain relief, and water. Make it clear that you’ll work regardless of weather. Check that design again. Second guess your debugging of it, to look for more holes. Kill lots of trees with sketches, musings, and design drawings. You won’t have much time for this once Put-In starts.
You should have extensive plans for how Put-In will work, and you should be prepared to adjust them on the fly. Don’t forget to think about where everything will go in between getting carried over and where it ends up- moving things two or three times in space can waste a lot of energy.
If the Stage Manager starts referring actors to you with Put In day conflicts at this late date, be brutal. If you do let anyone out of Put In, document it, exact a specific term of alternate service out of them (two specific long afternoons before rehearsal, ferrying service at your beck and call for the entirety of prod week, or one specific late night of your choice in space from the end of rehearsal until whenever you leave yourself, are standard collateral), and if they don’t fulfill this, make sure the producer finds out and withholds comps. You want a reputation as a bastard in this regard.
If your spouse, s.o. or family is not directly involved in the show, kiss them goodbye, and tell them you’ll see them again after opening night.

One week before opening (Prod Week)

Sunday — Put-In

Have your truck driver pick up the truck as early as possible. Pick up three dozen donuts and few boxes o’ joe from Dunkin Donuts and get back to Walker a little early if you can, say 8:45 a.m. to get everything unlocked and ready. The entire cast and prodstaff should be present at Walker Memorial by 9 a.m. Be ready for them. Ask the SM to show up with a cell phone, to harass late-comers.
If you have a large cast/crew, and this is a Sala show, delegate a few people to set up the last row of audience platforms. This will make Lights and Sound very happy. Otherwise, try to finish this before lunch/right after unloading the truck.
You should not touch a tool, and you should rarely lift anything yourself during Put In. Delegate specific tasks (like pulling platforms) and give people lists; keep yourself free to float, manage, and find and fix bottlenecks.
Put two people you can rely on into the back of the truck to direct loading and packing. Make sure they are fast as well as efficient.
Encourage people to take water breaks, and if it’s winter outside, encourage people not wearing enough clothes to cover up. You don’t want them getting sick.
If you find bottlenecks, do what you can to resolve them, or redistribute people to other tasks that are slowing down.
Platforms and flats go out first, then dexion, then geometrically compact pieces, then furniture, then odd pieces, then paint, then odds and ends. This makes it easy for the loaders. Stage to the lawn, load to the truck from there. If you will require two truck loads, it is better to leave specific large pieces for the second load.
Be present in person when tools and painting supplies are taken out.
Make sure people know about the coffee and doughnuts.
Keep a list of major pieces, and check them off as they go out, or delegate this to someone appropriate- if you’ve got someone who’s 5’ tall, weighs 95lbs soaking wet and is technically savvy, this is a great place for them.
Be encouraging, cheerful, and positive at all times. Positive attitude can overcome even the worst conditions- cite the blizzard of ’ought five (or 2011) frequently.
Once the truck is almost loaded, send the bulk of your crew to space so that they’ll be there waiting when it arrives. Send a reliable person with them to coordinate.
Do a final walk through of the entire shop yourself before the truck leaves.
Lock up the shop when you leave.
When unloading, put the same two loaders in the truck.
Again, you should not touch anything but your clipboard.
Supervise the placement of everything. Get tools to a good, out of the way corner where they will be accessible later but not in the way now. Do the same for paints. Keep hardware and scrap material organized and in a place where it won’t have to move again in the future. Stack things neatly and make sure everything’s accessible and not in the way of your first few construction projects.
Stay cheerful, keep being encouraging and friendly.
After unloading, give everyone a break for lunch, usually one hour. Use this time to get your wits about you. Have someone bring you food, and remember to eat it. If you haven’t already talked about things you’re delegating, gather people who will be in charge of projects now and tell them what they need to know while others eat.
Think about staggering lunch breaks to get some work done- such as laying masonite in Sala--that will slow down other things.

Saturday – Work in Space

The following assumes you have one week in the theatre before opening. If you are lucky enough to have two weeks in the theatre before opening during an IAP or Summer time slot, the first week will be like a long Saturday and Sunday. Negotiate with the director and stage manager so that they can start some rehearsals during this week, but make tech the priority.

Again, do not touch any tools. You will never have this many ready hands again, so use them as efficiently as you can. Platforms should go in first, then fixed flats. Every set is different, so you’ll have to improvise after this.
Keep moving, encouraging and helping with advice and kind words. Do not stay still any more than you can help. Delegate to your more clueful people as much as you can. It saves you grey hair.
Keep everyone busy all the time. It is discouraging to people working to see others slacking in the house. People who need breaks should be sent away to do so. Have them bring things back for you and others present. This will keep everyone honest.

