Return-Path: X-Processed-By: Virex 7 on prxy.net X-Real-To: stagecraftlist [at] theatrical.net Received: by prxy.net (CommuniGate Pro PIPE 4.2.6) with PIPE id 12941728; Sat, 08 Jan 2005 03:00:25 -0800 X-ListServer: CommuniGate Pro LIST 4.2.6 List-Unsubscribe: List-ID: Message-ID: From: "Stagecraft" Sender: "Stagecraft" To: "Stagecraft" Precedence: list Subject: Stagecraft Digest #253 Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2005 03:00:08 -0800 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Content-Disposition: inline X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-5.4 required=5.0 tests=ALL_TRUSTED,AWL,BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=3.0.2 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.2 (2004-11-16) on prxy.net X-TFF-CGPSA-Version: 1.4f2 X-prxy-Spam-Filter: Scanned For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- Stagecraft Digest, Issue #253 1. Re: Payrates for academic TDs by "Jonathan Wills" 2. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by "Nigel Worsley" 3. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Bill Sapsis 4. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Charlie Richmond 5. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Charlie Richmond 6. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by "Jeffrey E. Salzberg" 7. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Steve Larson 8. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by Steve Larson 9. Re: Sound Board Maintenance by "Nigel Worsley" 10. Re: Sound Board Maintenance by Charlie Richmond 11. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by mconn [at] cumberlandcollege.edu 12. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by Howard Ires 13. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by "Jonathan S. Deull" 14. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by "Paul Schreiner" 15. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" 16. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" 17. Re: Theatre Rentals? by Bruce Purdy 18. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by "Andrew Vance" 19. Re: Theatre Renovation/Equipment by Marty_Petlock [at] sarasotagov.com 20. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by Mark O'Brien 21. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by "Jason" 22. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by MissWisc [at] aol.com 23. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by "Jeffrey E. Salzberg" 24. Re: Theatre Rentals? by "Chris Summers" 25. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Bruce Purdy 26. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Ron Cargile 27. Wagon Brakes by "Randy B." 28. Silica by "Zirngibl, Ryan John" 29. Re: Wagon Brakes by "LES LIND" 30. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 31. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Greg Persinger 32. Re: Silica by "ladesigners [at] juno.com" 33. TD job in NYC [at] NYU by Barney Simon 34. Re: Wagon Brakes by "Scott C. Parker" 35. NYC Shop Supervisor: part time by "Scott C. Parker" 36. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 37. Re: Sound Board Maintenance by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 38. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by "Jason" 39. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 40. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by CB 41. Volunteering in Tucson by CB 42. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by CB 43. OSHA by Fred Fisher 44. Re: Chocolate (was:Re: Turntables) by CB 45. US/DS troughs by "Dougherty, Jim" 46. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by CB 47. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Marty_Petlock [at] sarasotagov.com 48. Re: Volunteering in Tucson by CB 49. Re: Chocolate (was:Re: Turntables) by MissWisc [at] aol.com 50. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Charlie Richmond 51. Theater wiring suggestions by "Dougherty, Jim" 52. Re: Chocolate (was:Re: Turntables) by "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" 53. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" 54. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by "Jack Morones" 55. Renovation project at Saddleback Theatre, CA by "Jack Morones" 56. Re: Theater wiring suggestions by FrankWood95 [at] aol.com 57. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by Jerry Durand 58. Re: Sound Board Maintenance by Jerry Durand 59. Re: Theatre renovation/equipment by "Ken Romaine" 60. Re: Theater wiring suggestions by "richard j. archer" 61. Re: Silica by "Josh Ratty" 62. Producers National Tour by "holyoak1" 63. Re: Silica by Jared Fortney *** Please update the subject line of your reply to use the subject *** line of the message you are replying to! Please only reply to *** one message subject in each reply. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reply-To: From: "Jonathan Wills" Subject: re: Payrates for academic TDs Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 06:18:45 -0500 Organization: Wills Lighting & Stage Message-ID: <0MKyxe-1Cms8i2gXB-0004pZ [at] mrelay.perfora.net> >Are we talking about a 12 month appointment? An 9/10 month academic=20 appointment? Ok for a little more information for what my position is to compare = apples to apples. It is a 10month position, salaried. We have a 500 seat house, with a shop of site (about =BD mile) we do 3 productions a year (1 = Opera, 1-2 Dramas, 1 Musical alternating years), plus all the student directing projects. Plus we occasionally have a director that gets a hair in his bonnet and wants to do an extra experimental show. We do a summer camp, = but as of right now it is not part of my responsibilities, will probably = change with the new person. >Teaching responsibilities? What I guess what I mean is it faculty or=20 staff?=20 No direct teaching responsibilities, but =93assist=94 an instructor with = several classes (teach them but not necessary the teacher of record). The = department chair tried to get the position re-designated as a faculty position, but = our School Dean killed that. But if someone had a MA, they could teach = adjunct. >Does it require an MFA or a BFA? BA or above. A little more about what we do show wise. We have a 500 seat house, with a shop of site (about =BD mile) we do 3 productions a year (1 Opera, 1-2 Dramas, 1 Musical alternating years), = plus all the student directing projects. Plus we occasionally have a director that gets a hair in his bonnet and wants to do an extra experimental = show. We do a summer camp, but as of right now it is not part of my responsibilities, will probably change with the new person. Hope that helps a little. Jonathan Wills --=20 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.9 - Release Date: 1/6/2005 =20 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <0a4e01c4f4b1$0e54e550$0c00a8c0 [at] Nigellaptop> From: "Nigel Worsley" References: Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:04:34 -0000 Steve Larson wrote: > I just met with a local town which owns an auditorium > that seats 465. They are renovating the whole facility > and adding onto the building. The proscenium opening > is 12 x 44 and the stage 35' deep and 60' wide with > an additional area that is about 15' deep at the > back of the stage, but not full width. Fly height > about 30-32'. One FOH pipe with a boom on each side. > > Their questions to me which I will field to all you > for your input based upon your diversified experience > and expertise: > > How many fly sets? > Counterweight or motor-driven? > Rigging companies? > How many instruments in the house stock? > What brand? > Source 4 or Shakespeare? > Fresnel or Parnel? > How many circuits? How many receptacles per circuit? > How many dimmers? what brand? > Computer light board - what brand? > How many sets of legs and teasers? > Mid-stage traveler? > Up-stage traveler? > Drapery suppliers that you have found reliable? I note that there is nothing about sound on your list. Is that because nobody has any questions, or has it been overlooked? It looks as though a lot of money is going to be spent, it would be a shame if sound gets left out! Nigel Worsley ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 07:25:11 -0500 Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment From: Bill Sapsis Message-ID: In-Reply-To: on 1/7/05 7:04 AM, Nigel Worsley at nigle [at] dsl.pipex.com wrote: > It looks as though a lot of money is going to be spent, it would be a shame if > sound gets left out! And very, very quiet. www.sapsis-rigging.com 800.727.7471 800.292.3851 fax 267.278.4561 mobile We stand behind, and under, our work. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:24:06 +0000 (GMT) From: Charlie Richmond Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References:

