h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.h2g2.com/A480683

Number two in the series. It's all about Technical Theatre people... and rather amusing, if i do say so myself.

Good one, SEA!

I have experienced most of the things you mention myself. It's all so true ...

A day in the life of a festival techie might be a valuable addition (one of those festivals with 5 show a day, where the artist arrives 90 minutes before his concert starts, let's his stage manager walk into the venue, shake his head, refuses to get out of the bus, says he won't play in/with that pile of rubbish that you call a stage, has to be soothed with some drinks and finally plays one of the best performances you've ever seen).

It's never the organizer of a festival who decides whether the artist feels ok. It's the techie's crew. They set up the stage for the artists, they talk to them about how the show can be done as good as possible, they have to fulfill the stage plan demandments.

And sometimes after the show, when all the cheese smiling and grinning for the photographers is over, the artists see you working on the stage to set up the next show, they even come up again and say 'Good job, boys!' That's why we don't quit doing it.

*grin* i've never done a festival before, being that i'm only in high school... but it sounds like fun! i'll make sure to do that in the future!

It can be fun, you're right!

But sometimes it's really annoying. You never know what is going to happen next. I've been working at a jazzfestival for 14 years in a row. During these years nearly anything that can happen on or off stage has happened to us. Dropping a light truss into a 20k$ Yamaha Grand Piano, cleaning a sax player's vomit from the stage while the others keep the show going (he was really sick, it was not his fault) changing bassdrum pedals or bass strings during the show for complete strangers (we see most of the musicians not earlier than one or two hours before the show).

Sometimes it's easy: You have a piano quartet on stage (dr, db, pno, sax), and the next show is a piano quintet (dto. plus tb): all you have to do is to move the piano some inches, get another microphone on stage and give your ok for the nest show.

Sometimes it's really tough: One year we had Django Bates with his 22 piece big band ("How many microphones and channels?" "All of them"). Next show were the Brand New Heavies, with (afair) 12 people on stage. We had to remove everything but the carpet and the backdrop, do a totally different stage setup, change some of the lights, take up their instruments, set them up, get the band going. Scheduled time 1:30 hrs. Available time: 0:40 hrs. We did it in 0:45 hrs, jbtw.

If you want some information for an Entry on festival techies, contact me.

i will definitely do that.

actually, today i got invited to a state thespian festival in... february, so i'll get my chance to see what that's like. i may end up stage managing, too.

You'll be glad to hear that your excellent entry has now gone into the Editorial Process for future inclusion in the Edited Guide. This means that the day will come when your Entry will be featured on the Front Page. Please keep in mind that the Sub-Editors are only humans (that's what I've been told ) and that the Editorial process may take some time. You'll be informed by Email when your Entry has made it.

The people in the Towers (who have the final decision on what will be featured on the Front Page) supposed that you might wat to change the title of your entry, so that it complements rather than competes with 'Theatre Lighting Technicians' at http://www.h2g2.com/A249239.

How about 'Preparing for Theatre Opening Night - a Backstage Perspective'? That would not fit into your "An Day in the life of .." sequels, however.

[sea] hmm... they want me to change the name? *frowns* i'm torn between holding to my morals and refusing, and changing it so my entry can be included.
To be quite honest, i don't see how my entry competes with that one, so i think i would rather keep the name. After all, i AM working on a series.
I understand if this reduces my chances of being approved. but that's life, eh?

I'll forward your reply to 'The Towers'. It's up to their decision, anyhow. For myself, I would prefer keeping the title.

Good job, anyhow!

Ok, Sea, the Towers have decided:

You'll have to change the title of your Entry if you want to see it in the Edited Guide. Please inform me as soon as possible.

I can understand that you'd prefer to keep it, but I can also understand the Editors: They have to take care of the overall appearance of the Guide, they have the overview that we don't have, and we have to accept their decision.

If it's small comfort to you: My first Entry ever to be included into the Guide was edited thoroughly, and I first thought 'What have they done to what I have written?'. But now I understand that they were right and I was wrong.

okay, i understand. Please thank the editors for their time, but i would rather keep my entry the way it is. perhaps at some point i will write one that would fit better in the Guide.

I'll forward your reply to the Editors, Sea. And having read some of your Entries I'm absolutely sure that you will be on the front page one day.

You'd always have your original unedited copy available to be part of the series - it's only the edited version that would need to have the title changed...

myre - just looking for another entry to rec'

PS) There are lots of other people here in peer review, all dying for comments - I see you've submitted three entries (by my count) for peer review - if you liked getting feedback, perhaps you could show your gratitude by giving feedback to the many others here in PR?

*grins* thanks for the suggestion, lucinda. i'll be sure to do that.

Editorial Note: This thread has been moved from Peer Review at the request of the author.

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review Sin Bin' to 'Technical Theatre of the High School Variety'.

Back to Entry - became Edited Entry A516520 Technical Theatre of the High School Variety