Do NOT Let the Director Near the Lighting Board

I was lucky to begin my theatre career in tech. I was originally an LX technician at the Edinburgh Festival. It was challenging and I was well trained by graduates of RADA and Central. One of the very last things they taught us, which has been echoed through time, is do not let the director near the lighting board. Control freaks like us directors, we would love a push button option.  But directors are not only unqualified to go pushing the buttons but it’s doing someone else’s job and one we’re not particularly prepared to do well. Push a button YES, sure, who can’t? Deal with the consequences, takes a technician.

It’s not that they couldn’t work a board, it’s just, that’s not their role. They are intelligent, skilled people, and they should clearly stick to their best subject. As a director, I’ve been called upon on tour (and sometimes volunteered) to run the show on the LX desk BECAUSE I have considerable experience doing it. Once on tour in Irvine I did just that, gave up my seat in the audience and sat perched high in the lighting box, running lights.  But it WAS my job that night. It WAS my role that night. It’s when the director begins to interfere in areas that they are not responsible for, that we start to get into trouble.

Similarly it is with academics and the arts. Academics can give stunning and enlightening insight into the arts, but unless they’ve actually had REAL practical experience of the arts, of doing the thing, they remain a critical commentator, perhaps very useful, but essentially, they should steer clear of practice. More and more the academic has found their way into the conservatory, perhaps by some backdoor known as ‘Research’. But there are few academics without considerable professional experience that have the capacity to advise on ‘the doing’ of theatre, film and television.

I do not denigrate the director that can run lights. I do not denigrate the actor who has a gift for writing radio, nor the academic who has served their apprenticeship and is an experienced professional.

I do question the life-long celibate, giving out relationship advice and teaching Sex Ed.

This person has found themselves teaching the arts.  This person is deadly to the teaching of the arts. They know LESS than their neophyte students and their inexperience will either mis-prepare a generation or embarrass themselves. We need the academy. But the academy should remain in the academy and the conservatory in the conservatory. The two have no business swapping roles.

Whilst I would be interested in discovering WHY my pipe has burst, I’m only letting the experienced plumber, not the plumbing theorist near my kitchen.