Some Onsite Lessons Learned

I've been meaning to post this for a while now...

Aki Matsuri Lessons learned:

• Start dress rehearsal on Friday sooner…the room gets locked at 8pm
  
• Submit names for badges only…I felt bad when I learned the Aki Matsuri people made badges for puppet builders who weren’t in the show
  
• Do the shows at 11am and 4pm both days
  
• Use between scene music
  
• Having everyone wear the shirts and look the same was a really good idea.
  
• Drilling lines right before the show was a really good idea
  
• Having a green room was also a really good idea
  
• Put a microphone on everyone and control the volume at the board.
  
• We had problems with the knee pads…even the really good ones. I think we should’ve gone with the foam puzzle pad idea instead.
  
• Record the show using a digital video camera not an old VHS camera from the 90’s
  
• Use metal rods, not wood—wood breaks
  
• Having a puppet first aid kit was a good idea
  
• Put nothing tall on the playboard
  
• Order the poster sooner
  
• Windows magnify noise of conversation, and the audience was big enough that next time we should claim seating space all the way to the window and perhaps face the window squarely.
  
• We needed a large “Next Show at…” sign
  
• Marking the foot location of the stage was a good idea
  
• Having a violin player was a good idea