6

Working with the Theatre Company

Theatre is a collaborative art. No one works in a vacuum. Ideally, everyone depends on each other to give his individual artistic input and to interact in a supportive manner. For example, loudspeakers can’t be built into set pieces without the guidance and support of both the set designer and technical director. A director might ask for a special effect that would cause you to exceed your budget, but only the production manager, producer, or business manager has the power to adjust your budget. In the same way that you expect your needs to be given full consideration, so must you be mindful of the artistic and financial needs of the production. Let your needs be known early in the process, especially in theatres that have not worked with a sound designer before.

Your needs will probably be related to budget and rehearsal matters, and can include such items as:

CONTRACTS

Your design and/or composition fee and contract should be on par with those of the other designers. As a professional, don’t be short shrifted because the powers-that-be don’t understand the time and energy required for your work. Also, make sure that your program credit and bio are treated in the same manner as the other designers. Don’t be surprised to find a lack of awareness at any level of theatre, because knowledge about sound design, although improving, can be limited. Affirmatively, in 2008, the American Theatre Wing (Tony Awards) instituted two sound design awards, one for Best Sound Design of a Play and another for Best Sound Design of a Musical.

In 2002, United Scenic Artists Local USA 829 began to accept sound designers under the collective bargaining agreement with the League of Regional Theatres (LORT). The 2005–2009 LORT agreement and examples of an artist’s coversheet are available on the USA website. Even if you are not a union member, these documents can still serve as guidelines for salary and benefit expectations.

The producer typically attaches a rider to the coversheet of your contract that defines your work schedule, production sound budget, travel expense, hotel, designer expense lines, bio, billing, per diem, and other contractual obligations. For more information about United Scenic Artists Local 829, go to http://www.usa829.org/.

Artist’s contracts and riders are continually renegotiated, but they usually include much of the information listed below.

The reality of the situation is that you might not be offered a contract or given the opportunity to negotiate any of your demands. Then you must ask yourself if you want to work with this producer, and whether doing so is worth the uncertainty of trusting a handshake. Some theatres operate very casually, and nothing is ever signed by anyone. You might stress to the theatre that the contract is to protect both you and the theatre, but if their operations are along the lines of “My father has a barn, … let’s put on a show!” then you need to determine whether the project is of enough interest to you. Very early on in your career, there may not be enough of a fee for you to even quibble. However, certain points for your protection can be presented to the theatre and you might want to give them something in writing even if a contract is not forthcoming. (Please refer to the Sound Designers’ and Composers’ Forum at the end of the book, where our distinguished colleagues discuss their views on contract negotiations.)

PRINCIPAL POSITIONS IN THE THEATRE COMPANY

Theatres vary in their organizational structures, but there is a basic setup that many theatres follow. Understanding your relationship to each person in the “chain of command” can save you unnecessary confusion when you’re trying to sort through the bureaucracy and determine who does what. You should know how many people are affected by decisions you make, and who will be affronted if you don’t clarify your actions to them.

As a general rule, the larger the theatre, the more likely it is that they know how to accommodate a sound designer. For smaller theatres, you may be among the first sound designers they have ever hired. Before having a sound designer, sound effects may have simply been burned to a compact disc as a last-minute consideration by an intern, stage manager, or the director himself. Now, even though they have hired you, they may not have considered all of your requirements. If you know your needs and who is likely to fulfill them, you can help the theatre accommodate your design responsibilities.

THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Every theatre, no matter how small, is headed by an artistic director who decides which productions will be included in the season, selects and approves the artistic and design staff to be hired, and reserves the final say-so on all artistic decisions. The artistic director may or may not direct shows within the season. She may function more as an administrator, fitting the right staff to her chosen projects. She answers to the board of directors of the theatre and confers with the managing director on money matters. She may hire you and be your contact for working on another production at the theatre. The artistic director may come to rehearsals at any point during the production process and ask for changes, either directly through you or through the director. Do not, however, ever feel compelled to make her suggested changes without the director’s knowledge. She may mediate artistic differences between you and the director or other designers, although rarely should you ever need to take your problems as high as the artistic director. Your interaction with the artistic director may be so limited that you could go through an entire production without ever meeting her.

THE MANAGING DIRECTOR

The managing director is responsible for the seasonal budget and operating costs of running the theatre. He also works directly with the theatre’s board of directors and is usually the chief financial officer of the organization. Your contract was probably approved (though not offered specifically) by the managing director, so he must clear any addenda or alterations to it.