On Fri, 7 Jan 2005, Nigel Worsley wrote: > I note that there is nothing about sound on your list. Is that because nobody > has any questions, or has it been overlooked? There is another possibility which is the more common one: The consultant is already a sound expert and knows exactly what every theatre needs ;-) > It looks as though a lot of money is going to be spent, it would be a shame if > sound gets left out! It probably won't get left out, it will probably just have an expensive cookie cutter system that uses up all the sound budget with stuff that the user was never consulted about, as usual... Charlie + ----- Charlie Richmond - Richmond Sound Design Ltd ----- + + ---------- http://www.RichmondSoundDesign.com ---------- + + ------------ "Performance for the Long Run" ------------ + ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:27:53 +0000 (GMT) From: Charlie Richmond Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: On Fri, 7 Jan 2005, Bill Sapsis wrote: > And very, very quiet. Not if they put in new lighting instruments ;-) Charlie ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: "Jeffrey E. Salzberg" Subject: RE: Theatre renovation/equipment Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 07:31:14 -0500 Message-ID: <000001c4f4b4$ca6d0710$6401a8c0 [at] Dell> In-Reply-To: > There is another possibility which is the more common one: > > The consultant is already a sound expert and knows exactly > what every theatre > needs ;-) Or the consultant is a vendor who knows exactly what he wants to sell. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 08:46:44 -0500 Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment From: Steve Larson Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Like I said in the first post. I am not financially involved in this project. There is no consultant. The town wants to gather information about what should go into the theatre that is used primarily by local groups. They think that talking to a local vendor and area TDs they can get all the answers. Obviously, they need a consultant more than they think. They never brought the subject of sound up to me. They asked questions about lighting, rigging, floor, draperies. I answered all their questions. I came to you just to see what the list thought. I'm getting lots of good ideas which I will pass along to them, i.e., "this is a consensus of thought from world-wide professionals". If I had the time, I could do the consulting. I've done it before on much larger, more complex projects. My job does not permit it. Thanks for the input, keep it coming. Steve on 1/7/05 7:31 AM, Jeffrey E. Salzberg at stagecraft [at] jeffsalzberg.com wrote: > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > --------------------------------------------------- > > >> There is another possibility which is the more common one: >> >> The consultant is already a sound expert and knows exactly >> what every theatre >> needs ;-) > > Or the consultant is a vendor who knows exactly what he wants to sell. > > > > ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 08:49:25 -0500 Subject: Re: Volunteering in Tucson From: Steve Larson Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Would that be Monument, AZ? There are several high schools in my area (Raleigh, NC) that require their students to complete community service hours to graduate. I use them regularly. They are great! Steve on 1/7/05 12:39 AM, Ronnie Thevenot at rkt [at] ronniethevenot.com wrote: > As for MON, AZ I don't even know where that is, but I can't work there > unless it is in my area. We will see, maybe he will see this thread and ------------------------------ Message-ID: <0d1101c4f4c2$25862e80$0c00a8c0 [at] Nigellaptop> From: "Nigel Worsley" References: Subject: Re: Sound Board Maintenance Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 14:06:54 -0000 FrankWood95 [at] aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 06/01/05 08:14:03 GMT Standard Time, tlipcon [at] mercea.net > writes: > >>> I'm sending my mixer in for service tomorrow in order to address some >> > small issues (a couple of bad channels, intermittent meter ghosting, >> > etc.) What else should I ask the shop to do as long as they have my >> > chassis open? It's a Mackie SR40.8, about five years old. > > I assume that, apart from fixing the faults you have signalled, they will do > a complete engineering test on all the channels. Frequency response, > signal-to-noise ratio, distortion, functionality (do ALL the knobs and buttons do what > they are meant to), phantom powering. I doubt it. The manufacturer probably doesn't do that even on new ones. > There may be internal controls as well, which should be adjusted if needed. These are rare in modern equipment, it is cheaper to use close tolerance components than provide a pot and then pay someone to twiddle it to the right value. > At the end, it ought to be as good as new. > Given that you have a few problems, they really ought, having fixed them, to > see if any more are likely to arise. Yes, Xray all the components to see which are likely to fail next :-) > While most components have an indefinite > life, this does not apply to electrolytic capacitors, whether Aluminium or > Tantalum. That isn't true anymore, as long as they don't get too hot. At room temperature, any half decent capacitor will last a few hundred thousand hours. >A close visual inspection for defective solder joints might be in > order, if one is found to be the source of your problems. That isn't very practical. If the equipment is made in a properly run factory, it is also not necessary. Cold joints should never happen if the machinery is running correctly. Oulling out every circuitboard for a visual inspection is more likely to cause a fault due to disturbed connections than show up any latent problems. > Service at this level won't be cheap, but it will be rewarding. It needs > expensive test gear, and real engineers. And a lot of time. The most effective piece of test gear is a decent pair of ears. Running a signal through each channel and listening to the results is very quick and will catch far more problems - someone looking at a bank of test gear is unlikely to spot slightly noisy controls, for instance. Fix the faults, blow out the dust and listen to the results. Anything more is going to be a waste of money in my opinion. Nigel Worsley ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 14:28:30 +0000 (GMT) From: Charlie Richmond Subject: Re: Sound Board Maintenance In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References:

On Fri, 7 Jan 2005, Nigel Worsley wrote: >> While most components have an indefinite >> life, this does not apply to electrolytic capacitors, whether Aluminium or >> Tantalum. > > That isn't true anymore, as long as they don't get too hot. At room temperature, any > half decent capacitor will last a few hundred thousand hours. And tantalums have always been designed for very long life even in extended temperature ranges - usually in the million hour area. >> A close visual inspection for defective solder joints might be in >> order, if one is found to be the source of your problems. > > That isn't very practical. If the equipment is made in a properly run factory, it is > also not necessary. Cold joints should never happen if the machinery is running > correctly. This unfortunately is not as true as it should be. Too many automated soldering systems don't produce reliable joints even though there is no reason they should not be able to (but to be fair you do say 'properly run factory' which qualifies your response, just as Frank said 'if one is found to the be the source of your problems' in qualification of his advice). > Oulling out every circuitboard for a visual inspection is more likely to cause a fault > due to disturbed connections than show up any latent problems. This may be true for Mackies but should not be for most well designed products... ;-) In my experience, though, the biggest problem areas are, in this order: moving parts, moving parts, moving parts - or in other words, controls, connectors, bad solder joints ;-) Charlie ------------------------------ Message-ID: <1105108053.41de9c5561750 [at] mail.cumberlandcollege.edu> Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 09:27:33 -0500 From: mconn [at] cumberlandcollege.edu Subject: RE:Volunteering in Tucson Wow! I wish I had the kind of drive you (Ronnie) have when I graduated from HS. I can not offer you and volunteer work, but I can share that I too had a TD in College that I felt was my enemy! I am almost positive he was tring to keep me from achieving anything positive from Theatre. I spent my last year of Under Grad. volunteering in his shop, and he taught me my second most important lesson of anyone I have ever work with. That is, what I don't want to be as a teacher and mentor. I continue to chech myself, my attitude and how I run my shop and shows aginst what I learned from him. Point is even if we learn what we don't want to be, it is still learning. Oh, my First most important lesson: Everyone has a right to there own dignity. I am still learning lessons in both. Technical Theatre can open a number of doors, and to top it off... I have only been without a job once in 16 years, and that was when the Candlelight Dinner Theatre in Chicago area closed without warning. Within 2 weeks I was back at it. Good Luck Maurice "Moe" Conn Designer/Technical Director Kohn Theatre Cumberland College 606-539-4520 mconn [at] cumberlandcollege.edu Thank You Everyone for Supporting the Long Beach Long Riders efforts to Raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, Keep your eyes open for info on our upcoming ride. Check Out: www.sapsis-rigging.com/LBLR.html ------------------------------ Message-ID: <41DEA1F9.4010909 [at] hillinteractive.net> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 09:51:37 -0500 From: Howard Ires Subject: Re: Volunteering in Tucson References: In-Reply-To: Ronnie Thevenot wrote: >(I do not > like the way my Theatre teacher treats students, it is through a system of > negative reinforcement and he often blames his shortcomings on others.) He > always tells us that is how "real-world" theatre is .... hehehe - in the "real world" you will find people who are good and people who are jerks. In "real world" theater, engineering, health care - you name it. If you're doing something you like it's easier to put up with the jerks, but whatever you do for a career you will have to deal with them. ------------------H ------------------------------ From: "Jonathan S. Deull" Cc: seanrmc [at] earthlink.net Subject: RE: Theatre renovation/equipment Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 10:03:17 -0500 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Sean: Thanks for the advice and offer. I just bought some used intercom gear from Marty and will be coming by to pick it up at some point. I'd love to see your stuff and talk through some ideas. It will probably be the week of the 18th. Will you be around? Jonathan Deull Edmund Burke School -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of seanrmc [at] earthlink.net Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 1:02 AM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- Jonathan... If you mean hardwired boxes on the ends of multicable, in my honest opinion you're making a HUGE mistake. Make it modular--I'd even go so far as to say you shouldn't have long tails hardwired on your drops either, as multicable gets heavy. Multipin connectors are far from delicate--I've only seen two broken Socapex connectors in person, while I've dealt with many dozens of broken 2P&G, Edison, and twistlock. Though certainly not recommended practice, Socopex connectors will generally survive a 20' fall unscathed. Yes, they are slightly more complicated than single circuits to mate, but if you can manage to hook up a garden hose at home you'll be fine. I believe you're in DC? If you'd like to come see how we use our (Socapex) facility in person just let me know... --Sean Sean R. McCarthy seanrmc [at] earthlink.net Master Electrcian The Shakespeare Theatre Washington, DC -----Original Message----- From: "Jonathan S. Deull" Without firsthand experience, I have heard from a number of people that the added expense and "delicacy" of the Socapex -- particularly if a lot of people are handling them, frequently outweigh the virtues. We're going with drop boxes in our new facility. Jonathan Deull Edmund Burke School ------------------------------ Subject: RE: Volunteering in Tucson Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 10:28:00 -0500 Message-ID: <6E497ADB607656479C24E6D7BF6B505A0196C685 [at] exchange.rmwc.edu> From: "Paul Schreiner" > before I graduate and enter the crucial time in my life when=20 > I must choose what I think I want to do for the rest of my life. Too long. Too much pressure. Think more along the lines of "what I think I want to do for the next five years." Five years from now you'll be a much different person, with a different set of circumstances and so on. Allow yourself the freedom to change your mind... :) ------------------------------ Message-ID: <886EF25AF8BEF64EB89A820EF84064FF0B52DB66 [at] UCMAIL4> From: "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" Subject: RE: Volunteering in Tucson Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 10:49:25 -0500 As Kristi points out you can get a degree in engineering and then do theatrical work, or you can take the Shawn Nolan route and become a TD and then go get your engineering degree. It is wonderful to be able to talk to an engineer who understands what we do. Thank you Shawn. Steve Waxler Technical Director College Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati -----Original Message----- From: MissWisc [at] aol.com [mailto:MissWisc [at] aol.com] Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 12:32 AM To: Stagecraft Cc: rkt [at] ronniethevenot.com Subject: Re: Volunteering in Tucson For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- You COULD combine the two, Ronnie! Get a degree as a structural engineer and do scenic/rigging/theatrical design and installations. Perhaps combine some archetecture too. Or get a degree in electrical engineering (computer engineering?) and design/build lighting things. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <886EF25AF8BEF64EB89A820EF84064FF0B52DB78 [at] UCMAIL4> From: "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" Subject: RE: Theatre renovation/equipment Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 10:55:00 -0500 Sound? SOUND? ....... Steve Waxler Technical Director College Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati -----Original Message----- From: Bill Sapsis [mailto:bill [at] sapsis-rigging.com] Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 7:25 AM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- on 1/7/05 7:04 AM, Nigel Worsley at nigle [at] dsl.pipex.com wrote: > It looks as though a lot of money is going to be spent, it would be a shame if > sound gets left out! And very, very quiet. www.sapsis-rigging.com 800.727.7471 800.292.3851 fax 267.278.4561 mobile We stand behind, and under, our work. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 10:59:31 -0500 Subject: RE: Theatre Rentals? From: Bruce Purdy Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Randy Storms wrote: > My students earn good money for rentals, and I usually have no problem > filling those calls. The trouble occurs when the calendar becomes > oversaturated, such as with fifteen separate > events occurring over fifteen days - that happened last month for me. > Many of those were "volunteer" school events such as the winter band > and choir concerts, and it's for these non-paid shows for which > recruits become scarce. Is it possible to institute a policy such as: "You must work X number of volunteer gigs in order to qualify to be on the paid gig crew"? Either as an annual requirement, or as a "Training" requirement for any new techs before being added to the paid crew call list. Sort of "Paying their dues". Bruce -- Bruce Purdy Technical Director Smith Opera House ------------------------------ Message-ID: <05fd01c4f4d4$abc735e0$0500000a [at] anneb> From: "Andrew Vance" References: Subject: Re: Volunteering in Tucson Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 10:19:31 -0600 > Would that be Monument, AZ? I don't want to speak for Chris, but I've been told MON, AZ [Middle of = Nowhere, AZ] is Tucson. -- Sincerely, Andrew Vance Lighting Designer/Supervisor Omaha Theatre Company/Omaha Theatre Ballet ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Theatre Renovation/Equipment Message-ID: From: Marty_Petlock [at] sarasotagov.com Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 11:24:20 -0500 Something I don't recall being discussed on the list is Section (or Paragraph, etc. depending on your state) 11 vs. Section 16: The difference between the two is: Will your equipment including Audio Gear, Dimming and Control, Fixtures, etc. will be supplied as part of a larger bid by the project's Electrical Sub. or do you want to be able to go to vendors of your choice and shop for equipment? Electrical sub-contractors are unlikely to know or care much about what you get. Included as part of a much larger package, it can be difficult to break out a price but you may find that a console was purchased at MSRP and (legally) marked up for the sub's profit. Anyone on the list paid MSRP for anything lately? Without a consultant - hopefully working for you rather than the Architect - who will make decisions about specific equipment? One of the major functions of a consultant is to supply the written specs for equipment, a jealously guarded product of their expertise. Unless the theatre can do that you may find the sub contractor has bid the whole electrical package to a large supplier that has a deal with Bubba's Fly By Nite Ho-Made Dimmer Pax. Since it's a sweet mark up the fact that Bubba is a 15 hour drive away doesn't bother anyone but you they'll use Bubba's specs. Since most of the stuff in Bubba's garage is from Radio Shack you can't buy ETC or Strand no matter how much you want to. I'm havin' fun blowing this up a bit but I hope what I'm saying is clear. I know there is another side of this: most of our manufacturers and suppliers really do care and much prefer dealing with professionals rather than a confused end user so maybe there's no absolute here but be aware if you know what you are doing you may want to keep control over that part of the process. As a city, buying directly, they may also be exempt from State and County taxes that would apply to contractors. A city project needs to be very careful, governmental entities aren't set up to produce excellence. They're more concerned with procedure. As Bertold Brecht said: "The only thing a government knows about itself is what it reads in the newspaper." Marty Petlock Technical Facilities Manager Van Wezel P.A.H. Sarasota, FL. ********** E-mail messages sent or received by City of Sarasota officials and employees in connection with official City business are public records subject to disclosure under the Florida Public Records Act. ********** ------------------------------ In-Reply-To: References: Message-Id: Cc: marko [at] email.arizona.edu (Mark O'Brien) From: Mark O'Brien Subject: Re: Volunteering in Tucson Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 09:40:25 -0700 I think it is "Middle of nowhere" , AZ that he refers to. Actually, the last time I was at his house, it was Tucson... Mark O'Brien Opera Technical Director University of Arizona, School of Music Tucson, AZ 520/621-7025 520/591-1803 Mobile On Jan 7, 2005, at 6:49 AM, Steve Larson wrote: > For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see > > --------------------------------------------------- > > Would that be Monument, AZ? > > There are several high schools in my area > (Raleigh, NC) that require their students > to complete community service hours to graduate. > I use them regularly. They are great! > > Steve > > > on 1/7/05 12:39 AM, Ronnie Thevenot at rkt [at] ronniethevenot.com wrote: > >> As for MON, AZ I don't even know where that is, but I can't work there >> unless it is in my area. We will see, maybe he will see this thread >> and > ------------------------------ Message-ID: From: "Jason" References: Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 08:58:50 -0800 In the early days of soca the male connector ring would bend and break, but they have made them stronger. A year go I was looking for a bad ring on a soca that I could cut off for a fast set change and couldn't find one in either the building stuff or the rental that was brought in, so picked the ulgiest one and cut the ring off. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Clausen" Correct me if I'm wrong (and I know you will) - but I've always been careful with Soca connectors due to the threads on the connector, not due to the actual wire terminations. Too many drops on a concrete floor and getting the Soca to actually connect to the receptacle can become a problem. An unskilled crew might do this kind of damage, then again if the cable is stored correctly, or most often connected to a distro box, it may not be a problem. If one is designing an _installed_ dimming and distribution system these days, I would also vote for well placed and well thought out drop boxes (with enough circuits on each and enough multicable on them to allow for flexible placement along the battens - I hate it when they drop in and stop 8 feet from the floor...) Beyond a #1 Electric position, electrics battens are never in the right place for all the types of events going into a multi-purpose space... My $0.02... Sarah Sarah Clausen Product Manager Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. *Unless otherwise stated, my opinions are my own and not those of my employer. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 11:59:48 -0500 From: MissWisc [at] aol.com Cc: marko [at] email.arizona.edu (Mark O'Brien) Subject: Re: Volunteering in Tucson Message-ID: <69E35E48.24AB3E92.007B9F2A [at] aol.com> No wonder I can't find it on the map. :) Kristi ------------------------------ Reply-To: From: "Jeffrey E. Salzberg" Subject: RE: Volunteering in Tucson Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:02:31 -0500 Message-ID: <000f01c4f4da$b0168410$6401a8c0 [at] Dell> In-Reply-To: > No wonder I can't find it on the map. :) C'mon, Kristi, you just find "Nowhere" and look for the middle of it. ------------------------------ Message-ID: In-Reply-To: From: "Chris Summers" Subject: RE: Theatre Rentals? Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 12:07:09 -0500 I would do a little research on venues similar in size to yours and see what they charge. The venue i work for has four rates (too many IMO); schools and local government, non-profit, for-profit, and out of town users. They each have thier own rental of $XXX/4 hour block or $YYY all day. In addition to the rental rate each user is bill for a 15% of gross ticket sales, building supervisor at $35/per hour (required), $10/per hour for additional technicians (to betermined by TD), 10-20% of merchandise sales and $25 per microphone requested or used. We require that the rent be paid up front as a deposit. Here what they get for the rental price. Standard house plot, standard sound system and minimal stage set-up. Any additional set-up (ex. drawn light plot or adding booms for dance recital). Here what should be in the contract other than the obvious: 1. Abnormal clean-up charge 2. User must provide proof of liability insurance. 3. Dates must be requested at so many weeks in advance. 4. Required production meeting to discuss needs of the event 5. User understands that they are resonsible for any and all damages and/or loss to facility, grounds, and equipment. Other facilities I have worked for have charge for a house manager, box office fee, per ticket charge, and for ushers that the facility provided. ABOVE ALL...Before you jump into the rental world in addition to provide an education, that 100% newly generate monies from the rentals goes directly back into the auditorium budget. There are many other things that you will also want to consider, for example OT pay for you since you would be responsible for the facility and would have to be present for every event. Any questions or advice feel free to call Chris Summers, Technical Director The Walker Center Wilkes Community College Wilkesboro, NC 336-838-6268 >From: stevedecker [at] mac.com >Reply-To: "Stagecraft" >To: "Stagecraft" >Subject: Theatre Rentals? >Date: Mon, 03 Jan 2005 14:19:32 -0800 > >For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see >--------------------------------------------------- > > >Hello wise list. >I am a Technical director for a new theater at St. Francis High school, >that is a 502 seat house. The theater is brand new, with an full lighting >package (168 ETC source four instruments from 19-50 degrees, 20 S4 par cans >as well as 20 6" Fresnel's, Emphasis control board, 320 circuits,) sound >package ( center cluster, house left and right mix, rear house right and >left mix, a 48 channel sound board and 16 wireless body pack mic's. both >lapel, and over ear, 8 hand held wire less) and fly system with 28 line >sets. Every thing is state of the art with lots of room to grow. The >policy of the school is to remain up to date on new technologies. > >The question that was asked of me was do we rent to outside communities? >If we do how much should we charge for rentals and do the rates vary based >on events, ie concerts vs. theater productions? How a contract should look >and the legalities of renting such a space? How much staff should I have on >board for each event? what should I allow or provide each group to use in >terms of equipment? Some thoughts for lighting are that they may use a >rep. plot that I have hung and can add specials to the plot. What should >we ask for a deposit to cover potential damages? Do we charge for lamps or >include that in the rate? > >The school is very interested in renting to out side sources but they are >hesitant as am I, since I have very little experience running a rental >operation. I have only been on the other side of the rentals, and have the >knowledge of a costumer renting the space, not the other way around. Of >course our own needs come first but there are down times that we are not >using the theater. Also I think this would provide some great experiences >for some of my students to be exposed to other forms of theater production >other than the ones that we produce. > >If any one has any experience in this please help me out in answering >theses questions. Also if some one has a sample rental contract that they >could show me that would be great. Of course we are looking for other >models with similar equipment, however I'll take any advice. > >Thanks > >Stephen Decker >Technical Director / Designer >St. Francis High School > > _________________________________________________________________ Don�t just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/ ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 12:12:47 -0500 Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment From: Bruce Purdy Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Frank wrote: > Maximum flexibility, fine. But, how to supply your general purpose pipes with > power is a problem, if you want them for lighting. Not imposible, but more > difficult than having designated electrics. Longer rigging times, and a more > complex installation, since every pipe has to have a capacity to be an > electrics > pipe. So why the more complex installation? In our venue all batons are just that - simple linesets & pipes. We then cable everything individually (or with a couple of mults) from the plugging panel in "The cage" (Dimmer room) directly to whatever pipe we decide to use. If I had the money for a retrofit, I would install drop boxes, but it would serve the same purpose - you just tie it to whatever baton you need to use. Why is that a more difficult or complex installation? Bruce -- Bruce Purdy Technical Director Smith Opera House ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.0.0.22.2.20050107091616.01bb1480 [at] pop.uci.edu> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 09:20:34 -0800 From: Ron Cargile Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment I would like to second (or third or twentyfourth) the call for drop boxes. In our recent renovation we added drop boxes in addition to 8 fixed electrics, and we removed *all* of our floor pockets. We have circuits on either side of the proscenium and spaced across the back wall, but nothing on the floor. On a recent show we had 75 set-mount circuits, but only 6 circuits on the floor- 3 to wagons, and 3 run next to each other. Actors love it, scenics love it, dancers love it. Besides, how many times have you had a set sitting on a floor pocket, or have a pocket in the path of a wagon? ....Ron ---- Ron Cargile ME, Univ of CA, Irvine ------------------------------ Message-ID: <011601c4f4e4$fdbb06f0$4d494898 [at] GLOBAL.SCJ.LOC> From: "Randy B." References: Subject: Wagon Brakes Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:16:21 -0600 For our next High School production I am having to make a couple of wagons that turn 180 degrees on the stage. I am looking for some ideas on how to conceal the wagon brakes. If I use the Rosco Brakes that I have use din the past they get mounted to the edge of the wagon and will be visible when the wagon is turned. I can not afford any hydraulic type breaks. Any advice. Randy ------------------------------ Subject: Silica Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:21:46 -0600 Message-ID: <5CF1C3D95785A143A3E33ACFD864609B0383455C [at] PEPSI.uwec.edu> From: "Zirngibl, Ryan John" Hello my name is Ryan and this is my first time in this group. I have a problem. That's right I'm a snoopaholic, I keep digging nose into places I shouldn't be, but in the process of this I was cleaning out an area of our shop and I found a nearly full large bag of flakey looking silica. This captivated me because the only time I've seen or heard of silica before was in those little packets that you find in a new pair of shoes and I didn't know it had other forms, much less could have a use in theatre. If anyone has any knowledge to send my way that would be wonderful! Thank you very much and I look forward to being part of this group in the future!