Also it’s nice to keep snacks and electrolytes on hand to keep cast going.

The cast is generally released between 5 and 6PM.
It is tempting to knock off at dinner time, but a tremendous amount of work can be gotten out of the way by pressing on as late as possible. Stay in space as late as you can. Keep anyone who is willing and able to help working as long as you can bear it, and can keep them busy. You’ll appreciate this time a lot more as prod week advances. You can start using tools yourself after 6 or 7, too.

Lights will definitely also still be going at this time, so try to coordinate with them space-wise.

As people leave, remind them that you will be in space building all day Sunday, and that they should come help, but be nice about it. Let the Stage Manager be the hard case here.
Set up and stick with specific stations for dust-intensive work like chop-sawing, routing, and the like, and keep this area far away from the painting area.
Set up and stick with specific stations for painting work when possible.
Make sure you occasionally sweep unused tools back to the main tool area. Take some time each day to organize tools and hardware so you know where everything is.
Coordinate with the Stage Manager when the stage needs to be clear for rehearsal for the rest of the week. Stick to that time.
Having your sound engineer create a ”God Mic”. Insist that the SM use it rather than shouting during rehearsal- it will be easier on their voice and more pleasant for everyone.

Monday – Tech Night

Make sure that your SM or crew chief has prepared a Run Plot: Where do all the set pieces live and move to during scene changes, how many crewies should be needed for each scene change, what can actors do to help.
Work on the set until 5 or so. Get everything cleaned up and organized as best you can before rehearsal. Your priority is to have as many technical effects as possible operational, not pretty or perfected, by rehearsal time.
Either the SM or you will run this rehearsal, with the SM strongly preferred. Make sure who, and how it will go, is agreed upon ahead of time. Make sure you get all scene changes ironed out to the point that practice will get them where they should be come opening. Zub through any scene that does not involve a tech cue, light cue or quick costume-change.
Do everything you can to help your sound engineer be ready for this rehearsal, if you’re using wireless mics.
Do not be afraid to run a scene change two, three, or six times, until it’s right. That’s your prerogative, and you won’t get another chance to do this before you open. A stopwatch may be handy.
If you see something that simply will not work, tag it as such, and move on. You’ll have to fix it this week, but do not pull out any tools now. You’re just wasting everyone’s time, and spending good karma points for no reason.
Make no promises about when you’ll be done. Actors should not make any plans. Some tech nights run an hour shorter than a regular rehearsal, some run two hours long. Prepare for the worst.
Try not to yell too much. You’ll just lose your voice. When you do yell, it should be enough of a surprise that people will listen to you.
Sit in the house, near enough that you can confer with the Stage Manager, Lighting Designer, and Sound Engineer.
Keep your script handy, and take copious notes.
When you’re done, make absolutely sure you really are, but then say so. Declare the rehearsal over and let actors get some sleep. Stay organized and in control. Everyone will thank you for it later.
Work as late as you can. Keep all volunteers busy. At the end of the night, lock all power tools up if you can (in the electrics room in Kresge), or put them out of sight.
If you haven’t already hung soft goods (blacks, cyc) get to work on that now and have them mostly up for first dress.

Tuesday – First orchestra (usually)

Show up as early as you can and work on the set.
Make sure you have a playing area for the orchestra done and clear by whenever the Orchestra Director wants to start setting up.
Start to organize backstage, in the house, etc.. Pick up scrap material, move projects in progress to sensible places, start to store moving set pieces where they will be stored during the show. Sunday night may have been a rehearsal in a construction zone, from now on you’ll be doing construction in a theater.
Do everything you can to have the acoustic environment set up by this time- hang blacks, put up large flats, anything that will change how the orchestra sounds and what they can see or hear
After rehearsal, work as late as you can. Keep all volunteers busy. At the end of the night, lock all power tools up if you can (in the electrics room in Kresge), or put them out of sight.

Wednesday – First Dress

Show up as early as you can and work on the set.
Anything that will affect actors should be done before this rehearsal. Make sure actors get specifically informed about anything they interact with that changes after this rehearsal.
This is often an exhausting night. For some reason Wednesday is the hardest night to stay motivated. Be willing to knock off early, or bring in some surprise refreshments to perk your crew up. Food is good. At the end of the night, lock all power tools up if you can (in the electrics room in Kresge), or put them out of sight.