THE PRODUCER

Most theatres in the commercial arena have a producer who is responsible for the overall execution of the production. The producer has many of the responsibilities of the artistic director and managing director. Producers put together the entire production, which includes financing, securing the space, and hiring the director, actors, and design staff as well as the other members of the management team. In the world of not-for-profit theatre, it’s not uncommon for the artistic director or the managing director to serve as executive producer.

THE DIRECTOR

The director oversees a particular production, but her aesthetic decisions may be subject to influence by the artistic director. Generally, she casts the show herself (or with a casting director), but is sometimes presented with a complete cast and crew. She may be given free reign over her design staff, or may be presented with the theatre’s resident staff. She may not even be previously connected to the theatre. If she is a resident director, she may be able to assist you in persuading a budget-conscious managing director to accommodate your needs for sound design. If you’re an unknown entity to the director, you may not have an easy rapport with her, and you may have to struggle with any preconceived ideas she has of what sound design can do. The more a director knows and appreciates what creative sound—and particularly your design talents—can do for her production, the more work that will generate for you.

THE PRODUCTION MANAGER

The production manager (sometimes called the director of production) serves as the liaison between the technical and creative staff and the management of the theatre. It is his responsibility to make sure that the designs for the production are executed on time, within budget, and as the designer intended. All technical department heads report to the production manager. Not every question you have will be addressed by him, but he is the one person on staff who has a full overview of how the theatre runs and how to best coordinate your design. Although the managing director approved your contract, the production manager was probably the person who offered it to you. You’ll see him to request increases in budget, changes in scheduling, or revised deadlines.

THE COMPANY MANAGER

The company manager should see to most of your creature comforts. If you’ve been jobbed in for a production, she might handle your travel accommodations, living situation, special considerations, and ground transportation. See her for information about banking privileges, grocery shopping, daycare for a child, and needs of a visiting spouse (or even a pet).

THE PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

The production stage manager’s responsibilities depend on the size of the theatre. At regional theatres, he is in charge of arranging rehearsal times, fittings, recording sessions involving actors, and similar activities when there are numerous productions in rehearsal and performance. The larger the theatre, the less responsibility he has to a specific production. Although qualified as a stage manager, he may not ever run a show. Sometimes he’s the head of the stage management department.

On Broadway and off-Broadway, the production stage manager’s production book is the one used to call the show. He was the original stage manager as the show developed, although his book may be passed along to subsequent stage managers. He coordinates production meetings and the activities of the designers. The production stage manager may assign the maintenance of the blocking, tracking props, and other technical elements to stage managers, production assistants, or interns. He also supervises understudy rehearsals.

If the show is a long-running one, the production stage manager’s most important duty is making sure that the production doesn’t deviate from the director’s intentions. He’ll periodically sit in the audience to take notes, maintain the technical aspects, and check the blocking. He deals directly with the music director regarding changes he observes in tempo and any problems with live music; he also listens for speaker quality and sound levels. In this capacity, the production stage manager can correct any deviations from your original design.

THE STAGE MANAGER

The stage manager schedules rehearsals, records blocking, and runs tech rehearsals. She is, in sum, your link to a smooth production. Besides calling the cues, once the show has opened, the stage manager also preserves the actors’ performance level and maintains the integrity of the designs. She takes over where the director has left off and holds the show together with her constant ministrations.

If the stage manager understands your job and needs in tech rehearsals, she can field interference with the director and the actors to ensure that tech time is not wasted. This is especially helpful when working with directors or actors unaccustomed to working with a sound designer. A stage manager who is savvy about sound affects your experience completely and wonderfully. There are dream stage managers, who anticipate the calls as if they have an innate feel for your design. There are stage managers who have a sophisticated musical sense—after hearing the music once or twice, they can recognize where cues are meant to happen and adjust their calls appropriately. Because of their respect and appreciation for your work, they understand your needs during tech rehearsal and allow for both the quiet and the time you require. This type of stage manager recognizes the importance of your work in rehearsal and makes every effort to assist you. She can identify deviations in your sound design during performances—even over a monitor loudspeaker—and can correct a problem with a cue even as it plays. When you are a distance designer (a New York designer working on the West Coast, for example), the stage manager can be a vital link to the rehearsal process and the day-to-day changes that might affect your design. Having a strong rapport with a good, musically adept stage manager will greatly improve your work experience and, hence, the production.

Other stage managers, while aware of sound design, nonetheless lack the skill or musicality to correctly call your sound cues. There are very few options by which to remedy this situation. You may be tempted to ask your sound operator to compensate for late or missed cues. This is less than ideal and may not be completely ethical (by all rights, the sound operator should not run a cue until it is called). You may ignore the imperfect calling, grin and bear it, and pray that you’ll never have to work with this stage manager again. You could also try to tell her exactly what was wrong about the late or missed cue, and suggest another place for her to call it. In some situations you could ask her to use a stopwatch to time an event if she cannot feel the music of a moment. In any case, you may never hear the show exactly the way you intended it to be.