=20 Ryan J. Zirngibl=20 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ------------------------------ Message-Id: Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:30:02 -0500 From: "LES LIND" Subject: Re: Wagon Brakes Randy, Here at our high school we remove the red plastic cover and paint the brake the same color as the wagon. We also have stapled a piece of cloth on the wagon that just flaps down over the brake. Les Lind, TD NHS Dramatics Northeastern High School Manchester, PA >>> rgbrzosk [at] usermail.com 1/7/05 1:16:21 PM >>> For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- For our next High School production I am having to make a couple of wagons that turn 180 degrees on the stage. I am looking for some ideas on how to conceal the wagon brakes. If I use the Rosco Brakes that I have use din the past they get mounted to the edge of the wagon and will be visible when the wagon is turned. I can not afford any hydraulic type breaks. Any advice. Randy ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 13:32:26 EST Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment In a message dated 07/01/05 00:14:46 GMT Standard Time, sdwheaton [at] fuse.net writes: > Drop boxes.... > > First, mostly used in proscenium theatres, so they might not > work for you. That does not mean they are a bad idea. > > The dimmer outputs are fed from the dimmer through conduits > to the grid. at the grid, they are fed to a large > multicable, that leads from the grid to the stage floor, and > part way across the width of a pipe. (flybar) At the end of > the cable, there is a steel box about a foot long and 6 > inches square that clamps to the flybar and has outlets or > pigtails for 4-12 outlets. Each outlet is numbered to > correspond to the dimmer that feeds it, (or it's place in > the patchbay.) All is now clear. Thank you. You are right in that they wouldn't suit us at all. we have what is called an 'adaptable' theatre. Anything from straight pros to full in-the-round. The lighting is hung on bridges which cover the whole space, and allow easy access from the control room. To handle this, we use a quite elaborate patching system. Sometimes you need a lot of circuits over the stage, and at other times a lot in the auditorium area. The outlets from the patchboards are widely distributed, and those from the dimmers only appear on the patch. It makes for an extra layer of paperwork, but saves having miles of cable running around. Look at http://www.questors.org.uk for more information. For a few examples of what we have done, look at 'Photobucket' using my name. Frank Wood ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 12:36:36 -0600 Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment From: Greg Persinger Message-ID: In-Reply-To: Jason Wrote: > A year go I was looking for a bad ring on a > soca that I could cut off for a fast set change and couldn't find one in > either the building stuff or the rental that was brought in, so picked the > ulgiest one and cut the ring off. Jason here is another trick for that situation. Leave the male ring on but sand off the threads on the female except for the last little bit. I know this is vague but you have to go slow and continuously test. This allows you to insert the male all of the way yet catch about 1/8 of a turn on the locking ring. Still fast but gives you just a little bit of positive lock to keep the cable from accidentally coming out. Greg Persinger Vivid Illumination Greg [at] Vividillumination.com ------------------------------ From: "ladesigners [at] juno.com" Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 18:37:33 GMT Subject: Re: Silica Message-Id: <20050107.103750.19734.37312 [at] webmail05.lax.untd.com> Dear Ryan, It could be a dissicant (drying agent), used to put some sparkle in falling snowflakes, or used as 'pixiedust' for a show. A more mundane answer would be that someone mixed it in the paint/texturing for a scenic effect. Read the MSDS if there is one in or on the bag. /s/ Richard in the process of this I was cleaning out an area of our shop and I found a nearly full large bag of flakey looking silica. If anyone has any knowledge to send my way that would be wonderful! Ryan J. Zirngibl ___________________________________________________________________ Speed up your surfing with Juno SpeedBand. Now includes pop-up blocker! Only $14.95/month -visit http://www.juno.com/surf to sign up today! ------------------------------ Message-ID: <41DED747.6050109 [at] JosephCHansen.com> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:39:03 -0500 From: Barney Simon Subject: TD job in NYC [at] NYU References: In-Reply-To: My wife has asked me to pass this on; but I seem never to get the correct keys mashed to actually get it to go. Barney: Over here at Skirball Center at NYU we are advertising for a "Senior Stage Technician" (don't you just love these university made job titles?) This job requires master carp/TD/production manager skills, is full time with full benefits (health, dental, tuition remission.) This first year there will be some unpaid time off during the summer (one- two months) but then would become a year round position after that. We really want someone who has experience working in a performing arts center and can deal with a variety of different types of clients. Lots of evenings and weekends, balanced with office time doing hiring of crew and payroll paperwork. We will be interviewing the first week in January. Interested parties should email jennifer.gnecco [at] nyu.edu ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.2.0.14.2.20050107134454.03290d08 [at] mail.hstech.org> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:45:43 -0500 From: "Scott C. Parker" Subject: Re: Wagon Brakes In-Reply-To: References:

Is there going to be anything perminent on the wagons? ie, table legs that brakes could fit inside? etc... At 01:16 PM 1/7/2005, you wrote: >If I use the Rosco Brakes that I have use din the >past they get mounted to the edge of the wagon and will be visible when the >wagon is turned. I can not afford any hydraulic type breaks. > >Any advice. > >Randy Scott C. Parker Production Designer/Technical Director High School Tech Production Web Site hstech~AT~hstech.org High Schoolers: come visit the HS Tech Web Site... http://www.hstech.org Our Mission: To assist High School Technical Theater students in their desire to learn about, create, and execute theatrical productions. ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.2.0.14.2.20050107134702.03125978 [at] mail.hstech.org> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:50:46 -0500 From: "Scott C. Parker" Subject: NYC Shop Supervisor: part time In-Reply-To: References:

Greetings all, I'm looking for a part time shop supervisor. This would be perfect for an=20 advanced tech student... Time permitting. Schedule is slightly flexible. Scott - ----Technical Shop Supervisor----- The technical shop supervisor will be running the performing arts department's scene shop. While under the supervision of the department's technical director, the technical shop supervisor will be working autonomously in the supervision of student crews while in a scene shop. Technical shop supervisor will: =B7 Work with the technical director to mount all department= productions. =B7 Supervise student crews during shop lab sessions. Demonstrate, with the technical director, basic theatrical carpentry techniques. =B7 Adhere to proper safety protocols. =B7 Assess student performance during the lab sessions. =B7 Assist faculty members who use the theater for class. =B7 Supervise work-study students performing technical duties for the department. =B7 Oversee the proper care and maintenance of our stage lighting equipment. This position is allocated 20 hours per week. The schedule set for the spring semester is as follows: =B7 Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. =B7 An additional five hours per week will be scheduled as needed. Qualifications: Excellent communication, supervisory, and organizational skills are a must. Candidates should have a well rounded background in technical theater including carpentry, stage lighting, sound and basic rigging. Candidates should be comfortable supervising students who are exploring the various aspects of technical theater. Candidates must be able to read construction drawings, work safely with standard scene shop power tools, perform well under a