Thursday – Final Dress

Show up as early as you can and work on the set.
Anything that will affect actors should REALLY be done before this rehearsal- if you’re painting the stage, have the first coat down so actors know what it’ll look like. Blacks should be up, glow tape should be out, spikes should be set, ANYTHING that could affect an actor. Make sure actors are explicitly informed of any changes that occur after this rehearsal.
It does not matter how on the ball you were, expect to be in space late tonight. Little things will just keep popping up. Clean up tools and paints before you leave for the night. Do everything you can to have all large painting done before you leave. There is no better feeling than leaving the space knowing there is nothing more you can do, and there is no worse feeling than opening night on a tacky stage that stinks of latex.
If you’re in Sala, get the cast to stick around and finish setting up the audience this night.

Friday – Opening

Show up as early as you can make it back to the space and give everything a good once-over. Check any rigging, travelers, and moving set pieces to see that everything is operating smoothly. Run as many special effects as you can. Then relax and enjoy the show.

First week of the run

Unless you have taken on additional responsibilities, such as run crew or operating special effects, you have no responsibilities at all. It’s a good idea to arrive a little early to check over the set though, and to ask your crew if they had any problems operating set pieces or effects, and to check whether anything broke. You’ll have to fix it if it did. If you haven’t already, line up a location for the crew party. Make sure the Producer knows this is your responsibility, while the strike party is his or hers. Your location should be someplace you can bring alcohol. Clear it with the landlord, the neighbors, the cops, and whoever else might care.

Second week of the run

Planning Strike

Begin planning strike a few days in advance.
Discuss with each department head (lights, costumes, props, sound, and cooking, at a minimum) what crew they will require, what their schedule will be, and any physical coordination necessary.
Figure out the order that Strike will need to occur in. This is vitally important, as early bottlenecks can take the wind out of the whole enterprise. In general, take the set apart in the opposite order it went in. Every set is different though so there’s nothing I can tell you beyond the most general observations.
Contact all cast and ninjas with an assignment to a team and a team leader. Make sure the leader knows what they’re doing and how it needs to be done.
Make sure there is an exact plan for the first 20 minutes of strike (before actors have gotten back) and the next 20 minutes. By then you’ll need to start improvising no matter how precise your plans are.
Make note of borrowed items, and where they need to be returned to. Budget time and people to get this done. Items that need to be returned on campus during business hours, or that were borrowed from non-MIT groups, can live in the office for a few days until transport can be arranged. Each department (lights, props, etc.) should return things they borrowed, but you’re ultimately responsible for everything getting back.

Crew Party

This takes place the night before closing night, so if you close on Saturday, this will be Friday after the performance. Only the prod staff, production crew and stage crew are invited. No actors! There is some debate as to where actors who also hold prod staff positions fit in, and you have final say in resolving this question.

You are responsible for finding a location for the party, and for organizing the festivities. There should be warm food, beverages, and drinks. Ideally, you should have hot food ready within fifteen minutes of everyone arriving. You have a lot of work to get through.

Get a copy of the Award List. Tell stories. You’re the TD, you get to decide what gets told and who gets to tell what. Spreading stories out over multiple tellers is generally a good plan. Skip lots of stories. Don’t worry about awards being given in bad humor now. You can always change awards before the Strike Party tomorrow.

Get good and drunk, and make sure you need help getting home.

Closing Night – Pre-Strike

If possible, spend the afternoon in space organizing things for Strike and possibly returning some material to the shop. You’ll hate this at 4PM when it’s just you and one helper unloading the truck in the rain while the cast warms up, but if this saves 30 minutes later that night, it will be worth it.
Paint and hardware, as well as scrap materials, can go back to the shop now if you can arrange an advance truck trip. Every nut, bolt, caster and bracket actually used in the show can go in two or three buckets during Strike to get sorted at the next set shop cleanout.
Have your truck driver pick up the truck. You can usually leave the truck in Kresge Lot until it’s needed, since this is a free lot on Saturdays (IF you have card access). Be careful when parking though. You want to try to squeeze into a normal spot if you can. Don’t block any loading dock ramps until after the show when you’re actually loading.
Prepare tools for Strike on a table or cart you can drag onto stage. Keep one of every hand tool (dex tool, 1/4” nut driver, adjustable wrench at the least) on your person to give out when someone needs it.
Get a good, hearty dinner, and enjoy the show.

