Staffing

[NickLee]

Dear All,

 

This is one for the AmDram people out there - but if anyone has any thoughts I'd be interested to hear them.

My "local" society puts on 5 shows per season, which is not too demanding a schedule in real terms, and it has a fairly healthy membership (talking perhaps round 100+) - with a large, active core membership. We're pretty well equipped as AmDram goes, though we're not talking Questors here.

Gareth has visited the theatre (MADS Macclesfied) so he'll probably be inclined to disagree but judging by other societies... anyway. One problem we have is lighting crew - in that we simply can't staff shows. We've had to pay people to light stuff before, because the demands of the theatre mean you can't "make do" - you have to rig and plot and so on. And sets can be varied, so again this is a fairly important factor. No-one's pretending the lighting we do is at professional standards, but it is GOOD at an Amdram level.

But what do you do - in your local society - or what SHOULD you do - about recruiting people for a unpaid slog for a week's run, week's runup of rehearsals and all the attendant rigging and plotting? It's a lot of work - and so it's unsurprising people aren't always that keen. But I'm assuming we're not the first people to have this problem. So have you / would you deal with such a problem when you're forced to eat into show budgets to finance freelances, who do a frankly substandard job anyway?

We don't want to keep hiring people - that's just a ludicrous situation. There are not enough people with skills or time in the society to do the job as the schedule demands - so how might you attract more LX Designers/Ops?

 

Any thoughts welcome.

 

Cheers

 

--N

[Shaun Foster]

Do you have to have your own insurance to do this type of work?

[NickLee]

LX Staff, as long as they are members or are "signed in" by the society are covered by our own insurance.

Freelancers will be covered by their own.

 

That what you meant?

[Shaun Foster]

That what you meant?

 

I was just wondering about casual staff which it sounded like you were looking for.

 

I am looking to help with amdram stuff, but I dont know what I would be alowed to do asd I am only 15 and dont have any insurance of my own. But I dont mind watching sweeping up and cutting gel if I thats all I can do.

[gareth]

You'll be reassured to know, Nick, that as amateur venues go MADS does actually stand out as being one of the better ones. ;)

 

I don't quite know what to suggest with regards to your staffing crisis, though. Many years back, when I was involved with an amateur theatre (Grove Park in Wrexham - not far from Mac, perhaps you know it?) we were fairly well blessed with lighting- and sound-savvy members who were keen to get their hands mucky. They did (and still do, AFAIK) seven productions plus a panto each season, and in the time I was running the lighting department I was never short of designers, board ops or crew. Can't you tempt people with cheap booze and some good parties?! What about getting in touch with local schools and colleges that run performing arts courses? Perhaps there might be some students with an interest in technical things.

 

Sorry, that's probably not very helpful - but I don't really know what else to suggest.

[NickLee]

You'll be reassured to know, Nick, that as amateur venues go MADS does actually stand out as being one of the better ones.  ;)

 

I don't quite know what to suggest with regards to your staffing crisis, though. Many years back, when I was involved with an amateur theatre (Grove Park in Wrexham - not far from Mac, perhaps you know it?) we were fairly well blessed with lighting- and sound-savvy members who were keen to get their hands mucky. They did (and still do, AFAIK) seven productions plus a panto each season, and in the time I was running the lighting department I was never short of designers, board ops or crew. Can't you tempt people with cheap booze and some good parties?! What about getting in touch with local schools and colleges that run performing arts courses? Perhaps there might be some students with an interest in technical things.

 

Sorry, that's probably not very helpful - but I don't really know what else to suggest.

Cheers for suggestions - it was as much a rant as anything.

 

As to MADS, we still have the T-spots and PARs FoH (and - for anyone else reading - I'm really not joking!).

 

Wrexham is far enough away that I don't know Grove Park. Though I'll keep an eye out. We can tempt people which cheap booze, because at £1.30 for a pint you're not really gonna start complaining. As to performing arts courses nearby... there aren't any really. Though there are students from local schools interested in things technical. My experiences aren't wholly good in that respect. I'm hardly a senior member myself, but those of schoolage I've worked with tend to be short on experience, which is a great disadvantage. But as you say, maybe one thing to look for.

 

Anyway, cheers for feedback. Appreciated.

 

--N

[James]

Well I'm always on the look out the find other groups in my area to help out but I'm in south London ;)

 

Have you considered running your own courses in basic Lighting, ie rigging focusing and recruting from your pool of members?

 

I apreciate that you would probably have to continue using freelancers for the immediate future but in c ouple of years you should probablyl have enough to be self suffucient - Of course the other problem is over-recruting and your new trainies not having enough opertunity to get involved regularly enough to stay interested.

 

Good Luck,

[Guest lightnix]

Have you tried contacting the Manchester Youth Theatre ? Some of their technical members might be keen. Some of the local schools or colleges might be worth a trawl too. Good luck.

[Thirdtap]

What about a company policy of one in 3 or 4 shows cast should do a 'turn' in the backstage departments?

 

It may free up some parts for others who usually don't get a look in and it would help you if the rest of the company know what is involved with putting on a production.

[Andrew C]

Ohhh, I can just see it! The twirlies with circular saws.... The leading man with a broom... The MD with a hammer.... ;)

 

Sorry Nick, I also do Am Dram on a large scale. Eight of our own shows a year and we own our own building which takes a lot of maintaining, and I know just where you're coming from. We're not having so many difficulties with LX or FX at the moment, but it is very difficult to get carpenters or anyone to do FoH duties.

 

Someone's sig line sums it all up nicely, you know, the one about hard work showing the qualities up or something.

 

Ahh, found it. Paul Needs sig line says it all;

("Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, some don't turn up at all.")

[Nicktaylor]

The Centre I have been involved with for getting on for thirty years since a school boy has three societies which between them do up to nine shows a year. My original group the Kings Langley Players, has three members who might be called designers or whatever which is about three times as many as most companies in the area. Lighting operatic and revue shows falls mainly on my shoulders , but we have a number of acting types to run the desk for the plays. That is where the problem usually rises in other groups, no one to do the desk. Recently we did an excellent production of Bouncers and the desk op was the partner of one of the actors. She had never done the desk before and ran almost a hundred cues, not prompted by DSM. Full training given......not! Basically she sat in on the tech and that was that. Admittedly the LD was at each performance , but as he is a Freelance technician could not guarantee running the show.

Now we have a couple of sixteen year olds who are showing extreme interest in technical theatre. Hopefully we will keep their interest. In fact we haven't had to bribe them yet with booze because they are too young. One I see is on this board. My main tip is be welcoming. You might see it as a threat to your empire, but one day you could need that hand. For me I can work with other groups when they need a hand because there are enough for the home groups.