Description

What is a master carpenter?

The master carpenter is responsible for leading set construction.

What is a master carpenter required to do?

The master carpenter must work closely with the TD to develop cut lists and construction plans for the set pieces and large props necessary for the set design. They should be sure to develop a plan with the scenic painter for pieces to be constructed and ready in time to be painted. They will also need to lead and direct other carpenters and sets crew during set builds.

Working with other positions (parts borrowed from E. Rosser’s Costume Stitcher Guide)

You are a member of the prod-staff (or production team) of the show. To present a cohesive vision onstage, you must work with a couple other prod-staff members:

• • Sets Designer (SD)- They provide the design upon which your construction will be based. And you should be in frequent communication with them about what is feasible to be constructed in the time allotted.
  • Scenic Painter - They will be working closely in the Set Shop with you to fully complete a set. You should be sure to communicate the timeline for set pieces so they are prepared with ample time for painting.

You all have a boss, the Technical Director: 

• • Technical Director (TD)- Oversees all prod staff departments, assigns you helpers from the cast, bothers these helpers if they don’t contribute, and keeps an eye on prod budgets. Communicate all expenses to the TD, as well as the producer.

The entire prod staff and the TD all work with the Director to make his/her vision a reality:

• • Director (That’s Herr Direktor to you)- Has a unifying vision that, hopefully, appears uniform and consistent throughout all areas of the show. Do your best to adapt to dir-staff expectation, but it’s okay to say it’s too late to change something. The best way to avoid these conflicts is to communicate and check in with the director often to make sure you’re all still on the same page.

Timeline

Starting Out

1. Interview - a master carpenter is chosen in “Round 2” interviews. No prior experience is necessary for this position, if you would like a mentor for this position be sure to let your interviewers know that.

2. If you accept the role - yay! Go to the first prod meeting. Coordinate with your TD to visit the set shop and inventory the MTG lumber supply (including screws and bolts). Throw out pieces that are too small to worth keeping. If the show is in La Sala, make sure you have at least enough 1"x3"s for seating riser toe-rails (~43' total).

3. Initial design stage - First, meet with the TD and Set Designer about the big components of the set design and start thinking about how these things will be constructed and implemented.

4. Final design stage - Run your build plan by the TD and Scenic Painter to ensure its a reasonable timeline. Once you get their approval, start running builds and leading your carpentry crew through the build stage.

Builds

1. Go to set builds. Ensure you make actionable progress at each build towards completing the set construction. (Walker-051). 

2. Check in with TD, Set Designer, and Scenic Painter frequently to discuss changes.

Prod Week

1. Put-in- You are a member of the set team. This means you’ll be expected to help bring set pieces over from the set shop. Ideally, all of the set construction should be complete on this day and you should be in constant communication with the TD to achieve this.

2. The rest of prod week- Construct any thing that hasn't been yet.

Performances

1. Opening Night - make sure you haven’t forgot anything. Check that all items are safe and secure. Do final fixes if necessary.

2. House Seats - you get a house seat as a member of the prod staff. Go see the show!

3. Parties - there will be some social events to attend. If you think you’d like to spend more time with the Guild, you should go.

Post-performances

1. Receipts - Get them to the producer or treasurer before strike.

2. Strike- Help with set strike. Make sure all of the set pieces find their way back to the set shop.

3. Post Mortem- if there was anything that went really well or really poorly. If you can go, go. If not, email any concerns to the producer.