Overview
The Technical Director, TD for short, is responsible for the construction of the set, organizing builds, keeping track of hours, Put-In, Strike, and the safety of everyone involved with the show.
Before Tech Week
Acquiring material
The TD is responsible for procuring all the raw material for sets. A trip to Home Depot usually takes care of most needs. A list of materials should be compiled as soon as possible during the production process so it can be updated quickly and easily- you don't want to spend an extra hour of travel time because you forgot to buy the dowel pins when you had a U-Haul.
Any materials that need to be shipped to campus should be ordered with at least a week's grace period between their expected arrival and Put-In. 2+ week shipping times are normal, especially for heavy items.
Masonite can usually be borrowed from E33 or MTG (mtg-board@mit.edu). Audience railings live in the Walker Sets Shop and formally belong to MTG. While speakers aren't technically the TD's responsibility, we usually use MTG's and you might as well ask when you talk to them about masonite and audience railings.
Gaffe tape and flame retardant can be purchased from Backstage hardware. Flame retardant is ~$25 per gallon of paint. Make sure you have enough of both gaffe tape and flame retardant before Put-In
Builds
The TD should begin scheduling builds as soon as possible. This varies from show to show, but builds should start at the latest the weekend after final set design is due. All actors are required to complete some number of Pre-Put-In hours, the number of which vary from show to show. These hours are completed by working at set builds, at costume builds, or in any other way the TD sees fit.
Builds need not be dedicated to the completion of a given set piece. It is often advantageous to measure and cut lumber at builds, especially as put-in approaches. Keep in mind that anything constructed at builds must live in the office until Tech Week and must fit in the freight elevator.
Meeting with CAC
The TD is responsible for meeting with CAC to get final approval for the set design a week or two before Tech Week. Our current contact at CAC is Chris Nayler (nayler@mit.edu). The producer should also attend this meeting, and it can be helpful for the set designer to be present. The meeting typically consists of a short summary of the set from the set design and a quick run-through of the technical design of any particularly challenging or unique set elements. This is also when we request tables, Germans (the large audience risers), and butterflies (larger but shorter risers).
Tech Week
Put-In
Put-In is the first day that the Ensemble is in space and is the single most important day for sets. Lights are hung, masonite is placed, big things are built, etc, etc. Generally Put-In officially runs from 7 am to 8 pm, though in reality it can go much later. Each member of the cast is required to attend Put-In for a a number of hours which varies from show to show. The TD should schedule actors ahead of time and attempt to distribute manpower throughout the day. The TD Additionally, the TD should talk to lights, costumes, and props to see if/how much manpower they anticipate requiring during Put-In.
Monument, the scaffolding in La Sala, should be constructed the night before Put-In if possible. This will save lights an hour or two of time in the morning, which helps everyone in the long run.
Put-In is the TD's baby and everyone at Put-In is the TD's bitch. The TD must be present in space for the entirety of Put-In. A list of jobs-which-need-doing should be bouncing around in his/her head, as actors will need direction. Delegating is a good thing; life will run much more smoothly if a competent person is placed in charge of a given project so the TD doesn't need to worry about every detail. Less competent actors can be shoved at these more competent people and told to ask them how they can help, freeing up the TD to put out fires or deal with other actors. Some tasks should be done by the TD, however, especially any job that would take more time to explain than complete. The TD is not above the fray and shouldn't be afraid to get their hands dirty.
The Rest of Tech Week
Tech Week is the week that will make or break a TD. Generally after Put-In the set still needs to be painted, blacks need to be hung, windows need to be blacked out, audience needs to be put up, and a hundred other things need to be done. The TD should have a plan for making sure the set is done in a reasonable time frame while keeping in mind that actors act on it every night so paint must be dry and the stage must be clear and that CAC kicks us out os La Sala at 2 AM. If extra hands are needed, the TD shouldn't be afraid of mailing out asking for help. Blacks generally take at least 3-4 people to hang. The audience (both Germans and chairs) is best put up right before or after a rehearsal because every actor can be drafted.
Strike
Strike runs after the show's last performance. Strike is the time when everything is taken down, moved out of La Sala, and somehow stuffed into the Ensemble Office. The TD runs Strike. Everyone involved with the show is expected to be present for the duration. It helps to have a competent person in the Ensemble Office as things begin to be moved up so that storage is slightly less of a nightmare. Sala should be left in the condition it was found- nothing should be on the floor, all Germans and butterflies should be folded, all chairs put away, etc. If any paint is found on Sala floor, it must be cleaned off.
Post-Strike
After Strike the TD must see that all materials borrowed under the purview of sets are returned.
Misc. Useful Information
The basement door near the set shop in Walker is alarmed. The alarm will go off if the door is propped open. Ask CAC to deactivate the alarm at times you wish to move material in and out of Walker.
Pro Gaffe brand gaffe tape CANNOT be used on the floor of La Sala. It takes the finish off of the wood.