# Theatre Traditions and Habits



## busparking (Nov 30, 2015)

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this, but I'll put it here and someone else can move it if they need to.

I want to educate my students on standard procedures of how to interact with a theatre space.
I don't know what to call them exactly, but I'm thinking of all the things we do that we take for granted.
For example, I was trained to never go through a closed curtain, or walk across an open stage, when the house is open.
In my searches online, all I can find are lists of superstitions and audience etiquette.

So I turn to the CB community: What are some of the habits and traditions that seem commonplace to you, but take you by surprise when other people DON'T do them? Things that you don't know if anyone ever explicitly told you but you learned somewhere and feel like everyone should "just know."

Thanks!


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## Les Engineer (Nov 30, 2015)

Ha! My wife and I are both theater geeks - have been since childhood, but from very different theater traditions, geography, and training. Oddly, we understand theater and theater terms and traditions in the same way, except for one huge bone of contention, the role, realm, form, and function of the Stage Manager. Believe me, I'll do the group a favor and not list the wide variance of opinion, but if it hasn't cost us our marriage nothing will. This is the one responsibility that seems to vary everywhere I work. (Why do I feel like I'm starting something I shouldn't?)


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## Goatman (Nov 30, 2015)

My theater rituals consist mainly maintaining a clean booth—to the point of obsessively dusting off the board of the little flecks left behind by the dust cover.


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## rustystuff (Nov 30, 2015)

busparking said:


> I'm not sure if this is the right forum to post this, but I'll put it here and someone else can move it if they need to.
> 
> I want to educate my students on standard procedures of how to interact with a theatre space.
> I don't know what to call them exactly, but I'm thinking of all the things we do that we take for granted.
> ...



I thought about your question regarding "superstitions" and "etiquette", and came to the conclusion that what you're trying to get across to your students is called "discipline". The first two terms (to me) imply optional behaviors: something that's nice or fun to do, but if you don't, that's okay, too. I was fortunate to have an AMAZING theatre director in high school (Thank you, Cher!). An absolutely incredible instructor, mentor, visionary individual that "set the bar" extremely high, and made us accountable to each other as well as to her. She had the ability to make us believe in ourselves, and what we could do. She would give talks during rehearsals about how theate is creating "magic", and for that to happen, certain things MUST be done; as you referred to about not walking across an open stage . Doing that was simply not done - it destroyed the magic you are trying to create. I realize I'm really not giving you the specific answers you are seeking; you will have to set your own "ground rules" within your theatre space. Doing that will make your theatre YOUR theatre. 
While looking online for some ways to answer your question, I found this article about 25 advantages theatre majors have when seeking jobs in other-than-theatre occupations. In it, it lists a lot of qualities "theatre people" have, and if you're able to teach some of these attributes to YOUR students, you will have the excellence you are seeking. http://lecatr.people.wm.edu/majorslearn.html


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## BillConnerFASTC (Nov 30, 2015)

Well, with much less analysis, first tradition I learned was to never leave a theatre both alone and in darkness - thus the ghost light tradition. In fact, it is unlucky, as many, many people have fallen off the stage in the dark.


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## Fountain Of Euph (Dec 1, 2015)

Here are some:

-Knowing fly commands ("lineset flying in","linset flying out", "weight test linset"), "heads", and "runnaway!"
-Basic mic technique
-How to relamp and gel fixtures. 
-how to over under coil
-the director is always right. -the director is wrong if safety is threatened.
-how to call cues ("standby", "go","hold","all stop", places)
-not to talk in a standby
-never go on the stage if the house crew is not there
-never enter the stage if the fire curtain is down
-the steward tells you when break is, noone else can
- always sweep the stage before and after shows
-know the parts of the theater and stagehouse
- stage directions
-house directions for audio
-ghost lights are always. 
-safety is not third
-be early
-bring a c wrench, gloves, and a multi tool
-check in with the stage manager upon arrival. 
-never wear open shoes on stage, unless part of the costume
-never eat in costume. 
-IF YOU DON'T KNOW ASK
-assume that if a crewman has a headset on and the mic is in front of their mouth that that are receiving a critical life or death message, and should only be interrupted for emergencies
-if your on headset keep your mic above or below unless receaving or sending critical info. 


