Anonymous asked: As a young female carpenter/TD, I'm starting to look around for summer work but I'm concerned about working in an unsafe/unhealthy environment. What summer stocks or reps would you recommend, and how can I best do research on other companies to find out what their work environment is like?

backstageleft:

(Keep in mind I do work in props, but I spent 4-5 years doing scenic carpentry). 

Okay so this is tricky because there’s often a lot of turnover at certain companies. I would’ve recommended the place that I usually work at over the summer but I don’t really trust some of the production heads anymore to be on my side if I’m being harassed. Or to take it as seriously as it should be. 

The best way to know what a work environment is like is to talk to people who’ve previously worked there. It’s a good sign if the shop has more than one woman (I know, god, that’s such a low bar), and if said women have worked there for several years. 

Honestly I think the only company I’ve worked for that I can safely recommend has a good working environment, a master carp who is wonderful, a production manager that listens and will actively go to bat for you, and a staff that treats each new member like family is The Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA. They typically have more year round than seasonal work and pay is not the best but the experience of working with those people was the best I’ve ever had in my career. 

The other TDs I trust now actively work in Academia. Which honestly I’m super glad about because one of them was my mentor in undergrad and he was incredibly supportive and had a scene shop full of women every year. 

Other places that I’ve heard from trusted friends are good:

• The Denver Center
  
• The Alley Theatre
  
• Shakespeare & Co 
• Theatre at Monmouth 
• North Shore Music Theatre (I know the current production manager there personally and trust him)
• Santa Fe Opera 
• Seattle Repertory Theatre
• Seattle Children’s Theatre
• Actor’s Theatre of Louisville
• The Public Theatre
• Utah Shakespeare Festival
• Opera Theatre of St. Louis

If anyone wants to add to this list or share about their experience working with these companies feel free, since I don’t have first hand experience. 

Companies I WOULD NOT recommend working for:

• Berkshire Theatre Festival/Group - They have an INCREDIBLY UNSAFE scene shop. A TD that doesn’t give a shit about safety and actively makes sexist comments and when he’s confronted by management he says things like “I guess we’re not allowed to have fun anymore”. And fought me when I suggested getting a SawStop after an intern cut into his hand on the table saw and I had to call a damn ambulance. 
  
• Williamstown - I understand the connections you can get from here, I do, honestly. But they work their people too long hours for little pay like it’s their business to burn out young technicians and I’ve heard from more than one former employee that they have some pretty unsafe working conditions. (I have not worked here due to all of the above ^). 
• Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey - Their summer season is built on the backs of a huge amount of unpaid interns (Some of which have to pay for their own housing as well!). They should all be getting paid for the work they put into it, seriously. They send their paid staff home sometimes when their hours get too much and just keep on their salaried people and interns. There’s an incredible amount of talented interns and staff that end up working there, and I have a life-bond with many of the other interns I worked with because it was so goddamn hard. But seriously you should be getting paid for your work. 

Again if anyone wants to help this person out and recommend some good places to work please, please respond to this post. 

Endstation Theatre Company in Virginia is a good choice for safety and healthy environment. The female co-founder is also the scenic designer and there is a large focus on safety and teaching throughout the summer. They are looking for a new technical director for this summer but last summer my TD was a woman and out of 16 apprentices, I was one of three males. They cover housing that is right across from the theater and they take really good care of their apprentices throughout the summer. 

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geekandmisandry:

aunt-mimi:

When somebody says that “a man likes to feel like a man,” all I hear is “A man likes to feel superior to you and it’s your job to make him believe it.” 

Someone said this to me once, that a man needs to feel like a man, I replied “well I’m not stopping him” and had to watch this fragile creature try to explain to me that my strong personality could demean men.

Like, if I have to pretend you are a strong man and cater to that then clearly you’re not that strong dude.

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star-plasma:

i love how these 4 pieces look together i feel proud of how my art is improving! ヾ(*′○`)ﾟ.+:｡ﾟ☆ 

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barapocalypse2017:

straight people when a show adds a gay character and” forces” homosexuality on them

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chimericalcynosure:

By Sara Kipin

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1000drawings:

by 221

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kaci3po:

watergender:

psychicdictatorship:

the aesthetic of american far right christianity is horrifying

run-down signs screaming about hell in the middle of nowhere is my aesthetic though

You don’t know true pants-shitting fear until you’re driving in the middle of nowhere, not a single sign of civilization as far as the eye can see, haven’t seen another living being in three hours, and then out of nowhere suddenly looms a half-destroyed barn with the words “HELL IS REAL” painted on what remains of the roof.

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fororchestra:

In 2004 I began studying MIDI orchestration because how else can a composer hear their music come to life?

While I got pretty good at MIDI, along with lots of press and money, it never really made me smile the way that real musicians and real music did. You have to understand - I went to a Jazz school where we would stay up until 4am trading 16-bar solos. I loved the sweaty clubs, smell of old sheet music, and blaring trumpets all around me. I loved the pain of restringing my guitar, improvising goofy piano duets with friends, and the danger of trying to see how loud we can play before getting into trouble next door.

When you’re sitting in front of a laptop staring at MIDI, then you lose all focus on what got you excited in the first place. You begin to get desensitized, which is dangerous. This Patreon is my desire to start with 4 real musicians, and then slowly add 1 musician at a time until I get to a REAL 60-person orchestra.

Sure, it’s a 7-year play. Patience. Patience. But that’s ok, because patience I got.

This is my dream, and MIDI was never the dream.

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tessacrowley:

teacup what the fuck i just woke up why would you put this rIGHT AT THE TOP OF MY DASH

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linksphilosopherssock:

history of the entire world, i guess: mood board

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dorkstar-brat:

My reasons for doing things:

1. Spite
2. The Aesthetic

That’s it.

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