Day 19

I jumped into the future in yesterday's post, but I came back around, and corrected "Day 20" to "Day 18". Today is Day 19. You're welcome.

The production schedule listed today as "Butterfly RT", meaning a full run-through of "Madame Butterfly". Although i'm not sure why, Allan and I are the only A/V folk scheduled today. The Boss was also scheduled, but i've learned he likes a hands-off approach, which I am more than happy with, since it forces me to interact and take responsibility for my show.

We arrive around 11am, with a run-through starting at 1pm. Having never done a run-through at the Opera before, I have no idea what to expect. The past two weeks of staging rehearsals has made me aware of the need for a conductor video feed throughout the backstage, as well as a microphone feed of the piano throughout the backstage. The orchestra pit is actually an elevator lift, and while it's been at the stage level for the past few weeks, this time it gets lowered to the actual show height. This is great, because we can finally used the fixed conductor cameras located under the stage, instead of setting up a camera on a tripod like every other rehearsal. I've also learned that the stage manager will be at the stage management desk for the run-through. And the assistant stage managers will need intercom headsets.

Okay, now I get it. This isn't a breezy, let's-stumble-through-the-show run-through, this is a full-blown mock production. At home, we don't get this far until the first dress rehearsal. This is the first time I saw all departments come together, hunker down, and get the job done.

This is what I came here to experience: a professional company getting the job done.

In the 90 minutes or so remaining before the start of the run-through, Allan and I do our best to clean up any A/V messes that have been left from testing or installing over the past two weeks: bundles of cables shoved in wings, organizing coils of cable so they don't trip someone, etc. We also make sure all the video monitors are showing their proper image, and all audio speakers backstage are working.

I also discovered two pieces of paperwork in my mailbox: an A/V plot, and a cue sheet. The A/V plot contains the audio and video requests of the production to the A/V department. It's a detailed cue sheet saying what monitors need to go where, and when. This document is actually a subset of the cue sheet. Actually a cue packet, it lists the entrances and exits of each performer, including props. It also lists scene changes and A/V movements.

Let me take a step back a moment and tell you my observations from my limited stage management perspective. Unlike in theatre, where you have a script, the stage managers (and assistants) have a musical score, with the dialogue/lyrics (for Butterfly, it has the Italian and English words). Throughout the rehearsal process, a stopwatch was running, and every 30 seconds, the time was written into the score. Since nobody except the stage management team has the score handy, the stopwatch times become the gold standard of when cues are executed.

The cue sheet given to us shows the stopwatch time within the Act, as well as the corresponding musical measure. It's wickedly brilliant, something that makes perfect sense, but i've never seen before in the theatre. It let's me know there are other anal-rentative paperwork Nazi's in this place.

At 30 minutes before the run-through, all crews clear the stage as it's handed off to stage management, the director and the performers. There is still activity backstage, as we hand out wireless intercom headsets and make sure everything is running smoothly. Being surrounded by people who are serious about their work but humble enough to explain the process to a rookie really boosts my own confidence in my work. As of now, I am the A/V point person, and it's my responsibility to make sure my systems keep this show going.

The run-through begins, and rarely stops. I head out to upstage left for one of my cues: re-positioning a roving video monitor so an associate conductor can watch the lead conductor, while conducting a group of apprentice singers. I realize we have to do this cue a few times throughout the show, and I start to brainstorm: there's gotta be a better way than moving this back and forth. I can't keep it pulled out, it would only get in the way.

The run-through had a few stops and starts, but finished by late afternoon, and I learned some valuable information on how a show is run, how it's called by stage management, and what's expected of my role as the A/V lead for this production.

Great learning experience. Day off tomorrow!

-Matt