Sent from Taptalk for Android, this was.


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## robartsd (Dec 1, 2015)

Fountain Of Euph said:


> -assume that if a crewman has a headset on and the mic is in front of their mouth that that are receiving a critical life or death message, and should only be interrupted for emergencies
> -if your on headset keep your mic above or below unless receaving or sending critical info.


I've never heard of this before and it does not seem very intuitive; however, I can see that a visual signal that you are actively communicating on headset could be very useful at times. Does this mean that when using your headset for non-critical communication, you keep the mic an inch or two above or below your mouth to show that the communication is not critical.


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## Fountain Of Euph (Dec 1, 2015)

For most of the snide remarks and crass jokes i do. 

Sent from Taptalk for Android, this was.


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## balderson04 (Dec 1, 2015)

Don't know how many other places might do (or need) this, but we have developed a habit/tradition of yelling "House is clear?" before dousing the house lights on exiting the building for the day. We've had one or two people locked in over the years, so a final check helps.


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## Fountain Of Euph (Dec 1, 2015)

We do that too. Also yell blackout whenever the we are going into a blackout

Sent from Taptalk for Android, this was.


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## JChenault (Dec 1, 2015)

Don't sit on the set pieces ( ie chairs and sofa ). 
Don't play, touch, or move a prop unless it is yours or you are the prop master
Don't speak ill of another department
Be pleasant at all times.


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## JChenault (Dec 1, 2015)

When someone makes a call out ( like places, Works coming on coming in, etc ) acknowledge by saying "thank you places", "thank you works", etc


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## josh88 (Dec 1, 2015)

I tend say/yell "loud noise" if I know I'm about to drop something or do something that makes a noise that might startle people in an every day workday. Some of my students have taken to saying it as a kick off to strike since loud noises during that period are normal.


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## venuetech (Dec 1, 2015)

Never whistle


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## tjrobb (Dec 1, 2015)

I have a couple.
We had trouble knowing when our house was actually empty, since you can't see all spaces from all places. We make sure to shout out before dousing the works so no one got left in near-darkness; we did this to our sound crew more than once before the rule was instituted.
If test - firing any firearms, you MUST let people know. I always gave a seconds pause after "fire in the hole" so if anyone needed to object (ie sound) they could. 
When you're the new guy, stay busy. Ask for work. It helps in experience and not appearing lazy.


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## Goatman (Dec 1, 2015)

venuetech said:


> Never whistle



I only recently learned about this one, but it's okay that I was never taught because I can't whistle in the first place


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## derekleffew (Dec 1, 2015)

Thinking maybe we should rename this thread "Things my mother never taught me" or perhaps "Everything I know about tech theatre I learned in kindergarten."


venuetech said:


> Never whistle


This falls squarely into the superstition category, and IMO a debunked one at that. I just don't see how whistling in a theatre could cause a batten to fall on one's head. Okay, I'll stipulate/concede that ancient flymen were originally seamen or worked in the sailing industry. Explain to me how they could use whistles for cues without the audience hearing.

Now I hate whistling with a passion, but I refuse to perpetuate an incredulous myth to forbid it.
OTOH, not saying "the Scottish play", just makes good sense. 


busparking said:


> For example, I was trained to never go through a closed curtain


Something told to me early in my career, "If you can see the audience, they can see you." No peeking through the curtain; stay out of sightlines in the wings.


josh88 said:


> I tend say/yell "loud noise" if I know I'm about to drop something or do something that makes a noise that might startle people in an every day workday.


In the film/TV industry, gaffers yell "Hot stab!" before plugging in or switching on an instrument. Veterans _know_ to not look toward a fixture's lens. Newbies _learn_ it right quick. 
[Reminds me of a tour guide during a show telling @gafftaper, "Don't look up." Of course, gaff looked up, only to have the image of several 20K strobe lights burned into his retinas. He didn't do it again.]


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## Goatman (Dec 1, 2015)

derekleffew said:


> OTOH, not saying "the Scottish play", just makes good sense.



I tend not to teach this one to the newbies, but I also never say the M-word, whether I'm in a theater or not, especially around other theater people. Most who I meet defend this superstition with a passion, so out of respect to their beliefs/superstitions I avoid saying the word.