If the cues are missed frequently, consider cutting them altogether, since a poorly executed cue is worse than no cue at all. Some sound designers choose not to have stage managers call sound cues. Arguments have even been made by some distrustful sound designers that it is better not to use a stage manager to call the cue, because it’s one too many links in the chain of events, and because her reaction time causes the cue to be executed inaccurately. On the other hand, to require a sound operator to keep track of where he is in the script—and at the same time run all the cues in the show—is an unnecessary burden. A competent stage manager should be able to judge the reaction time of the sound operator. On extremely tight cueing, the sound operator may be advised to initiate a cue himself after being properly warned and readied by the stage manager.

Be sure to let the stage manager know from the start what your rehearsal needs will be. Inquire about production meetings so that there is no doubt in anyone’s mind about your interest and your need to be there.

To help the stage manager incorporate your work into the production, take the following steps. Before first tech, talk through the cues with her as she marks her production script or prompt book. Try to make rehearsal recordings easy to use; when changes are needed, supply revisions as soon as possible. Let the stage manager know when you’ll be attending rehearsal to obtain timings. If she knows that you need to get an accurate sense of the flow of a sequence, she can keep the actors or director from interrupting the scene until you complete your timings.

THE TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

The technical director’s job is to assist all members of the production team in carrying through their designs. At smaller theatres, he may be the person who supervises the set construction, hangs the lights and loudspeakers, and wires the sound equipment. In other situations, he may be responsible only to the set designer.

The technical director can inform you of any aspects of the set or lights that affect your loudspeaker placement. He’ll be familiar with the layout of the theatre and may know any peculiarities of the sound system. Should you not have an assistant, the technical director may assist you or have someone on his staff help you set up your equipment. Usually, the technical director is well versed in sound equipment, but if he is not, someone on his team probably is.

THE SOUND SUPERVISOR

The sound supervisor is the head of the sound department. While this is typical of larger theatres, the term has begun to infiltrate all levels of the industry. She is sometimes part of the design staff, but in general, she serves in a purely technical capacity. All sound department personnel report to the sound supervisor. One of her most important responsibilities is to act as a liaison with guest designers. She is responsible for maintaining the equipment and will help in familiarizing incoming sound designers with the acoustics of the theatre, the equipment, and the sound operator. You should provide her with all your production paperwork, including schematic block diagrams, plan and section drawings, shop orders, a hook-up, patch schedule, as well as microphone and RF schedules. She will coordinate the load-in of your design, so be specific about the placement and particulars of the equipment. For example, when specifying that loudspeakers be placed upstage, your production paperwork should indicate the position, pan, and tilt (focus) of each loudspeaker.

THE SOUND ENGINEER

Smaller theatres may not define a position called sound supervisor and instead will define their primary audio position as sound engineer. This person will most likely be part of your labor pool when loading in or configuring your sound system. He will help build cables, set up your system patch, configure your console, build practicals, or anything necessary to execute the load-in. If the producer has more than one venue, he might assign a sound engineer to each performance space. In theatres with more staff members in the sound department, the sound engineer will work under the sound supervisor and is sometimes referred to as the A1.

ASSISTANT SOUND ENGINEER

In larger theatres, it is common to have an assistant sound engineer, or A2. This is usually a seasonal position or possibly an internship position. The responsibilities of the assistant sound engineer will vary depending on the size of the venue. She will generally assist with every aspect of the load-in, strike, run-of-show tasks, and general maintenance. In smaller venues she might be the sound operator or sound mixer on a production.

THE SOUND OPERATOR

The sound operator runs the cues and mixes live sound during tech and performances. He is responsible for the daily soundcheck (loudspeakers, microphones, playback, and special effects), maintaining communications systems, and faithfully executing your design throughout the run of the production. Being a good sound operator requires a certain finesse and is similar to playing a musical instrument, so give careful thought to the expertise of your sound operator when designing a show. Timing and style are talents that may not come naturally to the sound operator. The best thing you can do is to instill in the operator a feeling of confidence and appreciation for his efforts. When possible, include him in as much of your preparation for the show as possible. If the operator expresses interest, see if he can be hired to assist you when producing the cues. This will bring him into the creative process earlier, offering him a greater understanding of how the cues fit into the entire production. Such involvement may pay off in a greater sensitivity to your work and better operating skills. At times, you might be stuck with a totally inept sound operator, one who cannot lend any consistency at all to the design that you have set. This may be due to inexperience or to a bad attitude. Either ask that he be replaced or try to work with him and the stage manager until he develops a feel for the equipment and running the cues. With the advent and increasing adoption of computer-controlled playback systems, sound operators have become more like light ops. They often just press “GO” buttons except when there are live mix elements and, of course, in musicals, where they are not called sound operators, but production sound mixers.

PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER

The production sound mixer is a specialized sound operator who must be quite musical and is able to take direction from the sound (reinforcement) designer in conjunction with the musical director in a music theatre production. Her role is essential in making a musical sound good. She artfully blends the orchestral accompaniment and the singers through a sound reinforcement system that is intended to faithfully amplify the live performance. Some sound designers might work with their operator to create a very subtle reinforcement that is extremely effective, but barely noticeable. Other designers will want to create a visceral experience, where the audience is immersed in the performance. Therein lies the art of the mix. In smaller venues, the production sound mixer may be the sound engineer. On Broadway and on tours, these mixers are specialized individuals and the key person the designer relies on to represent his work throughout the run of the production.

PRODUCTION MEETINGS

Production meetings are useful for addressing immediate and eventual design issues with all department heads and designers present. Questions and needs that arise during rehearsal can be addressed, and matters like having to place a speaker in a prop—as well as other crossover considerations—should be discussed at these meetings. Avoid lengthy discussions that involve only one other department in a production meeting. There’s no need to take up the time of other departments. But feel free to introduce these issues in a production meeting, since many problems can be solved efficiently when all decision-making entities are present.

At some theatres, the stage manager writes up rehearsal notes after each rehearsal day. These notes are divided up by department and consist of information and questions for which the director and stage manager will need answers. If these questions aren’t addressed by the following production meeting, they are brought up again for immediate attention.

Not all theatres have regular production meetings. Some are sufficiently small-scale that the logistics of communication and decision making are simple and direct.

In situations where you are designing remotely, see if the theatre can provide a teleconference phone device or even a webcam so you can participate in the meetings in real time, even over great distances.

BUDGETARY LIMITATIONS

One of your considerations when working with a theatre is its financial health. The fiscal stability of the theatre will be reflected in your budget, the type and range of equipment you have to work with, and what shape that equipment is in. You’ll have to produce your design within the time and budget parameters of the theatre.

It’s crucial that you estimate what your budget requirements are prior to first meetings. This may seem like fortune-telling, but with experience, you can learn to judiciously determine how much certain services cost and how far your budget will stretch.

You may find that the quality of the sound equipment at the theatre is deficient. In that case, either make do with what is there or, if necessary, start accumulating your own equipment to rent to the theatre. If you know that the theatre is safe and that your equipment will not be mishandled, the latter choice may turn out to be a fine investment, since your equipment could eventually pay for itself from rental fees.

TOURING CONSIDERATIONS

When you are contracted as a sound designer for a tour, be aware of the differences in the organizational structure of the production. In this situation, the company manager may be concerned primarily with the cast, and you may simply be supplied with a per diem allotment. In that case, you might have to find your own housing. Instead of a production manager, there may be a production supervisor responsible for scheduling and for the overall flow of the tour. The budget has already been set and, short of disaster, it won’t be increased, so all of your design considerations must be agreed on before you begin to work with a tour.

When a show that has been playing in a theatre is then adapted for touring, a different staff may be required. It’s common for wellfunded tours to be fully equipped and staffed specifically for the tour. But it’s also common to expect that in order to tour successfully, the sound design must be tailored to limitations of equipment, staff, and the unknown properties of the varied spaces in which the show will play. Keeping your touring design as simple as possible could be advantageous. Unless you or a trusted operator is to travel with the production, and unless there’s a large budget to provide for the upkeep of primary and auxiliary equipment, you have no way of ensuring that once it is on the road, your sound design will be maintained as you originally intended. A smaller touring production sound design may have to be run through different loudspeakers, played on different equipment, and executed by a different operator at each location. Ideally, you would be involved with the setup in each new space, but if this is not possible, have someone in the company help with the soundcheck and keep an eye on and an ear open to the integrity of your design.

If you move from a nonunion theatre to a union house, you’ll have to conform to specific rules regarding hours that can be spent working each day and what nonunion persons are allowed to do. In most union houses, for example, the sound designer is not permitted to touch the equipment, plug in a cord, or pick up a wrench—although you are encouraged to make coffee and donut runs.

Whether the theatre company is knowledgeable about your design area or not, remember that your purpose is to enhance the quality of the entire production—ultimately, your goal is to help the production company present the finest theatrical work possible.