Today is the day when all the fun and headaches begin. Really, it’s a privilege, actually. To be able to be in a position to write a drama or musical and bring it step by step to the stage is an awesome experience. And today is the day!

Bumping in a production is stressful to say the least. There’s a ton of work that needs to be done before the actors show up. Here’s our schedule for Monday May 18:

8 am: Load up set pieces and props on the lorry. Transport to penangpac with the set-up/tech crew

8:45 am Unload at the loading bay at Straits Quay and move into Stage 1 of penangpac.

9:30 am Set needs to be positioned on stage. Walls constructed, set pieces hung from the ceiling, and props organized back stage.

10:00 am Lighting focus begins. Lighting focus will take between 3-4 hours to have the right effect in the right places.

10:30 am microphone set-up and amp for guitar

2:00 pm Lighting cues.  Once the lights are focused correctly, we walk through the script page by page creating lighting cues. This will take at least 1-2 hours.

3:15 pm the actors show up and go right to make-up.

4:30 pm Early dinner arrives, catered in by a local restaurant

5:30 pm Technical rehearsal – the actors will see the lighting and cues on the actual stage for the first time. We’ll walk through all cues and scenes

6:30 pm pre-rehearsal meeting – we’ll talk through the entire production, hearing from the stage managers, director, choreographer, vocal director, and tech crew.

7:00 pm Dress rehearsal – we’ll do the show for the first time as if it’s the real thing.

9:00 pm Quick debrief and then go home and collapse, getting ready for opening night the next day.

This is how I run a typical bump-in/dress rehearsal day. The next time you go to the theatre, try to appreciate the time and effort it takes to put on a show.

And if you are in Penang, please come see ours. It’s going to be awesome!