Paperwork
My last show at Arizona State University was Miller's The Crucible, despite sadly being canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. I will be using the show as a reference point for the paperwork that I build over the course of a show, starting in preproduction and moving through to the conclusion of a show. Our director, Rachel Bowditch, wanted to create a devised movement show using the script and plot as a guideline. As such, most, if not all, of the script direction was not used. The same happened with another show I worked on, Ajax. Some paperwork from that show will be used to supplement where I may not have the information needed to create such paperwork for The Crucible.
Pictured right is the set of The Crucible at the time of cancellation, as designed by Douglas Clarke and built by Technical Director Neaco Fox, who also took the photo. Below is a photo of Kristin Hunt's Ajax. Photos of both can be found throughout this page.
Please use the anchor links on the right to navigate quickly between sections or scroll through to view the page in its entirety.
Calendars/Scheduling
Before rehearsals even begin, I sit down with the director to talk through the rehearsal schedule, get an in-depth understanding of their artistic vision, and how the rehearsal room should be run. One of our biggest challenges with Crucible was that it was a university show that had student workers, technicians, and performers, but, by the director and school's decision, would rehearse in the daytime. Scheduling became a large obstacle. We started with everyone's class schedules. Pictured left is an example of one performer's class schedule, with the class names and their name removed for privacy's sake. Using their conflicts, the directing team and stage management team worked together to create a rehearsal schedule. Afterwards, this information was used for a conflict calendar. Pictured below is an example of a page the conflict calendar I built with my assistants. Last names have been omitted for privacy.
Later in the process, using knowledge from previous ASU SoFDT productions and feedback from my mentor, I created a tech schedule for our tech week/weekend (pictured below).
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Performer Information
During this production, part of my responsibilities included collecting performer information. Sheets for costume fitting availability I was given, then the wardrobe team scheduled, and I disseminated the information to anyone who may need it. However, for properties, because there was edible food and drink onstage, I had to make allergen forms. Pictured to the right is a blank allergen form. I also created a simplified cast list for our design and production team to use (pictured below). Names have been replaced for privacy.
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Contact Information
I will also, throughout the process, have two living documents: a distribution sheet and a contact sheet. I will not include the contact sheet, as I feel that I must remove information for privacy's sake. Once that information is removed, I believe that the document no longer serves to show correct formatting. My apologies. However, included below is a distribution sheet. All names except my own have been removed.
While creating my version of the script, I will also create a scene breakdown in order to make daily/weekly calls easier and so that both the cast and the production team could quickly know who was called, if they wished to see a specific scene or wanted to attend a rehearsal to see a specific performer (pictured right, last names removed for privacy).
Scene Breakdown
For shows, before rehearsals and technical productions begin, I will create what I call my "SM script." As apart of my process of reading/re-reading in order to fully understand the script and possible technical demands, I will retype the entire script
Blocking Script
as just dialogue with no stage direction, whilst keeping the same page numbers. This script is available for use both by the cast and production team, if they so choose. Moreso, I will create a table where each line is a row, with columns to the left of the dialogue. This enables me to create digital cues after they have been set. I have found that removing the stage direction for shows that are fully devised movement helps create clarity and space on the page for blocking notes. On the lefthand side, is an example of my SM script from Ajax and below is an example of a blank blocking page, also from Ajax. At the time of creating my blocking script, an image of the script groundplan was unavailable. Below is with it added in, which is how I will do my blocking page if possible. All examples contain my blocking key, which can be customized and changed to fit each show.
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Once the production moves away from table work and onto their feet, we begin the process of recording blocking. All of the blocking for both Ajax and The Crucible was devised each night with the cast. Below is a spread of my blocking script for a scene from Ajax. The show was a modern retelling as a punk rock show and this page in particular was a song and dance created both with musicians and the performers and played diegetically each night.
(Note: in cases where I did not have a groundplan image/pdf to use during blocking rehearsals, a rough hand sketch was done, which is the case below.)
Entrance/Exit Flowchart
While blocking is being built for devised shows, so too is my entrance/exit flowchart (displayed to the right). I use a format derived from my cue sheet, and will use a similar format for props tracking. I find that using this format with only minor revisions to either content and number of columns is particularly helpful, as people do not have to navigate multiple different formats. I have found by dividing the script by Act, then Scene, then page number and using those as rows left to right, it's easier for people to pick up if they are not initially familiar with it, rather than making those columns and having data input below them.
Daily Call
I like to make sure that all relevant information for performers can be found in one place: the daily call (shown left). I will often also build weekly calls as well at the request of a director. For Ajax, our director requested we do nothing but weekly calls. For The Crucible, faculty requested a daily call while the director and performers wished for a weekly call. I sent out both, sending out the week ahead on Friday for the weekly and then the day before for the daily call. The weekly call is an extension of the daily and the only difference is the number of days between them.
Rehearsal Report
Every rehearsal, I will create notes and timestamps for anything that happens within the rehearsal. Then, I will organize those notes into a rehearsal report (displayed to the right) so that the director can communicate their needs and wants to the production team through me. I start with what we did in the rehearsal, followed by any notes, and ending with when and where our next rehearsal is so that people must read through the report (even somewhat) to access information about our next rehearsal. My performance and tech reports look entirely the same, so that no one has to adjust to a new format.
Production Meeting Report
Every meeting, both myself and an assistant will take notes to go into the report. We will then cross-reference each other to make sure no detail was missed, then I will compile those notes into a report like the one you see above.
Cue Sheet
While cues are being worked on and set, I will keep a pencil-notated version of the calling script so that it can be changed easily and quickly in the moment. However, I will keep a living cue sheet (pictured left). This is kept in my book right on top of the actual calling script itself, so that if there is any confusion while cues are being changed, it can be cross-referenced. If there is an emergency and one of the two goes missing, there is always a backup as well.
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Calling Script
Once the technical process has concluded and the production moves into performances, I will convert my written, scribbled-all-over calling script to a much cleaner, digital version. On the first page, I include the key so that anyone unfamiliar with my calling style can use the key to quickly orient themselves before a performance. With Ajax, the director wanted the pre-show announcement to be live, said by myself every night and written by me so that it didn't sound scripted. As such, it was included in my calling script for me to read over the god mic every night. Below you can find page twenty-three, which I showed for blocking in that section.