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## NickVon (Dec 1, 2015)

Actors are to never been seen in there costumes except on stage. (ie. you change out of your costume and into street clothes before greeting your audience after the show.) It goes along the lines of "keep the magic in the show"

Stage crews wears all black. Not a black shirt with Giant White lettering that says "CREW" thats for changing into after the show, not during. (similiar to above)


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## busparking (Dec 1, 2015)

These are great!!
Keep them coming!

Thank you!!


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## JChenault (Dec 2, 2015)

derekleffew said:


> This falls squarely into the superstition category, and IMO a debunked one at that. I just don't see how whistling in a theatre could cause a batten to fall on one's head. Okay, I'll stipulate/concede that ancient flymen were originally seamen or worked in the sailing industry. Explain to me how they could use whistles for cues without the audience hearing.



Concede nothing. According to Rick Boychuck in his history of counterweight rigging systems. "Nobody Looks Up" fly men were not originally seamen and ships rigging had nothing to do with stage rigging.


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## BillConnerFASTC (Dec 2, 2015)

JChenault said:


> Concede nothing. According to Rick Boychuck in his history of counterweight rigging systems. "Nobody Looks Up" fly men were not originally seamen and ships rigging had nothing to do with stage rigging.


Thanks for reminding us. I've always had suspicions about the ship origin of stage rigging and happy Rick did the research to prove the point. Maybe someone will disprove his theory but it will take some hard work.


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## Fountain Of Euph (Dec 2, 2015)

-Be quiet durring sound check
-when asking the FOH engineer a question while mixing, approach the booth and wait for then to acknowledge you. 
-do not disturb a lights programmer at work
-know that the mix is the most important thing for FOH, and everything else is second. 
-never enter a booth that is not yours without permission. 
-never touch the board, tools, or paperwork of another tech without permission, even if you know how use them. 
-don't mess with audio rack settings or patch unless under the guidelines of the house audio tech. 
-when unmuting, take the fader to 0 and then fade in. 
-actors: Always thank the crew. 
-crew: respect the actors



Sent from Taptalk for Android, this was.


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## TheaterEd (Dec 2, 2015)

I'd like to preface this with the fact that I am not personally a superstition guy, I just play one when I'm at work 


derekleffew said:


> Okay, I'll stipulate/concede that ancient flymen were originally seamen or worked in the sailing industry. Explain to me how they could use whistles for cues without the audience hearing.


I teach it for two reasons. 
1. Whistling is annoying and once I teach it the students police it very well. 
2. I once toured a facility with a co-workers class and a student whistled. Our guide (a person for whom I have a great deal of professional respect) politely informed the class about the fact that you don't whistle in theaters because it's bad luck. The student whistled again shortly there after and our guide was much less polite with his second admonishment. I know that you can't stop all people from being rude, but I personally teach these superstitions (break a leg, Scottish play, etc...) so that I can be certain that MY students won't be the ones insulting people who go out of their way to share their spaces with us.


Goatman said:


> I tend not to teach this one to the newbies, but I also never say the M-word, whether I'm in a theater or not, especially around other theater people.



I do teach it to my tech students. Generally someone will whisper it in the theater the next opportunity that they get. As a generally laid back guy, when I get serious, the entire dynamic of my classroom changes. So when I inevitably catch them saying it I get very serious, very quickly. Remove the student from the space to be dealt with at a later time. And never have an issue with that group of students again.

This is generally during the first week of class and makes whistling and the Scottish play a non-issue for the rest of the year.


Goatman said:


> Most who I meet defend this superstition with a passion, so out of respect to their beliefs/superstitions I avoid saying the word.


This is precisely the reason why I teach it. Let the students slip up while they are around me so that they can learn not to do so around others. I teach the superstitions less as something to be personally superstitious about and more as a way to show respect to people who work in our industry who are superstitious.

Also, I'll take any chance I get to help teach the youth of our nation to not be jerks and to respect other's beliefs.


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## gafftaper (Dec 2, 2015)

derekleffew said:


> [Reminds me of a tour guide during a show telling @gafftaper, "Don't look up." Of course, gaff looked up, only to have the image of several 20K strobe lights burned into his retinas. He didn't do it again.]


I have recently regained full control of my retina's. It only took about 8 years.


