I’m very happy to be able to post another blog post on DITL, this time the tech week version. As it was the first tech of the summer it wasn’t as hectic as the changeover (72 hours from show to show, including teardown, load-in, focus, tech) but it was great to see how professional tech works. I’ll be able to post a DITL (changeover version) in July if you’re interested. For now this was what it was like on Tuesday before opening on Wednesday:
At 7:45am, I wake up to my alarm and get dressed for the day.
At 8 a.m., I take a short morning walk. Since I’ve prioritized getting a good night’s sleep after staying up late, my walk is shorter than usual, but a morning workout is also a great way to prepare my body for the day.
8:35 AM I walk down to the lobby and eat breakfast prepared by the management team. I eat a bagel from my favorite restaurant in town. During tech classes, the theater provides at least one meal a day to minimize stress.
At 9am, work begins. I start by addressing the technician’s notes from the previous day, which include moving the cue lights, adding two pieces of equipment, running additional cabling, and replacing burnt out lamps.
11am Lunch break (veggie samosas)! I bought some frozen samosas over the weekend because they are quick and tasty to pop in the toaster when I don’t feel like cooking. This gives us more time to rest and chat during our break.
12:00 We return to the theatre and finish up preparations for the final technical work, mainly cleaning and testing microphones.
At 1pm the technical work begins and I am in charge of the mic for the technical work so that the sound designer can hear from the audience.
5pm Dinner break! I make pasta with veggie meatballs.
6pm Back to the theatre for crew call time, I help out wherever I can (I don’t have a specific role in this show so I just fly around wherever someone needs help).
At 7:30pm the dress rehearsal begins, to which I have been invited. Since I am in charge of the house lights for this show (which only change at the beginning and end of each act), I am primarily able to watch the performance. It is so much fun to see how much the company has grown since the performance I saw a few days ago.
10:30pm After the audience has left, the deck crew rehearsal takes place. Since I’m not part of that team, I complete a few tasks and watch them work from the auditorium.
Rehearsal ended at 12am. We all went back to our cabins and got ready for bed. Tomorrow is our first opening day of the season, so we’re really excited.
It was my first time experiencing a professional technical rehearsal, and it was a lot of fun. It was a long day, but I got through it with my friends, so it was fun. After this first technical, I’m looking forward to the first changeover.
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