Set/Space Guidelines

• Shows must be designed so that the theater can return to a black box immediately following every rehearsal. All set pieces, props, costumes; ect must be stored between rehearsals.
• During your performance run the theater is yours. You will be billed for in house strike of any equipment that is not returned or properly struck when you leave the space or for not restoring the space to its original condition. The cost is $25 per hour/per person.
• At strike, you must arrange for all garbage removal of your set. It MAY NOT be left outside the space for pickup. The sanitation department will not pick up large items.
• Theater occupancy must never interfere with public safety standards. Do not block exits at any time.
• Exit Signs MAY NOT be altered or obscured at any time. Please report any malfunction to the House Manager immediately.
• No open flame or flammable liquids of any kind.
• No excessive use of liquids. If you are using any substance that may cause a mess you should be prepared to clean it up yourself. That includes bringing a mop or a broom. The following can NOT be used in the theatre:
1. CONFETTI
2. GLITTER
3. DIRT
4. SAND.
• Walls and floors may not be painted. The walls and floor on stage are black semi-gloss, flat black in the house.
• Us only gaff tape, glow tape, spike tape on the wall, floor. NO DUCT TAPE! All tape must be pulled up at strike.
• Do not use Facility furniture for your set without prior approval.
• Do not use theater audience chairs to paint or stand on.
• Do not remove any equipment from the booth.

House

You must supply one usher/ticket taker per performance. Have them check in with the Box Office for an orientation.

You will need to inform the Box Office:

• If there are special ticket deals
• Your running time
• If you have an intermission
• If you seat latecomers
• If you have special request (such as informing audience of strobes, startlingly loud noises ect)

Your show will have a section at the front desk for your programs, press packets and any other special audience materials.

You need to provide your own program and copies. The staff will stuff your program into our program. Please give your copies to the Box Office no later than 5:00PM or you will have to stuff them yourselves.

Reserved signs are available at the Box Office for visiting press and VIP’s.

Please see your marketing packet for details and forms for comp tickets and the policy and procedures for reserving them. You should have received that form with your contract. If not, then call the office at 713-316-9800 and request to pick one up or have us fax/mail it to you.

Prior To Load In

No later than two weeks prior to load in, our tech coordinator must meet with you to review your technical plans. At this meeting we need your director, set, lighting and sound designs, the tech director, the master electrician and at least one producer to be present to discuss your production plans. This is not optional.

The Tech Coordinator must approve all technicians. We reserve the right to disallow a technician from working on a production due to inexperience, or lack of technical knowledge/judgment. This protects the company, who will be responsible for any damage due to negligence, intentional or otherwise, as well as protects our equipment.

Our equipment lives permanently in our theatre, two lighting trees are modular to achieve proscenium, thrust or round.

LOAD IN

Please adhere to the load in schedule agreed upon in your contract.

All shows loading in must have a Technical Supervisor for their show to troubleshoot and fix problems should they arise. All companies are responsible for having people knowledgeable in lighting, sound and sets. All materials and tools are the sole responsibility of your company and should be brought in (wrenches, glow tape, spike, cable testers, ect). We do not provide tech labor for your load in.

Audience Safety

Audience safety must be considered in designing and finalizing any seating configuration in the Theatre. State and local fire codes attempt to codify what should be common sense in ensuring that an audience is not exposed to undue danger from either too constricted or too dimly lit exit and entrance aisles.

A copy of most of the relevant sections of these codes in dept is in the House Manager’s office. The following guidelines have been developed for the Theatre as an aide to designers and other artistic personnel.

The guidelines apply to all seating arrangements- whether composed of pre-built units or of specially constructed units.

1. All seating must be accessible over a path consisting of steps with no rise greater than 8”. This requires that the floor level steps be in place in front on every aisle.
2. Every aisle or path constriction leading to any seating unit must be no less than 42” wide.
3. Two entrances to the Theatre are designated as emergency exits. Depending on the total seating capacity for any performance, one or more of the designated emergency exits must be clear of obstructions and clearly signed as an exit.
4. All pathways leading from the intended entrance door(s) to seating units, as well as the seating units themselves, must be adequately lighted before each performance, during intermission and afterwards.
5. Some illumination (roughly equivalent to the aisle lights) is usually required along exit pathways as all times during a performance to assist audience members who may have to leave the theatre during the performance.
6. The House Manager is the final authority on required audience illumination. The Lighting Designer should get approval of the House Manager for audience light levels prior to opening night.
7. House lights must be turned on at all times when an audience has access to the performance space (i.e., from house opening through a performance to house closing).
8. At least one illuminated non-dim EXIT sign must be visible from a sitting position in no less than 90 percent of the seats, and if not visible to all seats, must become visible to patrons exiting the remaining 10 percent of seats within 10 feet of each seat if exiting along the path by which the patron will have entered. Such exit sign(s) must be hung in positions so as to clearly lead audience members towards the intended unobstructed exits.
9. Railings on stairs shall be not less than 30” nor more than 34” above the nose of the stairs.

These guidelines are intended to assist designers in meeting safety requirements. They do not cover all possibilities and even if followed exactly, may not always provide adequate safety for attending audience members.

Approval of seating arrangements by the House Manager should be obtained as early as possible in the design process and in no case will designs for the Theatre be approved for construction without such approval.
Carpentry

If scenery or other equipment is planned to fit close, Designer or Technical Director must verify all dimensions in the theatre.

Soft goods or other scenery must not obstruct the air vents.

Storage

Please stow away all valuable props and costume pieces between performances.

You will need to discuss how to store your set and props with the tech director. Set and props may not be stored away on the stage or in the house. Any and all set pieces need to be placed in the wings, leaving clear space for actor passage backstage. If you have pieces bigger than those areas, you will need to add a small storage fee to your contract.

PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS A SHARED SPACE. Other groups will also be storing set pieces in the space and need actor passageway. Please be considerate.

The dressing room is shared by all of the groups performing in the space. It is up to you to leave or take your costume pieces with you. The room is not lockable, and H.A.D.A. is not responsible for lost or stolen articles. Please make sure counters are cleared as part of your turn around. Lockers are available for rental.

Strike

Please adhere to the strike schedule.

• Strikes are always IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FINAL PERFORMANCE. No exceptions can be made.
• All set and prop pieces must go with you that night.
• We DO NOT have a dumpster for your use.
• You will be fined a STRIKE CHARGE OF $25 PER PERSON/PER HOUR to remove garbage or set items left behind.
• All equipment that was checked out must be returned in a neat and orderly fashion.
• Please remember to strike any cable/lights hung and remove your circuits from the switch in the dimmer room.