Marie, to answer your question. I haven't yet, but I probably would if it got bad enough. Usually by the time I figure out it's not working, it's just a few days to opening and I hate to leave people in the lurch. Thankfully this hasn't happened very often (and mostly when I was living in LA. Most of my clients are great collaborators and repeat customers.

Do we have any set designers on this site? I'd love to hear from them.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I think maybe modern choreographers feel they can design their own costumes because more often than not, they don't have much choice.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>That possibility's occurred to me several times over the years, but there's another phenomenon also at work: there are some choreographers (again, more common in modern than in ballet) who are intimidated by the process and actually <I>prefer</I> to work in understaffed, minimally-equipped spaces.

The red feathers should not have been a problem. The most effective way to light them would be with a pale blue (I use Lee 161, usually); the gel passes enough red to pick up the color, but turns everything else slightly blue, which in turn makes the feathers look even redder.<p>[This message has been edited by Tom Skelton (edited March 04, 2002).]

I will remember that the next time I design red costumes.

Note that it works better on synthetic fibers than it does on natural fabric; it looks worst on wool.

Thanks for the info Tom. I guess that particular lighting designer and choreographer wanted the feathers to look like something my cat regurgitated. <P>Ughh, dancing in wool, what could be worse than that. Except maybe leather.

The lighting designer may not have known how to do it. I was never taught it in school; I figured it out (by accident) after I was already working for money.

I think dancing in plastic would be even worse than leather.

Wow, this Peeve thread has gotten pretty specific! OK, time to throw everyone into a rant. You've all touched on some of my pet peeves but lately my biggest one has been...<P>Choreographers and companies (including theater) who do not budget contingency time into their tech schedule. Inevitably in tech, something WILL go wrong. That's why it's tech time. Too many productions fill their time schedule to the minute and start fussing, whining, and complaining as soon as a technical problem occurs. Even if that problem has to do with the way they've planned (or rather misplanned) thier time or if they have "forgotten" to get something that they should have known that they would need to get the job done. (i.e. hanging hardware, wire rope and such, in order to hang something) This also leads right in to contingency planning for budgets. I know I do not need to expand on the budget aspect. If I did, this post would be needlessly long.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I know I do not need to expand on the budget aspect. If I did, this post would be needlessly long.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Fortunately, we've budgeted for that.

Budgeting - that's a big one - for both time and money. SOme phrases that I cringe abou:<P>"We don't need to budget for XXXXX," (insert costumes, set, time, travel, housing, etc.) "because NAME said they would do it for nothing" or "for whatever we could afford".<P>We've done much better on the time issue since I started scheduling time in the theater myself, instead of the artistic director, who used to insist on doing it. I build a cushion, especially on new projects. Same thing with money. Sadly, I'm not always listened to, in the enthusiam of trying to get a project past the final budget approval - and then the project happens, we spend what I predicted, and it's deficit time.<P>Oy vey

Hate that. Not being listened to. I think I said that earlier in this thread. I don't give suggestions for my own health. Actually maybe I do. When people listen to my suggestions, it saves us all stress, which in turn, is good for my health.

This is a sore spot for me right now. One of the theatres I work regularly for cancelled my gig for a show with less than 5 weeks' notice, justifying it because the director says it's a simple lights up/down show and doesn't need a lighting designer (they also are doing without a costume designer) and "besides, we know you have other work in April."<P>Well, first of all, whether or not I have other work is none of their business...and who among us can easily absorb the loss of 50% of his/her month's income?<P>Secondly, any director who thinks you can do a professional production without pros in all 3 major design disciplines (sets, costumes, and lighting) is an idiot. If you are in a budget crunch and have to cut corners, fine, but be honest with yourself; you will have an inferior production.<P>Thirdly, yes, this is a simple show. I quote this theatre a (low) flat fee -- the same fee for each show. They have <I>never</I> come to me and said, "Well, this was a more difficult show than usual, so we'll pay you more money." The theory is that it all evens out over the season.<p>[This message has been edited by salzberg (edited March 28, 2002).]

Ooohh. That kind of stuff makes me so mad. They treat us like we're not important, like they can do it themselves, and then wonder why people don't think their shows look very professional.