Theatre Templates: Why use them?
So, I’ve been doing theatre for a loooooong time. I’ve worked in many different capacities and in several different venues and have composed numerous spreadsheets and Word documents to assist with my tasks. One day, I decided, why not give other theatre professionals and teachers the ability to access my templates. I have 75 of them now. The templates can be customized to give you exactly what you need for each show and have instructions included within the template. Why should people use templates?
Organization: If you are a stage manager, director or technical director, you will have responsibility for different aspects of the production and templates such as conflict calendars, attendance, rehearsal reports and supply lists are vital to keeping you organized.
Eliminate redundancy: For things like props and set pieces, you will have sheets such as preliminary prop lists that can be shared with others physically or within a google drive so your assistants know what has been purchased and what has still to be purchased or found.
Time-Saver: A costumer can input actor measurements to the measurement template at auditions and know everyone’s sizes before starting the process of searching for or building costumes. Just take your computer and a measurement tape to the costume room and you’re good to go!
Ease of Use: These theatre templates are here for you when you need them and become what you need them to be for each show. Even if you are adapting them to fit your production, you don’t have to build the template from scratch at the beginning of your process. And, if you have the same actors, techies to standard data for each show, you can leave the information in the template and just change the file name to fit your new production.
Consistency: My actors and technicians know exactly what their schedules will look like for each production. They don’t have to learn how to use documentation for each show. I have heard from people how grateful they are that they don’t have to learn a new process every time they do a production with me.
Do yourself a favor, make your job easier and check out the templates and see what you think. The list of templates is in the product photographs in the shop section of the website. Try a couple of our standard use samples: CAST LIST SAMPLE and ACTOR BIO FORM
