Productions

MainStage Production Manual: Student Responsibilities

Designers Production/Design Assignment Responsibilities
If you are having problems, bring them up with your faculty or staff advisor as soon as they arise. Despite careful planning, change is part of the production process. Being able to accommodate these changes whenever possible is a strength.

Meetings/Rehearsals/Performances

1. Concept meetings: Read script prior to this meeting to be familiar with mood/atmosphere, period, and style, as well as specific scenic/lighting/costume/prop requirements and changes. Take careful notes and refer to them as a springboard for your work.
2. Design presentations: Designers need to present appropriate, supporting research. Rough sketches, revisions, final sketches, and scaled drawings are presented during these times.
3. Production meetings: Attend all meetings in order to collaborate with other members of the production team, but production meetings do not take the place of individual meetings with the Director to discuss design concepts.
4. First run-through/Designer run-through: Student Designers are encouraged to attend multiple rehearsals. Attendance at the first run-through and subsequent Designer run-throughs is required. Attend the entire rehearsal and take notes regarding alterations/changes of Actors’ positions and/or use in the areas of the set, costumes, and lighting. Discuss these alterations with the Stage Manager and/or Director as appropriate.
5. Throughout the design and production process, all Designers are responsible for adhering to the schedule of meetings and deadlines on the production calendar, as set by the Production Manager.
6. Paper Tech: Lighting and Sound Designers must provide a cue list to the Stage Manager so that cues can be recorded into the Stage Manager’s script. This should be done in person at Paper Tech with the Director present.
7. Cue Setting/Level Set: Lighting and Sound Designers must load and program cues into the consoles before the first Tech/Dress rehearsal so that the first Tech can proceed efficiently.
8. Dry Tech: Director, Scene, Lighting, and Sound Designers, Technical Director, and Master Electrician must be present for Dry Tech, when the Stage Manager, board operators, and running crew run through the show cue-to-cue without Actors.
9. Technical/Dress rehearsals: Attend and take notes. Remain for note sessions following. All notes need to be turned in to the shops by 8:00 a.m. the following day. Mechanical issues are to be dealt with during work calls outside Tech/Dress rehearsals.
10. Opening night: Always attend your opening night. Attend openings of your fellow Designers’ productions as well, especially if you were involved in the process. You are also encouraged to see one performance of all School of Theatre and Film productions.

Each student with a major design assignment (Scene/Lighting/Costume/Sound Designer, Props Master, Technical Director) is required to register for THP 498.  Assistant Designers, Assistant Technical Directors, and Master Electricians must register for THP 401.

Budgeting / Spending Money

The University’s preferred method of purchasing is the purchasing/credit card. Purchasing card use can be delegated to Designers and members of the production team (please see Purchasing Card Delegation Form available through the University website at http://www.asu.edu/purchasing/forms/chasecardforms.pdf -- see Appendices). When using the School of Theatre and Film purchasing/credit card: Submit ALL itemized store receipts to the cardholder as soon as possible.

DO NOT spend your own money if at all possible! If you must, then tape itemized receipts to a piece of blank paper, complete a reimbursement form, and submit both to the School of Theatre and Film business manager.

All receipts must be itemized.