tight production schedule and work well in a team atmosphere. Knowledge of CAD is a plus. Scott C. Parker Professor/Technical Director Dept. of Performing Arts Dyson College of Arts and Sciences [at] Pace University Office/shipping: 41 Park Row, 1205F Mailing: 1 Pace Plaza New York, NY 10038 212-346-1423 Fax: 914-989-8425 ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <100.a5a6d34.2f103519 [at] aol.com> Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 13:55:21 EST Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment In a message dated 07/01/05 12:27:25 GMT Standard Time, charlier [at] RichmondSoundDesign.com writes: > > I note that there is nothing about sound on your list. Is that because > nobody > > has any questions, or has it been overlooked? > > There is another possibility which is the more common one: > > The consultant is already a sound expert and knows exactly what every > theatre > needs ;-) > > > It looks as though a lot of money is going to be spent, it would be a > shame if > > sound gets left out! > > It probably won't get left out, it will probably just have an expensive > cookie > cutter system that uses up all the sound budget with stuff that the user was > > never consulted about, as usual... Charlie is right. Everybody who has a hi-fi system at home thinks he knows all about theatre sound. But, to do it right is very hard. Whether you want to do elaborately miked shows, or simply play back effects, it needs a high degree of expertise. Few people have this, and even fewer both. I'm pretty good at effects playback, and lousy at elaborately miked shows. Others have different talents. When it comes to specifying the equipment, there may be conflict. In a recent re-fit, we achieved a reasonable compromise with the desk, but not with the loudspeaker rig, which is geared exclusively to PA. Its predecessor, designed and built in-house, was far superior, just too small. But we knew what it was for! Frank Wood ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <6.3bffc5b8.2f1037a4 [at] aol.com> Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 14:06:12 EST Subject: Re: Sound Board Maintenance In a message dated 07/01/05 14:10:44 GMT Standard Time, nigle [at] dsl.pipex.com writes: > > Service at this level won't be cheap, but it will be rewarding. It needs > > expensive test gear, and real engineers. > > And a lot of time. The most effective piece of test gear is a decent pair of > ears. > Running a signal through each channel and listening to the results is very > quick > and will catch far more problems - someone looking at a bank of test gear is > unlikely to spot slightly noisy controls, for instance. > > Fix the faults, blow out the dust and listen to the results. Anything more > is going > to be a waste of money in my opinion. You know my background. I test everything that I can measure. And I listen to the output. Frank Wood ------------------------------ Message-ID: From: "Jason" References: Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 11:17:47 -0800 That's why they make Gaff tape. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Greg Persinger" > > Jason here is another trick for that situation. > > Leave the male ring on but sand off the threads on the female except for > the > last little bit. I know this is vague but you have to go slow and > continuously test. This allows you to insert the male all of the way yet > catch about 1/8 of a turn on the locking ring. Still fast but gives you > just > a little bit of positive lock to keep the cable from accidentally coming > out. > > > Greg Persinger > Vivid Illumination > > Greg [at] Vividillumination.com > > > > ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <1f9.3f1898c.2f103ac3 [at] aol.com> Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 14:19:31 EST Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment In a message dated 07/01/05 17:13:31 GMT Standard Time, bpurdy [at] rochester.rr.com writes: > So why the more complex installation? In our venue all batons are just > that - simple linesets & pipes. We then cable everything individually (or > with a couple of mults) from the plugging panel in "The cage" (Dimmer room) > directly to whatever pipe we decide to use. > > If I had the money for a retrofit, I would install drop boxes, but it > would serve the same purpose - you just tie it to whatever baton you need to > use. Why is that a more difficult or complex installation? If you have enough dimmers, no reason. Not many of us have dimmers to waste. This raises the problem of dimmer-to-luminare routing. Frank Wood ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050107122328.00c80bd0 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 12:23:28 From: CB Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment >> Not sure, but I would >> guess that dancers are not a fan of cable on the floor >> as well. > >I know my dancers aren't big fans of cable runs on the floor. Dancer's will bitch about tape marks being too high a hard edge on the lighting. Its when they stop bitching and start plotting that you have to watch it. Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050107125202.00c80bd0 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 12:52:02 From: CB Subject: Volunteering in Tucson > If any of you happen to be in the Tucson, Arizona area and know of some community of professional theatre companies that I could volunteer at please tell me. Hey, contact Invisibe Theatre. They are a small, but interesting group that will always have a certain level or professionalism while maintaining that 'community theatre' feel. Friendly, and you'll learn how to do it on a budget, time and financially. For a real community theatre in the trenches, of course, there is the illustrious list member here from Quintessenial Stage. Dylan, need any help? Dylan has made theatre from almost nothing for so long actual bdget would make him faint. He does, however, make it happen. Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050107125444.00c80bd0 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 12:54:44 From: CB Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment >Lighting designers too, and then there are >those on stage speakers sound guys love. Of course, we've got to see >and hear but.... If you have a way to mount speakers on the booms the skweeks'll stay out of the air, most times. Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 14:03:33 -0600 From: Fred Fisher Subject: OSHA Message-id: <5.2.1.1.2.20050107135728.019b52b0 [at] wiscmail.wisc.edu> I heard this story on NPR this last Monday. It looks like it may not be too long before we are able to kill or maim our workers without risk of government sanction. With the proposed limits on liability civil suits, we'll be safe from the vengeance of the victims too. www.npr.org/rundowns/segment.php?wfld+4256593 Fred Fisher ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050107130749.00c80bd0 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:07:49 From: CB Subject: Re: Chocolate (was:Re: Turntables) >So, a >quick run to the local Walgreen and I bought 'em out of their Hersheys >stuff. Didn't last but 15 minutes after I got back. I'll bet more people will remember the guy that bought them chocolate than the others that spoke... There are four alternative currencies backstage. Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and chocolate. Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 15:11:14 -0500 Subject: US/DS troughs From: "Dougherty, Jim" Message-ID: If anyone should go the route of putting in troughs for cable, also consider putting properly anchored unistrut or something similar in there, as they did at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA. That way, you also have a convenient way to attach something to the floor such as a traveler floor sheave, winch frame, road box, what have you. Two runs about a foot apart, with the center large enough for cable, would be nice, with the covers in small enough sections to minimize the trip hazard when they're open. The unistrut also gives you a way to lock down the covers. - Jim Dougherty ATD Middlebury College ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050107131204.00c80bd0 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:12:04 From: CB Subject: Re: Volunteering in Tucson >Trust me, I wish I lived in a place where there were more opportunities = >for >me to do things like this were readily available One of the reasons that Tucson tends to be a desert wasteland is that talented people keep leaving it. Being one of few culturally developed stops between San Antonio and LA, we still get more attention as a gas stop than a venue. You stay in Tucson and make it the place you want to be. Or, you could be one of thousands waiting tables or digging ditches waiting for your big break on either coast. Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment Message-ID: From: Marty_Petlock [at] sarasotagov.com Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 15:25:54 -0500 Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment References:

