Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club

For Technicians

For information about the Loeb theater visit LoebInfo.com

Information for Costume Designers

The following timeline offers information for anyone costuming a production.

Before you start
  • Know the show: get a script or recording of the production and familiarize yourself with the characters, historical period, etc. This will make your job much easier when it comes time to dress the actors.
  • Meet with your director to discuss his/her vision for the production.

Five weeks prior to production
  • Collect actor measurements.
  • Schedule a meeting with Jeanette Hawley (jeannette_hawley@harvard.edu), the A.R.T.’s costume shop manager. She will train you on the sewing machines, show you where items are located in the shop, and offer advice on your production as a whole. Additionally, she can help you schedule a trip to the A.R.T.’s costume warehouse (every show can schedule one visit).
    • Note: Students are not allowed to use the costume shop during work hours (9am-6pm) due to space constraints. However, you can schedule after hours times to sew and work, with Jeannette’s approval.
  • If you need to buy any costume pieces, keep the receipts and give them to your producer(s) in order to be reimbursed

Four weeks prior to production
  • Finalize costume design ideas with director.
  • Schedule a meeting with Suzy Kadiff, the costume stock manager. She can be reached by phone (496-2000x8876) on Tuesdays from 1-6pm, Thursdays 1:00-7:30pm, and Fridays from 12-2. You will need to schedule a time to visit costume stock (located in the basement of the Loeb) to look for and pull costume pieces that are stored in student stock. She will provide you with the paperwork necessary to check the costumes out
    • Note: Shows being performed in non-Loeb spaces need to provide a $100 deposit for the costumes. The deposit will be kept and returned upon receipt of the costumes.
  • Attend the designer run (a full run of the show for all of the designers). The director/producer should inform you of when this is taking place.

Three weeks prior to production
  • Actor fittings: These must take place during Suzy’s hours in the shop. She will tell you if alterations can be made to a specific item of clothing. If alterations are needed, speak with Jeannette to okay a time to work in the costume shop.
  • Schedule and have a costume parade. Speak with the director to have all of the actors try on their items of clothing and show it to the staff.

Tech Period (two weeks prior to opening-opening night)
  • Attend Load-In: this is mandatory for every staff member
  • Communicate with the director and producer to insure that all costume needs are met.
  • Continue with alterations

Run of Show
  • Be available for any repairs or alterations that need to be made during the run.

After Closing
  • Bring all costume pieces to Hillside Dry Cleaners (located across from Burdick’s on Brattle Street).
  • Pay for the cost of the costumes when you drop them off. Tell the cashier the name of the show they were used in, and let them know that they can be delivered to the A.R.T.
  • Suzy will contact you when the costume are delivered. DO NOT RETURN TO THEIR ORIGINAL RACKS. Return during Suzy’s hours to check in the costumes with her assistance.

Information for Props Designers

The following timeline offers information for anyone designing props for a production.

Before you start
  • Know the show: get a script or recording of the production and familiarize yourself with the historical period, etc. This will make your job much easier when it comes time to find specific props
  • Meet with your director to discuss his/her vision for the production, and double check your budget with the producer.

Five weeks prior to production
  • Request and obtain a detailed props list from your production team.
  • Divide the props into categories based on whether they can be pulled, or whether need to be borrowed or purchased.
    • Be sure to save all receipts and hand them into your producer
  • Begin looking for props that need to be purchased online and in local shops.

Four weeks prior to production
  • Schedule a meeting with Suzy Kadiff, the props stock manager. She can be reached by phone (496-2000x8876) on Tuesdays from 1-6pm, Thursdays 1:00-7:30pm, and Fridays from 12-2. You will need to schedule a time to visit props stock (located in the basement of the Loeb) to look for and pull items stored there. She will provide you with the paperwork necessary to check the props out
    • Note: Shows being performed in non-Loeb spaces need to provide a $100 deposit for the props. The deposit will be kept and returned upon receipt of the props.
  • Attend the designer run (a full run of the show for all of the designers). The director/producer should inform you of when this is taking place.

Three weeks prior to production-opening night
  • Continue buying, making, or finding props. Ask your friends, the cast, the staff, your housemates, etc. for help – use all the resources available to you.
  • Communicate with the director and producer to insure that all props needs are met.

Run of Show
  • Be available for any repairs or alterations that need to be made during the run.

After Closing
  • Bring props back to stock room, but DO NOT RETURN TO THEIR ORIGINAL SPOTS. Return during Suzy’s hours to check them in with her assistance.

Information for Light Designers

The following timeline offers information for anyone designing lights for a production.