Closing Night – Strike

A little Strike theory. There are two schools of thought on how many truck loads should be sent to Walker. One school holds that everything should be packed into one load, and driven over together. The other claims that two loads are more efficient. In Sala a single load in the largest truck possible seems to be best, because your manpower will already be spread out over a large area. In KLT multiple loads can be very efficient if the truck crew is very well managed. The largest Sala shows will require a very large (26’) truck. The following is written assuming a single truck:

Under no circumstance should you ever touch a tool during Strike! Your job is to manage, to keep idle hands working, and to assign people to tasks. If a task seems likely to start forming a bottleneck, assign more people to it, or different people depending on the problem. If there’s lots to disassemble, you might consider setting up disassembly stations. Have one crew bring set pieces to the station, where another crew tears them apart, and picks up the pieces and prepares them for the truck. Never answer the question “How long do you think Strike will take?” unless the person asking has a reason for the answer (cooking for the party, running light strike).
The instant the curtain falls, get backstage and start the run crew striking furniture and dressing as close to the loading dock as you can. Actors will be changing, greeting family, and otherwise useless for at least twenty minutes. Prod staff will usually trickle in a little sooner, but not much. Stage crew is there now, and reliably wants nothing more than to get started immediately. Use them.
Start the loud, upbeat music as quickly as possible. It’s going to be a long night (even for the shortest Strike) and that’ll help with energy (and it’ll help clear the last few audience members out). Just keep an eye on the volume- make sure it doesn’t interfere with general communication, and that you can control it easily for making announcements or coordinating large moves.
Taking things apart is easy. Organizing, cleaning, and truck loading are hard. Put some of your best people in charge of organizing and moving things after the first 30 minutes, while deconstruction is still just getting started. Clean as you go, sort and bundle wood and dexion, keep trash picked up.
Use space wisely just like at Put-In. Stage dismantled parts to collection areas. Move every object as few times as possible. Spread out- in KLT you can disassemble some things in the hall and send props to a corner of the lobby while sound coils cables somewhere else entirely, keeping the stage as open as possible.
As soon as the theater is empty, get skyjack into the sky, and take curtains down.
Do everything you can to quickly expose platforms that will require disassembly. These will be a tremendous bottleneck, and the sooner you can get them started the better.
In KLT, only a small amount of small construction debris can go in the dumpster. In Sala, no construction material can go in the compactor. If you will need to dispose of significant debris, consult with CAC. You may be able to schedule an MIT Wood Recycling pickup for a small fee, or arrange for direct access to recycling dumpsters northwest of campus.
Don’t let small scrap wood go back to the shop where it will still need to be thrown away. A reasonable cut-off will vary depending on how much scrap is in the shop, but 2x less than 2’, strapping less than 4’, and sheets less than 4’x4’ are probably not worth bringing back to the shop.
The orchestra is responsible for clearing the orchestra space, but they are not required to stay for any more of Strike. Encourage them to, but do not pressure them. Make sure the MD knows exactly what needs to be done to get the orchestra out of sets’ way as quickly as possible.
Be everywhere at once. No one should go more than ten minutes without seeing your smiling face. Survey everything and think: Safe? Correct? Working? On Track?
Do you see anything unsafe, or leading towards a safety issue?
Is anyone doing anything incorrectly? E.g taking apart something that should remain a unit, using a tool incorrectly, or just not following the plan.
Is anyone not idle? Get them a new assignment immediately.
Are all projects on track? If not, reassign people or change plans.
Get a crew of two strong backs to be your truck loading crew. They must be people who can load efficiently, but also quickly. The same people who loaded and unloaded at Put In are good choices. Once they are in place, start staging to the truck. Let the truck crew determine what gets loaded when, and give them as many people as they can keep busy. They will want platforms first, then flats, then anything else large and flat.
Insist that dexion travel to the set shop organized by length. It is possible to keep it that way in transit, especially if you use plastic wrap. This is tremendously helpful and will save you a lot of time and stress on the set shop end of things.
The first things to go on the truck will include:

All platforms
All flats
All full lauan, plywood and masonite sheets

When the truck is fully packed and ready to go, assign a crew of 6 to 8 people to stay in the theater and clean up, and get any rigging or pipes out of the sky that you may have put up. Make sure the person you leave in charge is trustworthy and knows what all still needs to be done. They will also need to do deal with collecting lost and found items left in space.
You should usually plan to go to the Set Shop with the truck.
Leave the truck crew to get the truck unloaded. Select two people familiar with the shop to stand in the entrance and half way in to direct incoming material.
You should manage the step in between. Get the lawn cleared, and make sure that items go into the shop in an order that’s useful. Keep an eye out for people not wearing enough layers (if it’s winter), or not drinking enough water (if it’s summer) and get them to correct this. This is the stage where people are the most likely to get hurt.
Call the Party Crew, and give them a heads-up warning.
Keep everyone working as best as you can. This will get trickier the closer you are to done. Call the theater, see if they need people. Do not be afraid to send some bodies back if necessary. You must avoid at all costs having one crew finish noticeably after the other! This is most likely to be an issue with a lighting crew that is crawling through their last sorting and returning borrowed gear.
When you’re done, find a nice color of spray paint, locate a cool section of wall, and paint the show name on the wall. Gather everyone around, and announce the location of the party. Congratulations, you’re almost done.
Make sure your truck driver can return the truck. If UHaul is not allowing overnight dropoffs, make sure they have a plan to store the truck and return it on time.
At the party, after you’ve gotten yourself a good meal, read the awards. You should cut probably two thirds of the awards you gave the night before. Cross them off your list while you’re eating and drinking. Awards should be given in fun at the cast party. Just make sure you tell some good stories, and be done. Any gripes can be happily ignored later. Awards given, you are done. You survived!