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## balderson04 (Dec 2, 2015)

tjrobb said:


> If test - firing any firearms, you MUST let people know. I always gave a seconds pause after "fire in the hole" so if anyone needed to object (ie sound) they could.



Yelled "fire in the hole" once, heard no objections, test fired the prop gun and a second later, heard somebody say "Oh, that's what "fire in the hole" means. Scared the **** out of me!"


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## chausman (Dec 2, 2015)

Fountain Of Euph said:


> -when unmuting, take the fader to 0 and then fade in.



Doesn't that pretty much defeat the purpose of having a [Mute]/[On] button?


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## Thetechmanmac (Dec 2, 2015)

-Don't be a know it all. Even if you _think_ you can do everything.


Fountain Of Euph said:


> -do not disturb a lights programmer at work


+1 to that!


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## petercav17 (Dec 2, 2015)

chausman said:


> Doesn't that pretty much defeat the purpose of having a [Mute]/[On] button?


Not if the Aux outputs are prefader. Then even if the fader was at 0 the signal would travel to monitors or such.

Also, leash your tools and clear your pockets when working at height.


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## Thetechmanmac (Dec 2, 2015)

petercav17 said:


> Not if the Aux outputs are prefader. Then even if the fader was at 0 the signal would travel to monitors or such.



That always happened to me. Got really annoying so I ended up just patching monitors (thank god for patch bays) to a postfader aux.

And another one: 
-always announce when you get on/off headset
-warn people before you _unplug _a headset


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## chausman (Dec 2, 2015)

petercav17 said:


> Not if the Aux outputs are prefader. Then even if the fader was at 0 the signal would travel to monitors or such.



I mean besides that. But part of the point of having a [Mute] is so that you can turn the source on/off without changing volume. If I'm in the middle of a show, the last thing I want to do is try and pickup each entrance/exit (or worse, each line if you prefer to mix line by line) by moving the fader (losing my previous level), unmuting, then bringing the fader back up. That's a recipe for loosing the first few words of every line, with no noticeable gain. If I've got people sharing mics or I know they're going to be noticably louder than before, I'll pull it down a little bit, but never to 0 (-∞).


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## petercav17 (Dec 2, 2015)

chausman said:


> I mean besides that. But part of the point of having a [Mute] is so that you can turn the source on/off without changing volume. If I'm in the middle of a show, the last thing I want to do is try and pickup each entrance/exit (or worse, each line if you prefer to mix line by line) by moving the fader (losing my previous level), unmuting, then bringing the fader back up. That's a recipe for loosing the first few words of every line, with no noticeable gain. If I've got people sharing mics or I know they're going to be noticably louder than before, I'll pull it down a little bit, but never to 0 (-∞).



I totally agree with you, I don't see the point of pulling a fader all the way to -∞ and then muting under normal circumstances. I hardly ever mix and when I do I usually just use the mute button and leave the level where it is. Though, I did work with a sound designer once that swore by faders, and he had all his auxes configured post-fader and left all channels unmuted the whole show, and just manipulated the faders to bring up mics. Seems kind of over-complicated though considering he had roughly 50 channels to mix.


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## kenact (Dec 3, 2015)

Fountain Of Euph said:


> -don't mess with audio rack settings or patch unless under the guidelines of the house audio tech.
> 
> Sent from Taptalk for Android, this was.



Unfortunately, I typically work in a theater where each production has their own tech "staff", typically the director, or an actor the director hired to run lights and sound. My first hour in the theater, for a new production, is typically spent making sure the last "tech", didn't re-patch the entire booth.

-Do not offer to do anything requiring a power tool, unless you actually know how to use the tool
-If it's your responsibility to tear down a set, never leave screws, nails or staples sticking out of anything, even if you're the one building the next set
-Only because this actually happened to me, if you're helping out by patching something backstage, like cementing over a weak spot in the floor, don't do it right before a performance, especially without telling everyone that has a need to be near that location
-To expand on something said earlier, never touch anything backstage, unless you're absolutely certain it isn't part of the show, and it isn't someone else's personal property
-Always knock, and wait for an invitation, before entering any dressing room
-During a performance, never talk backstage unless it's necessary. Even if you speak softly enough that the audience can't hear you, the actors on stage might, and it could distract them
-Practical jokes are not cool
-If you're not making a boatload of money, you better be having fun, as long as you're safe and respectful of the production


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## Fountain Of Euph (Dec 3, 2015)

chausman said:


> Doesn't that pretty much defeat the purpose of having a [Mute]/[On] button?