In-Reply-To: Andrew Vance wrote: > I know my dancers aren't big fans of cable runs on the floor. Something about being carried blind offstage and having to maneuver around the cable runs that tends to get to them. I've thought about how nice a trench or two running upstage/dnstage in the wings would be. Make removeable lids with custom fillers or hinged lids a foot or two long, and get the cable out right where you need it. Stuart I used to be L.D. at the Asolo Theatre our local LORT house. Theater Projects, the consultant for that space, did a cable trough Stage Left & Right. It works brilliantly, the lids sit flush, about 3' long with a finger hole for lifting so you can run a cable within a foot & 1/2 of wherever you need to run onstage, for dance that means the cable(s) run offstage directly behind booms & shinbusters, you can make custom length covers so that cables are always a straight run off. Strong as the lids were - built with the same lumber as the deck - we did need to consider beefing up the support when a really heavy piece rolled over the tops. Of course, as with floor pockets, the Carps crew viewed them as a much more convenient place to sweep debris than a dust pan. Make sure the lids are closed before you roll that Genie lift. I agree with Steve Waxler about 6" centers, they allow placement much closer to a desired distance from plaster, you just have to make it known that you can't use every lineset at the same time and stick to your guns on that. I'm curious about kicking sheaves: with my 6" centered rig kicking a sheave nets you maybe 1.5" before you run into the next loft block and most shows agree that small gain isn't worth the hassle. It is also true they never get restored properly. Source 4's are great instruments; I've never been happy with Shakespeares which break easily. As for types it ain't so much what you got as how you use it. Having used big, clunky, ugly, drop boxes and been switched to wonderful, flexible, robust, easy to use Socapex that one's a no brainer for me. It's pretty rare to see a show without a first electric so maybe having a motorized, raceway'd #1 isn't a bad thing but I'd want to keep everything else flexible. I've designated battens which are most often Electrics and double piped them (over & under) so even if we have to strip units we can leave the cable runs intact leaving an empty batten for other use. Mid & upstage black travelers will very quickly pay for themselves in lack of pain for crew and users. Adding several hundred pounds of chocolate to your rigging spec. may well provide an interesting result. Marty Petlock Technical Facilities Manager Van Wezel P.A.H. Sarasota, FL. ********** E-mail messages sent or received by City of Sarasota officials and employees in connection with official City business are public records subject to disclosure under the Florida Public Records Act. ********** ------------------------------ Message-Id: <3.0.6.32.20050107132622.00c80bd0 [at] pop.west.cox.net> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 13:26:22 From: CB Subject: Re: Volunteering in Tucson >You interested in sound? Chris Babbe from this list is in MON, AZ (where ever >the heck that is) and would be a great person for you to do some volunteering >with. He's smart, funny and will teach you to properly wrap cable. > >You said:to find out if it is really like that>> Ehm, I forgot to change my sig. The laptop e-mail client usually has the 'OTR' designation (On The Road) and the 'MON AZ' (Middle Of Nowhere, AriZona) is when I am at home. And your teacher is right. Theatre will give you long, dirty, hot (in Tucson, cold elsewhere), days without enough food, or crappy food, you'll smell bad, you'll be covered with grime, or sweat, or both. You'll work twenty hours in a row only to get up early the next morning to do it again. You'll lose friends, gain weight, lose any sense of fashion you may presently posess, and forget what daylight looks like for weeks at a time. And you'll simply love every minute of it. If you don't find yourself whistling and smiling while loading boxes on a truck at four in the morning after a two show day, you simply won't last. At least, the rest of us hope that you won't. The secret to loving your job is loving your work. If you hate your job, quit. There is someone that will love it, and you're in his way, and you're keeping yourself from the gig that you should be doing. Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound OTR Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 15:33:30 -0500 From: MissWisc [at] aol.com Subject: Re: Chocolate (was:Re: Turntables) Message-ID: <2091E9F7.45CFF215.007B9F2A [at] aol.com> Chris said:<> The fifth is back rubs/massages. Kristi ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 21:00:14 +0000 (GMT) From: Charlie Richmond Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References:

On Fri, 7 Jan 2005, Jason wrote: > That's why they make Gaff tape. P.E.I. DAD TURNS LAWNMOWER INTO HOMEMADE ZAMBONI A backyard rink builder in Alberton, P.E.I., has used his ingenuity and some duct tape to get a head start on grooming his homemade ice. FULL STORY: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/01/07/homemade-zamboni050107.html ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 16:29:09 -0500 Subject: Theater wiring suggestions From: "Dougherty, Jim" Message-ID: At the risk of adding a me-too, let me also recommend drop boxes instead of dedicated electrics for onstage work. Chances are good unless you find a great benefactor that you will have few enough linesets that all will eventually be doing double duty. You will rarely want your electrics in the same place show to show, although they're likely to live in the same neighborhood. That will tell you what sort of length you need for the cable (not every box needs to reach everywhere in the theater). In our proscenium house, we have a mix of everything; drop boxes from the grid and SR/SL fly rails, floor pockets, hard-wired and socapex, and wire chases with pigtails. They are all useful in their way; drop boxes where you may need to move pipe to pipe, socapex where you need flexibility of length, location or type of connector (box v. breakouts), chases and pigtails where the lighting positions are fixed and unlikely to change, etc. One last note - if you have pigtails, plan for them to be long enough from the start to reach your lights where you think you will want them to be. We have a studio theater where we added lighting positions below the ones the architect gave us (in order to put lights where we needed them), and needed to replace all of our pigtails with longer ones to avoid having to buy and run extra cable for every show. For onstage permanent electrics (i.e. Non-drop box electrics), I'd rather have the connectors right on the chase instead of having to tie up any pigtail I'm not using. - Jim Dougherty ATD, Middlebury College. ------------------------------ Message-ID: <886EF25AF8BEF64EB89A820EF84064FF0B65F258 [at] UCMAIL4> From: "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" Subject: RE: Chocolate (was:Re: Turntables) Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 16:42:30 -0500 Don't forget T-shirts Steve Waxler Technical Director College Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati -----Original Message----- From: CB [mailto:psyd [at] cox.net] Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 8:08 AM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Chocolate (was:Re: Turntables) For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- >So, a >quick run to the local Walgreen and I bought 'em out of their Hersheys >stuff. Didn't last but 15 minutes after I got back. I'll bet more people will remember the guy that bought them chocolate than the others that spoke... There are four alternative currencies backstage. Caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and chocolate. Chris "Chris" Babbie Location Sound MON AZ Delete key training and post trimming done by appointment. Rates negotiable, will trade for typing lessons/ADD treatment... ------------------------------ Message-ID: <886EF25AF8BEF64EB89A820EF84064FF0B65F269 [at] UCMAIL4> From: "Waxler, Steve (waxlers)" Subject: RE: Theatre renovation/equipment Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 16:48:28 -0500 There are some places, due to other obstructions, where you can not get on 6" centers. Those are the places where they occasionally ask if they can kick the sheaves. The answer here is NO. Steve Waxler Technical Director College Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati I agree with Steve Waxler about 6" centers, they allow placement much closer to a desired distance from plaster, you just have to make it known that you can't use every lineset at the same time and stick to your guns on that. I'm curious about kicking sheaves: with my 6" centered rig kicking a sheave nets you maybe 1.5" before you run into the next loft block and most shows agree that small gain isn't worth the hassle. It is also true they never get restored properly. ------------------------------ From: "Jack Morones" Subject: RE: Theatre renovation/equipment Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 14:17:09 -0800 Organization: Saddleback College Message-ID: <000201c4f506$a134fdb0$6500a8c0 [at] SCJACKLT> In-Reply-To: Agreed, not a big fan of kicking sheaves. Jack R. Morones Production Manager McKinney Theatre -----Original Message----- From: Stagecraft [mailto:stagecraft [at] theatrical.net] On Behalf Of Waxler, Steve (waxlers) Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 1:48 PM To: Stagecraft Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- There are some places, due to other obstructions, where you can not get on 6" centers. Those are the places where they occasionally ask if they can kick the sheaves. The answer here is NO. Steve Waxler Technical Director College Conservatory of Music University of Cincinnati I agree with Steve Waxler about 6" centers, they allow placement much closer