# South Pacific Set - Anyone want it?



## matthewehayes (Jun 2, 2007)

Hi everyone I am working at a professional summer stock as the TD/Scenic Designer this summer. Last night we opened South Pacific and it will be playing for a week and a half before switch out for the next show. Anyways the set includes two beautiful bamboo huts and a number of other scenic items. 

Does anyone have any idea of how to resell this set besides making cold calls to the people that are producing the show this year?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!


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## avkid (Jun 2, 2007)

matthewehayes said:


> Does anyone have any idea of how to resell this set besides making cold calls to the people that are producing the show this year?


That's probably the best option.


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## Footer (Jun 2, 2007)

matthewehayes said:


> Hi everyone I am working at a professional summer stock as the TD/Scenic Designer this summer. Last night we opened South Pacific and it will be playing for a week and a half before switch out for the next show. Anyways the set includes two beautiful bamboo huts and a number of other scenic items.
> Does anyone have any idea of how to resell this set besides making cold calls to the people that are producing the show this year?
> Any input would be greatly appreciated!



Backstage jobs has a rental section now. Also, have the company put it on its website. Many theatres have a "rental" section on their site.


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## icewolf08 (Jun 2, 2007)

You can always try ebay. You never know, somebody might want it for some themed party or something. People buy anything.


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## avkid (Jun 2, 2007)

icewolf08 said:


> You can always try ebay. You never know, somebody might want it for some themed party or something. People buy anything.


Once they see the shipping, no sale.


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## stantonsound (Jun 2, 2007)

It is sad to see all of the hard work that goes into a show just thrown away. I spent more than a week painting the deck of a stage for a show, and then three weeks later I was painting it black again. 

There are companies that rent sets, costumes, props, etc... in one package deal. They might be interested. I always thought that when I work in college again, with the set design and construction classes, we should build a very popular show (Wicked would be a good choice, or avenue Q maybe). Actually put the show on, and then rent it out. Having a few of these traveling shows can really bring in a great deal of money for a theatre/school. One of the high schools that I work in just rented a complete musical (props, sound effects, costumes, everything) and they paid A LOT of money for it.


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## Footer (Jun 2, 2007)

If you are going to build a set to rent a few things have to happen. First, the design has to be strait out of the book, nothing real artsy. Second, the build has to be top notch and have a very short load in. Most of the sets out their that are rented are old touring sets. They go up quick, and come down quick. They are mostly built out of all steel and bolt together. Musical Theatre of Wichita builds great sets and rents nearly all of them after they build them. Its hard to rent a set that isn't intended to be rented.


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## stantonsound (Jun 2, 2007)

There is actually a college in the area that builds sets (for money) for a summer theatre program and then they are rented out to other theatres/schools. They are pretty much standard wood flats, but the company does touch up the paint right before the performances. The load in and build on the show was more than a week (high school theatre, so time really wasn't much of a concern). I will agree that the set was not very "artsy" and I was disappointed when one of the teachers gave me a DVD of the original performance and said "I want the lights to look just like that". (I was the LD). I watched the first act, but couldn't even see any lighting changes with the handicam recording, so I designed the show that way that worked for the space. 

The draw of using something like this is many schools just don't have the capability to build a set. They don't have the trained shop staff, nor the time and material. This one had two huge wagons with a revolve built on top of each as well as platforms and staircases. It was much better, and probably cheaper in the long run, than building their own. They didn't have to worry about where to get 20 metal beer steins, or how they were going to make a costume of a giant clock and teapot. ***hint***

If the show is going to tour, I would completely agree about a steel set and quick load in/load out. Many small theatres just don't have the resources to build a huge set, but want a good show. If it is built so that it can be taken down and fit into a truck and safely transported, that is the main key. That really fills the niche.


I am not thinking that anyone will take this show and just rent it, but the materials (bamboo), costume pieces, props, etc... can be of use. I think that we waste so much money on things that we throw away, when another theatre across town could use it. The problem is that our stuff takes up so much room, and it costs money to store it.


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## Footer (Jun 2, 2007)

for that show, renting is sometimes a necessity. People know what to expect, and they want to see that. It is not cost or time feasible to build the costumes for that show, and usually if you rent the costumes, its one more line to rent the set.


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## drawstuf99 (Jun 2, 2007)

Just thought I'd comment on a set experience I've had on a certain show I worked on, although it doesn't directly relate to HOW to rent them out. I won't name the show or company, for sake of it being such a small world...'dont want to screw myself over 

I was designing lights for a community theatre in the area for a reasonably large show and the decesion was made to rent the set long before I joined the project. What seemed to be a good idea to rent all of the set and props and have it trucked to us, ended up with a few issues.

Sure, when it was set and done, the set and props looked fine, they seemed to fit the space, and the production was enjoyable. I just have got to say, the process, however, was a pain in the rear. We had "issues" with some of the people at the company (though, the load-in crew was very nice), the set was originally too big (much bigger than we were told) and had to be trimmed down, and it was a struggle all along just to get simple dimensions from the company. The set looked fine, they eventually did what they said, but another thing to look for is...look for the people who own the company and see if they're dependable and easy to work with. I sure would hate to see a deal on a set or something fall thru and leave the seller sitting there w/ a set they have spent time building and then be in the hole money wise quite a lot.

Another venue I worked at this season was in a similiar scenario, though I dont know all the details. We put on a production w/ a very generic set consisting of a line of pariactoids (i can never spell that; and i may be giving away the show  ) that the theatre was going to sell to a rental company. After all of that, the set deal fell through and now the people seem to be unreachable and everything. So, they were expecting to get some money back, but didn't...kindof a bummer.

Just two stories to share...take what you can from it


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## Footer (Jun 2, 2007)

Whenever renting, before you sign the contracts, get a full set of drawings including elevations, groundplans, line schedules, the works for the show. The problem a lot of the time is you get a set that was not designed to be rented, therefore most of those drawings do not exist.


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## drawstuf99 (Jun 3, 2007)

Exactly. I wish I had been on the project soon enough to have told that to someone. A set model does NOT count as replacement for all of that kind of stuff. It can be nice to look at, but when you realize that hey! This stage isn't actually OURS so the set's going to be so much larger than our stage, you're screwed. I a little embarressed to say that, at one point early on, that had to be pointed out....

Moral of the story: careful who you rent from and how business is conducted with them. I also wouldn't really want a set I've designed to go to a bad rental house...sure, you get credited for it anyway, but I'd much rather be with someone who is well known for being a good company and good service rather than being well known for sucky service and load-ins.

Just my two cents.


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