Sorry, that should have read somthing like this: if you need to unmute and there is audible signal on the line, Then fade in as opposed to just unmuteing. 

This is applicable for situations where a cue is missed or someone grabs a mic last min.

Sent from Taptalk for Android, this was.


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## robartsd (Dec 3, 2015)

NickVon said:


> Actors are to never been seen in there costumes except on stage. (ie. you change out of your costume and into street clothes before greeting your audience after the show.) It goes along the lines of "keep the magic in the show"


With the obvious exception being if you performing with a company where the entire cast greets departing patrons in costume - assume this is NOT the case until told otherwise be the director, stage manager, or producer.


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## NickVon (Dec 3, 2015)

robartsd said:


> With the obvious exception being if you performing with a company where the entire cast greets departing patrons in costume - assume this is NOT the case until told otherwise be the director, stage manager, or producer.



True. Case in point I saw Deaf West's "Spring Awaking" and they greeted everyone after in their starting dress for donations for the Equity Fights Aids fundraising. (I think that what it was.) I think the general rules stands unless a specific audience or show calls for the a director to choose differently. A lot of children theatre casts will usually meet kids in costume. Or sometimes Productions like Beauty and the Beast, were Belle and Beast may take photos with kids afterwards if that's the audience your show is geared for.


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## FMEng (Dec 5, 2015)

petercav17 said:


> Not if the Aux outputs are prefader. Then even if the fader was at 0 the signal would travel to monitors or such.
> 
> Also, leash your tools and clear your pockets when working at height.




petercav17 said:


> Not if the Aux outputs are prefader. Then even if the fader was at 0 the signal would travel to monitors or such.
> 
> Also, leash your tools and clear your pockets when working at height.


On some consoles, mutes don't affect pre-fade sends. I learned that the hard way on a Mackie Onyx.


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## Brandofhawk (Dec 6, 2015)

I learned very early on (when my lead got up in my face and yelled at me front of all the other technicians) to not put my hands in my pockets. At first I was taken aback... we weren't really doing anything, and it was kind of cold out so you know... trying to warm them and such. 

Later, while reflecting on the situation, I was being paid to be there, be present, and be ready to work (even if nothing is going on at the time). You need to be ready to lend a hand and you just cannot do that with your hands in your pockets. Similarly, if a client sees you or part of the crew with hands in pockets, it seems as if there are too many people on the gig and they may question why they are paying for someone who isn't working.

I don't put my hands in my pants pockets anymore... I do still however put them in my sweatshirt / jacket pockets.


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## Toffee (Dec 10, 2015)

Thetechmanmac said:


> -warn people before you _unplug _a headset



I think you mean plug in. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## dthomas32308 (Dec 10, 2015)

Please for the love of everyone who will use it after your production is finished... teach them how to PROPERLY roll drops where it prevents the tight creases and wrinkles. Can't tell you how many drops I've received from a rental house that had the previous renter ship the drop straight to us and it wasn't rolled but folded then have to call the drop company to get permission to steam it so it will hang flat and not have shadows.


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## MikeJ (Dec 19, 2015)

TheaterEd said:


> I'd like to preface this with the fact that I am not personally a superstition guy, I just play one when I'm at work
> 
> 
> I teach it for two reasons.
> ...



The entire conversation above was supposed to be sarcasm, right?

These superstitions are kept up because they make things fun and light heated, and out of respect for traditions...because its fun. Being over zealous about these things is a real turn-off and makes me glad that I quit school, and got away from "real" theater people. It's supposed to be fun.


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## SHCP (Dec 24, 2015)

At our theater, whenever the TD (me) says the name "Kayla" ALL crew has to immediately say "Who's Kayla?" as loud as they can. I'd appreciate it if you would all do this also because I would find it very funny. It's a long story.


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## littleowl (Jan 3, 2016)

The Scottish play thing has become too annoying. It's one thing if someone wants to believe in it but there is no reason to pressure others into your nonsense. I am so tired of some people making it out to be something equivalent to religious fundamentalism. 