Technical Details

Make sure that you have the technical knowledge necessary to light design.
  • Know how to hang, focus, and cable a light. If you do not know this, set up a meeting with someone to show you how right away.
  • Download Vectorworks. You will need to register with Nemetschek, the company that makes Vectorworks, as a student and send them a scan of your Harvard ID in order to obtain a free license to use the software. If you do not know how to use the program, Nemestschek offers free tutorials here
  • Obtain a vectorworks file of a previous show in the venue. This will give you a sample plot for the space. You can also then copy the file, delete the old show’s lights, and use the rendering of the space to build your light plot in. This is much easier than drafting the space yourself.
  • Learn how to use the light board. If you find out what mode you will be using, you should be able to find the manual online. Read it.
  • Find out about lighting inventory in the space you will be using
  • Look at the space you will be using. Try to foresee any problems, such as a lack of good front light positions.
  • If you are using any special instruments (strobe, color mergers, etc.) make sure that you know how to use them. If you do not, find out how.
  • If you ever have any questions, ask! If you are not sure who to ask, contact Anna Kelsey, the HRDC Tech Liaison at tech@hrdctheater.com

Getting Started

First, read the play and take notes on possible lighting cues. If lighting a musical, listen to the music. Try to capture all initial lighting ideas as they occur to you. Then talk to the director about what they are envisioning and have a discussion about initial design ideas for the show. To this meeting, bring as much visual research (usually pictures off google images) as possible to better communicate what you are picturing. The director should do the same. This will leave you in a good place to make decisions about the general aesthetic of the show you will be lighting.

As the show takes shape, the director will continue to send you information about any special lighting requests. Be sure to ask any questions these requests may raise. Continue to discuss design ideas throughout the rehearsal process at both production meetings and one-on-one discussions with the director. If possible, sit in on rehearsals to give yourself ideas.

Towards the end of the rehearsal process, there will be a designer run. It is very important to attend as this run will be a first chance to see the staging of the play in its entirety. Use this run to get an idea of how the show should feel and gather ideas for lighting looks or even specific cues. Try to think about color (gel) or pattern (templates/gobos) and how they might be used in the show.

After designer run but before load-in, meet with the director, stage manager, and sound designer at paper tech to go through the show and discuss what specific cues need to happen when. Have an idea of what cues you want in the show and what they will look like. You should also have a preliminary selection of color swatches to show the director with a flashlight.

If ordering or renting anything, be sure to have the order placed as early as possible to avoid problems.

Designing

Obtain a groundplan of the set.

Come up with a list of lighting areas necessary to the show, such as Downstage Center or Upstage Right Center Platform. Then list any special areas that may need to be lit more specifically. Lastly, list any other special effects you may need to create, such as lightning or sunlight.

Make a list of lighting systems you will need to hang, such as front light, top light, side light, back light, foot lights, or any specials. Descriptions of common systems are below.
  • Front Light: Typically a warm and a cool ellipsoidal hung for each general lighting area. Each light is hung to light the performer at a forty-five degree angle from the side and a forty-five degree angle from above. For a flat front light, simply hang a single color from a forty-five degree angle above the performer.
  • Top Light: A light, usually a fresnel or parnell hung directly above the performer to add a wash of color.
  • Side Light: A light focused to hit the performer’s side as an effect.
  • Back Light: A light focused at the actor’s back to help them stand out from the background.
  • Foot Light: A light focused up at the actor from the floor. Gives an effect similar to a flashlight held under the chin.

Plot your lighting systems and create a cut list of what color gels you want in what lights. Come up with a plan of action for load-in.

Load-In

Hang all of the lights.

Cable all of the lights. Depending on the location of the lights, it may be necessary to drop cable down to them from the grid. Be sure to note which light goes with which dimmer.

Patch lights to channels on the lightboard. It is most useful to organize the channels as much as possible by grouping the lights that make up a system on adjacent channels. This will make making adjustments in cues much easier later.

Focus all of the lights and drop color.

Experiment with different looks on the lightboard to get ideas before cue to cue. Create submasters of general looks you expect to build off of frequently in the show. If there is time, do a dry tech (cue-to-cue without actors) with the director. Essentially, try to do as much as you can before cue-to-cue to make the process go by faster.

Cue-To-Cue

Walk through the show from pre-show to end to set every cue for the show. This has been known to be long and stressful, but doesn’t need to be!

Tech Week

Watch runs and take notes of things to fix. The director will do the same. Continue to make changes (but let the director know!) until you are satisfied. Once the show is open, take a deep breath and enjoy your accomplishment as a lighting designer!

Have fun and good luck! If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact any member of the board with questions!