to a desired distance from plaster, you just have to make it known that you can't use every lineset at the same time and stick to your guns on that. I'm curious about kicking sheaves: with my 6" centered rig kicking a sheave nets you maybe 1.5" before you run into the next loft block and most shows agree that small gain isn't worth the hassle. It is also true they never get restored properly. ------------------------------ From: "Jack Morones" Subject: Renovation project at Saddleback Theatre, CA Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 14:22:01 -0800 Organization: Saddleback College Message-ID: <000301c4f507$4f2fb7c0$6500a8c0 [at] SCJACKLT> Greetings to the list. I am happy to report that the renovation of the Saddleback College Theatre has begun. We are very excited about this project. During the course of this project, the lighting, sound and rigging systems are all being essentially replaced. If you are interested in checking out this project, I have put pictures on my website: http://members.cox.net/jmorone/ If you have specific questions about our consultants, contractors, equipment we choose, etc., I will be happy to answer them. I will keep you all updated on the progress. Be wishes to all in the new year. Jack R. Morones Production Manager McKinney Theatre ------------------------------ From: FrankWood95 [at] aol.com Message-ID: <8a.1dc376b4.2f106dc7 [at] aol.com> Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 17:57:11 EST Subject: Re: Theater wiring suggestions In a message dated 07/01/05 21:29:10 GMT Standard Time, jdougher [at] middlebury.edu writes: > At the risk of adding a me-too, let me also recommend drop boxes instead of > dedicated electrics for onstage work. Chances are good unless you find a > great benefactor that you will have few enough linesets that all will > eventually be doing double duty. You will rarely want your electrics in the > same place show to show, although they're likely to live in the same > neighborhood. That will tell you what sort of length you need for the cable > (not every box needs to reach everywhere in the theater). In our proscenium > house, we have a mix of everything; drop boxes from the grid and SR/SL fly > rails, floor pockets, hard-wired and socapex, and wire chases with pigtails. > > They are all useful in their way; drop boxes where you may need to move pipe > to pipe, socapex where you need flexibility of length, location or type of > connector (box v. breakouts), chases and pigtails where the lighting > positions are fixed and unlikely to change, etc. Well, thank heavens for an adaptable theatre! We knew that we needed versatility in lighting positions, and provided it when the theatre was built in 1964. We improved on it whan we did a re-fit, by adding patch pannels. This eliminates an awful lot of trailing cable, at the cost of more elaborate paperwork. Frank Wood ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.2.0.14.0.20050107152808.029e4828 [at] localhost> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 15:30:12 -0800 From: Jerry Durand Subject: Re: Theatre renovation/equipment In-Reply-To: References:

At 04:27 AM 1/7/2005, you wrote: >On Fri, 7 Jan 2005, Bill Sapsis wrote: > >>And very, very quiet. > >Not if they put in new lighting instruments ;-) Yep, and yet I have a spec from a client to design some audio gear with "no detectable whine or tone at full volume with headphones on" (-80dB white noise ok). Seems if I just matched the whine from a moving light, nobody would notice. :) Or is that :( ---------- Jerry Durand Durand Interstellar, Inc. 219 Oak Wood Way Los Gatos, California 95032-2523 USA tel: +1 408 356-3886 fax: +1 408 356-4659 web: www.interstellar.com ------------------------------ Message-Id: <6.2.0.14.0.20050107153426.038f1c20 [at] localhost> Date: Fri, 07 Jan 2005 15:39:59 -0800 From: Jerry Durand Subject: Re: Sound Board Maintenance In-Reply-To: References:

At 06:28 AM 1/7/2005, you wrote: >This unfortunately is not as true as it should be. Too many automated >soldering systems don't produce reliable joints even though there is no >reason they should not be able to (but to be fair you do say 'properly run >factory' which qualifies your response, just as Frank said 'if one is >found to the be the source of your problems' in qualification of his advice). And, with the new requirements for lead free (absolutely no detectable trace of lead whatsoever) products, the solder requires hotter temperatures and doesn't always wet as well. Look for more problems in newer systems until the bugs get worked out of the soldering process. My assembly house (www.umai.com) is having to put in a whole new section for lead-free, all new equipment, can't even wear the same smocks between areas (might bring traces of lead into the room). ---------- Jerry Durand Durand Interstellar, Inc. 219 Oak Wood Way Los Gatos, California 95032-2523 USA tel: +1 408 356-3886 fax: +1 408 356-4659 web: www.interstellar.com ------------------------------ Subject: RE: Theatre renovation/equipment Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 16:17:41 -0800 Message-ID: <35418D398577A34FB3A059F99B9F370202E13882 [at] nigel.tmbworldwide.tmb.com> From: "Ken Romaine" Way to go, Peter!! I agree 100% - when I was selling systems, a consultant was either a = with you or agin' ya. Sounds like Peter is one of the good ones. They're invaluable. Run - = do not walk - and suggest that they hire someone like him. They will be = of help to everybody in this process. Ken Romaine TMB New York The opinions expressed herein are mine - all mine. I'm a happy miser. -----Original Message----- Peter Scheu wrote: While trying hard not to sound like I'm blowing my own horn here, this = is a critical decision. And without setting off another "rant and rave" = thread about consultants, someone has to act as an "advocate" for the Owner's = needs on a project with many non-theatre players. One that can translate those needs into terms that an Architect and/or General Contractor can = understand (namely detailed drawings and specifications). And any GOOD consultant should ALWAYS work for the Owner no matter who = signs their check. The GREAT ones work for everybody. ------------------------------ Message-Id: In-Reply-To: References: Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 20:47:45 -0500 From: "richard j. archer" Subject: Re: Theater wiring suggestions >For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see >--------------------------------------------------- > Jim Dougherty said..... >. In our proscenium >house, we have a mix of everything; drop boxes from the grid and SR/SL fly >rails, floor pockets, hard-wired and socapex, and wire chases with pigtails. > > > >One last note - if you have pigtails, plan for them to be long enough from >the start to reach your lights where you think you will want them to be. Our theatre has cable drops with socapex(ed) fan outs. If you have pigtails or fans outs and you have them made to reach the lights make sure you find out if the wires will have kellum grips. These can easily eat up 6 or more inches and you'll find yourself needing a lot of little jumpers. Dick A TD, Cornell Univ ------------------------------ Message-ID: <003901c4f541$fcad9450$710a0a0a [at] Rattys> From: "Josh Ratty" References: Subject: Re: Silica Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2005 00:22:01 -0500 silica powder is often used with epoxy to make it thicker for bonding. This may not be the same thing as i've never seen it in flakes but if in powder form that is one use. Not sure that's what is was used for there but it's possible. Josh Ratty ----- Original Message ----- From: "Zirngibl, Ryan John" To: "Stagecraft" Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 1:21 PM Subject: Silica For info, archives & UNSUBSCRIBE, see --------------------------------------------------- Hello my name is Ryan and this is my first time in this group. I have a problem. That's right I'm a snoopaholic, I keep digging nose into places I shouldn't be, but in the process of this I was cleaning out an area of our shop and I found a nearly full large bag of flakey looking silica. This captivated me because the only time I've seen or heard of silica before was in those little packets that you find in a new pair of shoes and I didn't know it had other forms, much less could have a use in theatre. If anyone has any knowledge to send my way that would be wonderful! Thank you very much and I look forward to being part of this group in the future! Ryan J. Zirngibl University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ------------------------------ From: "holyoak1" Subject: Producers National Tour Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2005 00:34:55 -0500 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Anyone on list with The Producers Tour in Indianapolis Jan 11-23 please contact me. Ken Holyoak 1508 E 86th Street Suite 177 Indianapolis IN 46240 ken [at] kenholyoak.com 317-253-7000 FAX 317-255-3708 ------------------------------ Message-ID: <45c56d3405010721435d119ea5 [at] mail.gmail.com> Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2005 00:43:28 -0500 From: Jared Fortney Reply-To: Jared Fortney Subject: Re: Silica In-Reply-To: References:

The silica may be for a dessicant dryer on an air compressor or similar. I'm not sure what form replacable dessicant takes, but it's a possibility. Did you find it near any air compressors or HVAC systems? -Jared Fortney UC-CCM ------------------------------ End of Stagecraft Digest #253 *****************************