And more stage managers should know that they are not above good habits/good etiquette. Actors should not be talking loud backstage, or on their cell phones texting with friends, or loudly running up steps backstage so I don't know how some stage managers think it's okay for them to do so. Definitely not a lot of stage managers but it's bizarre when I do come across stage managers who think they are above things that others are not allowed to do.


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## burgherandfries (Jan 7, 2016)

One habit I was taught was the use of "dark" versus "closed" when referring to the venue. Saying "The theater is Dark" implies a day of no activity whereas "The theater is Closed" indicates it is no longer open for business. A good habit to get into if you're someone who frequently communicates with patrons.


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## Silicon_Knight (Feb 3, 2016)

FMEng said:


> On some consoles, mutes don't affect pre-fade sends. I learned that the hard way on a Mackie Onyx.



Oh!! The bane of my existence! I'm so glad we got away from our little Mackie mixer because this issue! I'm sure that some mixer design engineer had a good reason for designing these mixers in this fashion, but as a mixer operator - I never could figure out why!


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## Fountain Of Euph (Feb 4, 2016)

Silicon_Knight said:


> Oh!! The bane of my existence! I'm so glad we got away from our little Mackie mixer because this issue! I'm sure that some mixer design engineer had a good reason for designing these mixers in this fashion, but as a mixer operator - I never could figure out why!


Also the rude solo light. Absolutely love the mixer with that excepted. 

Sent from Taptalk for Android, this was.


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## Silicon_Knight (Feb 4, 2016)

Fountain Of Euph said:


> Also the rude solo light. Absolutely love the mixer with that excepted.
> 
> Sent from Taptalk for Android, this was.



I got a chuckle from the Mackie Tech manual in this section:

*RUDE SOLO LIGHT*

This flashing Light Emitting Diode serves
two purposes — to remind you that at least one
channel is in SOLO, and to let you know that
you're mixing on a Mackie. No other company
is so concerned about your level of SOLO aware-
ness.


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## chausman (Feb 4, 2016)

I'm so excited to replace our aging, dying Mackie Onyx with an X32. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## josh88 (Feb 4, 2016)

chausman said:


> I'm so excited to replace our aging, dying Mackie Onyx with an X32.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


having used both, you'll love it.


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## chausman (Feb 4, 2016)

josh88 said:


> having used both, you'll love it.



It's not even because it bothers me. But I've had more success training our soundcraft Expression then the Mackie. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## josh88 (Feb 4, 2016)

I actually liked the mackie boards I've used, but the x32 is fun, easy to use and I don't regret upgrading to it for a second.


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## vIQleS (Feb 11, 2016)

TAKE THE TAPE OFF!!!! (Personal bugbear)

Curtains are walls. Don't move the curtain - go around it. (Unless you've been told to i.e. moving large set peices etc...)

Don't bring anyone on stage / backstage without SM permission.
(Same with booths - whoever's in charge of it)

If it's lighting's time in the theatre, don't turn on lights or open doors without checking. (Most people don't but sometimes worth mentioning)

In a dark (blacked out) theatre, don't point torches* at people's faces. (Just good advice in all torch-wielding situations...)

*Flashlights


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## tjrobb (Feb 16, 2016)

RE: Being on stage.
Even when I was on (facilities) staff I wouldn't go on stage unless I had to. Too many traps and dangers, and they change show to show. Plus they always seemed to be painting the deck...


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## somniferous (May 7, 2016)

petercav17 said:


> Though, I did work with a sound designer once that swore by faders, and he had all his auxes configured post-fader and left all channels unmuted the whole show, and just manipulated the faders to bring up mics. Seems kind of over-complicated though considering he had roughly 50 channels to mix.



This is how you normally mix theater shows, especially musicals. It's line by line mixing. Using mutes can make late pickups (which shouldn't happen often) sound more natural as it fades in as opposed to snapping in. This also makes mixing overlapping lines more fluid. Generally you are mixing on VCA's though and not individual channels.

As fars as habbits:
- Always label everything (cables, patches, board, etc) so someone else can jump in for you in the event you get hit by a bus
- Do your paperwork and make sure it's up to date. It should also be in a place that is easily accessed.


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