Introduction:
So you want to go on tours, huh? That's Awesome! Enclosed herein are notes and tips about doing so. These come from my experiences in the Spring of 2019, where we performed in Hartford, CT, for the MIT Alumni Club there. It was fun, we learned a lot, and hopefully reading this will give you a sense of how to go about starting up this process.
Just one additional word before getting into the meat of it. Make sure you have support before really diving into this. Tours take a lot of effort, and you support is imperative to make sure you get the people power you need to make it happen without tearing your hair out. Now to the meat of the thing...
Why Go on Tours?:
Tours can be really fun. You get to spend a few days with friends, putting on theater; it's why we're a part of the Ensemble. It's a great way to meet alumni, perform for new people, and experiment with how putting together a show in a short amount of time in an entirely new space. It's challenging, but definitely doable if you have the support (mainly the actors, someone to run logistics day of, and some prod staff).
How To Initiate the Process:
When we initially toured in the 1980s and when we restarted the program in Spring 2019, we were working primarily with the MIT Alumni Club of Hartford. Leon Kaatz reached out to us and asked if we could perform for the alumni there. Leon really liked hosting us, although he was already getting older during my time, so he may no longer be involved with running the alumni club. I recommend that wherever you want to perform, you find some group to host you. Hosting here means less that you stay with them (more on that below), but more that they can help you find lodging, organize food, publicize your event to interested parties, and most importantly find a performance space. The guide below contains no information on actually locating a performance space because, luckily for us, the alumni were able to do that. We performed in a school, which worked well, but lower-key options include a public park, community theater, or someone's backyard even. It all depends what you and the alumni want. Additionally, some Alumni Clubs may be able to provide funding or support your trip financially, which is really helpful for renting cars and finding lodging.
To find Alumni Clubs, I recommend looking within a few hours driving radius of MIT and seeing what alumni clubs are active. Email them and just ask if they'd be willing to host you guys and your performance. Every Club you deal with will be different in what they want or can provide, but having a support in the location you are going to makes planning easier and ensures you have an audience when you get there.
When to Tour?
Fall Semester:
In my time, we never toured during the Fall semester since the on-campus show dates were right near Thanksgiving and a weekend trip (or Tour in general) didn't seem feasible.
Spring Semester:
In 2019, we performed during the second weekend of spring break (leave MIT the Friday of spring break, return Sunday, the day before classes begin). This timing worked well enough, but it resulted in what felt like a very short spring break. Now that the last performance of the spring semester is the Friday right before spring break, an alternative that we voted on for the attempted Tour of Spring 2020 was leaving campus that first Saturday of spring break and then returning to MIT by Monday, thus allowing people approximately 5 uninterrupted days after Tours to return home or relax on campus. Also coordinate with the alumni/performance location on this to match their needs, but at the end of the day, it matters more that people are available and willing to Tour the selected weekend rather than where exactly you are in performing.
Where to Stay:
In 2019, we stayed with the alumni of the Hartford Alumni Club. The overwhelming response to this was that it was unnecessarily stressful, and it resulted in Tours being quite unfun since everyone was split up. I do not recommend doing this again. Instead, try and find reasonable (read: cheap) hotels near where you are performing. Alumni can likely help fund this as well. Once you have an accurate headcount of how many people are going (actors, production staff, extra hands if needed), book the rooms, and then record from those going rooming preferences. Some things, like how comfortable someone is rooming with a certain gender or individual, are really important to take into account. Also, it's generally good practice to keep couples separate. If you receive push back from Alumni who want you to stay with them, feel free to cite MIT Policy, which does say that the Institute does not like students staying in the homes of Alumni.
How to Get There:
Rental cars are an easy way to get places. For 3 days you're looking at ~$150 for a 5-person car. People with personal cars are definitely valuable too as they reduce cost. Remember to also include the cost of gas in your budget. For help renting cars, check out