Well, mostly. You’re still responsible for making sure that anything borrowed gets returned, especially to Theater Arts. If anyone complains about something you did to the theatre, be honest and deal with it immediately. Go to the next set shop cleanout and help the shop get back in good shape. Take some time to think about how the show went, and learn from it. Update and add to this guide. Come back and do it all again, but a little bit better.

Home Depot Tax Exempt Number

Home Depot has a different number assigned to MIT that will allow you to access tax exemption. This is different from the normal Tax Exempt Form Number and they will look at you very confused if you try to use the normal number. IF YOU SHOP AT HOME DEPOT ON BEHALF OF MTG, YOU MUST USE THIS NUMBER.

Home Depot MIT Tax exempt number: 9089318172

Things to be written

Appendix: Useful information
Sources for electronic floor plans
Sources for gun policy
CAC Contact Info
Source for CAC Theatre Safety Guide
Any other specific info likely to change over time

More Thing to be Added

Keep sawdust out of the vents in La Sala
Standard audience set up in La Sala

Sound booth: 3 germans on the highest setting audience right all the way in the back.
Top level of audience: 5 germans on the second highest setting pushed all the way against the windows.
Scaffolding between back row of audience and sound booth.
Second level: germans on the third highest setting completely across.
Third level: butterflies
Fourth level: 5-6x8 platforms (made of 2x8s combined with 4x8s) legged at 8in tall.
Fifth level: floor
Chair set up:

Each level gets two rows of seats.
There are two aisles (one on either side of the scaffolding.
Audience right section has ? chairs per row.
Audience center section has ? chairs per row.
Audience left section has ? chairs per row.

Railings:

Railings must be attached to any platform 4’ or higher.
Railings are usually attached to anything above 3’. In general, if it looks like it would hurt to fall off it, put a railing there. Railings are also attached to most sets of stairs.
Railings should be structural, not just decorative — current guidelines for railings are that they should be 34” high from the bottom of the stair if the stairs are higher than 32”.

Chair stops

Some sort of block (strapping, 2x4, dex, etc) must be put along the back of each raised level or the back legs of the chairs will fall down in that gap and the audience will be sad.

In La Sala, remember to close and blackout proof the curtains. Also bring the pieces of plywood to block the windows. (two say MTG and two say Shakespeare Ensemble, put the SE ones towards the back).
In La Sala, we have 30 pieces of masonite. Ideally do not let your set designer design more than that. We are no longer allowed to paint masonite in La Sala as of 2022 so please figure out an alternative location to paint masonite.

Standard audience set-up with new platforms (as of Fall 2017)

Standard audience set up in La Sala

Sound booth: 2 germans on the highest setting audience right all the way in the back.
Top level of audience: 3 of the new platforms on the highest setting pushed all the way against the windows. The legs for these platforms alternate so there’s one set every other platform; this back row has a wooden flat (no legs) under it (so 2 total flats).
Scaffolding between back row of audience and sound booth.
Second level: the new platforms on the highest setting completely across.
Third level: butterflies
Fourth level: 5-6x8 platforms (made of 2x8s combined with 4x8s) legged at 8in tall.
Fifth level: floor
Chair set up:

Each level gets two rows of seats.
There are two aisles (one on either side of the scaffolding.
Audience right section has ? chairs per row.
Audience center section has ? chairs per row.
Audience left section has ? chairs per row.

Railings:

Railings must be attached to any platform 4’ or higher.
Railings are usually attached to anything above 3’. In general, if it looks like it would hurt to fall off it, put a railing there.
We usually borrow railings from the Shakespeare Ensemble. If you need to make your own, remember that the point is to stop people from falling off things.

Chair stops

Some sort of block (strapping, 2x4, dex, etc) must be put along the back of each raised level or the back legs of the chairs will fall down in that gap and the audience will be sad.

Child pages