Behind The Pro?

May I offer an idea.After having travelled around a bit "Behind the Pro". I have come to the conclusion that stagecraft and the backstage bit usually have the look of a last minute thing.I'm sure there are the regular's who get worked to death.I realise there are a lot of reasons for these glaring problems, trying to find someone in the first place is biggest one - possibly less than 0.01% of membership.Being an ex-pro, ready for the 'glad' bag, but surely Iam not in the minority who is living out thier final gasp of smoke - here in west. There must be more of us who can assist community theatre by at least showing and/or sharing a bit of the craft with others - for, please forgive, the love of 'IT'.Maybe, we could help via your good offices with stage management, technical, design or what ever!!!sorry to interupt - but feel free to....or advise evaporation as the only option!Yours In 'IT'Joe McCabe

May I offer another idea??(With my 'Secretary of the ITA's hat firmly in place)Anyone 'out there' who is in the same position as Joe can contact ITA with their details/offer of help and we will GLADLY put you in touch with companies needing your expertise.I think many of us are 'scared' of approaching the pros, oe ex-pros for fear of being thought "amateur' in its derogatory sense.Most of the local companies would welcome expertise on - say - lighting, scene building etc, with open arms (as long as it's free of course)Perhaps we could start a database (buzz word) or Directory of Expert Personnel willing to become involved with us community theatres??Any takers?Norma Davis.> May I offer an idea.> After having travelled around a bit "Behind the Pro".> I have come to the conclusion that stagecraft and the backstage bit> usually have the look of a last minute thing.> I'm sure there are the regular's who get worked to death.> I realise there are a lot of reasons for these glaring problems,> trying to find someone in the first place is biggest one - possibly> less than 0.01% of membership.> Being an ex-pro, ready for the 'glad' bag, but surely Iam not> in the minority who is living out thier final gasp of smoke - here> in west. There must be more of us who can assist community theatre> by at least showing and/or sharing a bit of the craft with others> - for, please forgive, the love of 'IT'.> Maybe, we could help via your good offices with stage management,> technical, design or what ever!!!> sorry to interupt - but feel free to....or advise evaporation> as the only option!> Yours In 'IT'> Joe McCabe

JoeI am with KADS (Kalamunda Dramatic Society) and we are always looking for help in all areas of the theatre arts. We try to run regular classes for our members would you be interrested? Reply to hackett@git.com.auThanksGeorge Hackett> May I offer an idea.> After having travelled around a bit "Behind the Pro".> I have come to the conclusion that stagecraft and the backstage bit> usually have the look of a last minute thing.> I'm sure there are the regular's who get worked to death.> I realise there are a lot of reasons for these glaring problems,> trying to find someone in the first place is biggest one - possibly> less than 0.01% of membership.> Being an ex-pro, ready for the 'glad' bag, but surely Iam not> in the minority who is living out thier final gasp of smoke - here> in west. There must be more of us who can assist community theatre> by at least showing and/or sharing a bit of the craft with others> - for, please forgive, the love of 'IT'.> Maybe, we could help via your good offices with stage management,> technical, design or what ever!!!> sorry to interupt - but feel free to....or advise evaporation> as the only option!> Yours In 'IT'> Joe McCabe

> May I offer another idea??> (With my 'Secretary of the ITA's hat firmly in place)> Anyone 'out there' who is in the same position as Joe can contact> ITA with their details/offer of help and we will GLADLY put you in> touch with companies needing your expertise.> I think many of us are 'scared' of approaching the pros, oe ex-pros> for fear of being thought "amateur' in its derogatory sense.>> Most of the local companies would welcome expertise on - say> - lighting, scene building etc, with open arms (as long as it's free> of course)> Perhaps we could start a database (buzz word) or Directory of> Expert Personnel willing to become involved with us community theatres?>> ?Any takers?> Norma Davis.>Thanks NormaIf I could add to your idea - "if there is any takers" - with a data base or say engineer a type of local Guild for Stagecraft, possibly from this site, to assist and/or bring on others of like mind.The bulk of which would come from those already doing it in the dark at amature theatre's.It has been my want for some time now to form such a network based at each community theatre, who can share and be there to support any group/individual with a particular production or in general.Of course this is only a seed in a packet at present.If there is any one would could add to this - the 'limes' are yours!!!Joe McCabe

Hi Norma> Perhaps we could start a database (buzz word) or Directory of> Expert Personnel willing to become involved with us community theatres?i think we may have talked briefly about this suggestion more than a year ago when planning the original web-site. The benefits of a database of Theatre Resources could be tremendous. It could contain information on Personnel (actors, directors, technicians, designers, stagemanagers, administrators), Venues and a wide range of Equipment (costumes, props, lighting and sound equipment).if we were to undertake a project like this, i would suggest that it should allow anyone to add information - an individual can add their own details to the list of Personnel, a club can add their own equipment and venue details - this halves the amount of work required to maintain and update the information.It would be advisable to setup a small working group, too. Just to make sure we think of everything when we design the database. It would be a shame to miss an equipment category or to leave out space for an important description. The group may need to meet only a couple of times and those meetings could be conducted in the Live Chat Room here on the website if distance or transport are an issue.The database could be established with people adding information within 6-8 weeks.How about it Joe? Norma? Anyone else?CheersGrant

> Hi Norma> i think we may have talked briefly about this suggestion more> than a year ago when planning the original web-site. The benefits> of a database of Theatre Resources could be tremendous. It could contain> information on Personnel (actors, directors, technicians, designers,> stagemanagers, administrators), Venues and a wide range of Equipment> (costumes, props, lighting and sound equipment).> if we were to undertake a project like this, i would suggest> that it should allow anyone to add information - an individual can> add their own details to the list of Personnel, a club can add their> own equipment and venue details - this halves the amount of work required> to maintain and update the information.> It would be advisable to setup a small working group, too. Just> to make sure we think of everything when we design the database. It> would be a shame to miss an equipment category or to leave out space> for an important description. The group may need to meet only a couple> of times and those meetings could be conducted in the Live Chat Room> here on the website if distance or transport are an issue.> The database could be established with people adding information> within 6-8 weeks.> How about it Joe? Norma? Anyone else?> Cheers> GrantGrantJust press "go" and I'll be in it - travels no problem or here on chat.I'm not an individual member of ITA, although I'm a financail member of Mandurah Little Theatre. Do I need to jion - please advise.new address (hylas@tik.com.au)Yous 'In It'Joe McCabe(new - hylas@tik.com.au)

Hi Joeapologies for taking so long to get back to you... still in the midst of computer dramas :)i'd also been wondering if anyone else wanted to join in> Just press "go" and I'll be in it - travels no problem> or here on chat.> I'm not an individual member of ITA, although I'm a financail> member of Mandurah Little Theatre. Do I need to jion - please advise.i'm not a member of the ITA either, so i hardly think it's a requirement!the topics i'm interested in discussing relate to setting up an on-line directory of theatre resources available in WA. is it a silly idea? should everone be able to contribute? what categories should we have? what information would we require from people adding items?Perhaps we should try a chat here on-line next Wednesday evening starting at say 8pm? That way anyone else can join in if they wish.Please let me know if the time suits and do try the Live Chat page first - it may cause problems on older browsers.Looking forward to this!CheersGrant

hey i could help out in the lighting and sound design area but i don't have equipment. i would love to help out in any way possible, i live in canberra but would help out is other states if it could be arranged with the director.
see ya later
paul d'aquino