A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, 2nd Edition

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Chapter 10

Prior to the Load-In

INTRODUCTION

This chapter examines some of the events that take

place between the time the paperwork packets have

been sent out and up through the night before the

load-in. First off, it’s smart to confirm that what-

ever paperwork has been sent out, actually got there.

Not very imaginatively, that activity is called confirm

paperwork distribution.

While other departments prepare for the load-in,

it may be necessary for the lighting design to react

to changes, which may turn into more meetings and

alterations to the production schedule.

As the load-in looms, the electrical package may

get assembled and packed in a lighting rental shop, an

activity known as prepping the rental lighting pack-

age. When the package is assembled, the truck packing

groundplan shows how the gear will fit into the truck

for the trip from the lighting rental shop to the per-

formance facility, or between stops on a tour.

In many cases, while that is taking place, the

designer will attend run-throughs of the show.

Finally, there are the preparations made the day and

night before the load-in.

CONFIRM PAPERWORK DISTRIBUTION

Once the packets have been assembled are sent out,

call and make sure it got there.

If paperwork is sent to an out-of-town theatre,

call and confirm that the theatre has received and

distributed the paperwork to the proper parties. Do

not assume that silence implies acceptance of the

lighting package. It’s not impossible that the package

containing the information has been lost, misplaced,

or misinterpreted.

Likewise, if paperwork is sent ahead to a lighting

rental shop, a call to confirm the paperwork’s arrival

may seem redundant; until you call and it hasn’t shown

up. Overnight delivery services now provide many

online tracking resources. At the time of this writing,

the US Postal Service has the ability to send packages

rapidly, but it’s not always able to track the package’s

progress. When in doubt, most lighting designers agree

that paying the extra money in order to track and trace

the package once it’s lost, is worth the extra money.

On the other hand, just because it’s arrived, doesn’t

always mean that it’s gotten into the right hands.

Shelley’s

Note s

Shelley’s Notes:

Confirm Paperwork Distribution

Back before the Internet and email attachments, I once

produced an extensive lighting paperwork package and

sent it off to the theatre barely meeting the contractual

schedule defined by the producer. I heard nothing from

the production electrician for weeks and presumed that

everything had been received and approved. One week

prior to load-in, I called him and discovered he had never

received any paperwork from his production office.

I immediately called the production office, since dupli-

cating the paperwork package at this late date would

involve no small amount of time and effort.

When I asked about the package in question,

the receptionist in the production office immediately

knew what I was talking about. “Oh yes,” she said,