Glyndebourne is an opera house in the UK, known for its world-class productions and magnificent location in a six-hundred-year-old country house. Each year, it delivers performances to some 150,000 people across a summer festival and autumn season. This summer, we had the great pleasure of meeting Glyndebourne’s Technical Director and NTS graduate, Éric Gautron (Creation and Production, 2003), to talk about his career and find out how this Franco-Manitoban ended up in the heart of the Sussex countryside.

What is your role at Glyndebourne? What does a technical director do?

I get this question a lot. The best way I’ve found to answer it is that, when you come to see the opera, everything to do with the singers or the musicians and everything to do with the music—I have nothing to do with that. I’m ultimately responsible for the rest: sets, costumes, props, makeup, wigs, all special effects, lighting, video, sound, everything. That’s about it.

Wow, that’s a big job. What are your specific responsibilities?

My responsibilities can be broken down into four parts:

• There’s the element of producing the shows, so making sure the set construction goes ahead, but it’s not me directly who’s with the workshop. There are two production managers. In opera and in the UK, there’s an inversion in the titles of technical director and production director compared to Canada. Technical direction in an opera house remains very technical element, but there’s also a production management side, as executive producer, which plays a bigger part.
• To deliver the show technically.
• Contract management. I’m responsible for all contracts for the entire creative team. Everyone except the singers and musicians. The actors, dancers, acrobats if any, all the technical crew.
• Since we have a building, we have a theatre, we have workshops, responsibility for the infrastructure falls under my purview.

At the height of the festival, there are 300 people working in the technical and production department here at Glyndebourne. I have team leaders who are incredible. What I do is bring all the different teams together to focus on a production.

Can you describe a typical day?

No, there’s no such thing!

Still, there’s a certain routine every day: we’re a repertory opera house, so we rehearse one show in the morning, change sets and costumes and everything in the afternoon, and perform another show in front of an audience in the evening. At night, another team comes in to change the set on stage for a rehearsal starting the next morning, and we rehearse non-stop for the four months of the festival.

What was your career path to get here?

I graduated from the National Theatre School in 2003. I did a few freelance projects with Catherine La Frenière (Director of the Création et production program). And then I found myself at Quat’Sous as technical director and production manager. I worked at Quat’Sous for three years. And then Louise Roussel, who was working for Ex Machina at the time, came to talk to me about the Andersen project, which was going on tour, and asked me if I wanted to join the Ex Machina team. So I did.

I worked for Ex Machina for quite a long time on several different tours and projects. Eventually, I found myself working on opera projects with Michel Gosselin, as his assistant. Robert Lepage‘s famous Ring Cycle ended up at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. I worked on that, and we delivered the show to the Met.

Back at the Met, I was offered a position as technical director. I couldn’t turn that down. I mean, you don’t refuse these things. I worked at the Met for almost five years, and I moved from the Met to Glyndebourne in a very natural way. I’ve been here at Glyndebourne since 2016.

We’re going to see the dress rehearsal for A Midsummer Night’s Dream today. What was the biggest challenge in this production?

The biggest challenge is that we’re in a repertory opera house, so we have shows that go back a long way. This production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was first produced here at Glyndebourne in 1982, and it’s still the same production we present. The biggest challenge is to take a production that we know very well, that was created in a certain era, and continue to develop the show so that we can produce it safely while keeping the magic alive. That’s one of the greatest challenges.

So, we decided to have a child actor play Puck. In the show, in the 1982 staging and still today, there are several aerial flights by this child. In 1982, we did it one way. As you can imagine, we don’t do it that way anymore. To translate this effect for modern safety standards, without losing the magic, is one of the biggest challenges as well as one of the most interesting. Preserving the magic.

How did your studies at the National Theatre School bring you to where you are today? What did you learn at NTS that you still use in your work?

Everything. Everything I learned at the School is still useful to me today. That’s easy to say. It’s not promotion. I’m not paid to say this, but it’s true. The School allows each individual to develop as much as they should or as much as they want. The School connects young newcomers with the old guard, if you can call them that. The School’s intense networking is extremely useful, and still serves me well today. There’s experience, there’s skills, there’s an intelligence that you can tap into quickly and frequently.

One of the best things I learned at the School is that it’s up to us to deliver these projects, it’s up to us to drive them forward. Whatever the structure, whatever the size of the teams we manage, it’s up to us to bring passion to these projects.

There’s a wonderful anecdote. I remember we had a project where things weren’t going very well. I can’t remember what role I was doing, but let’s imagine I was production manager. It wasn’t going very well, and I called Michel Granger (Création et production, 1993). I’ll remember it for the rest of my life: I asked him What do I do? What should I do? And Michel laughed in my face (over the phone), with his wonderful laugh, and said: Hah! But what are you going to do? Great question. And he hung up on me.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful. It was the most important moment for me, because that’s when I realized Aha! I have a responsibility and I can either take it or not take it. That’s one of the biggest lessons I learned at the School. And it doesn’t just apply to production, it applies to life. Michel Granger, thank you.

What advice do you have for a young person who would like to work in production or who is thinking of enrolling at in the Production program at NTS?

Go ahead, do it. This is an extremely vast field and one that continues to evolve. There’s no such thing as a boring day. Some days are less interesting than others, that’s for sure, but there’s always something to learn, there’s always something exciting. We take part in shows, in events that are incredible, that transform the world, that have an impact on people. Just go for it. There are so many opportunities.

I think the School is one of the best in the world. The reality of working and doing, and spending less time in a lecture trying to understand the theory (which is still an important element), but actually doing the thing, working on the productions, understanding what it means to be in the theatre, is extremely important. You learn so much about yourself and what you love in this profession by doing it, and by having the chance to do it safely. You can make mistakes. Having the chance to make mistakes is magnificent. The School allowed me to do that, and it still has an impact on me today.

Header image: © Glyndebourne Productions Ltd. Photo: Tristram Kenton

We caught up with Kaylie MacNeil (Production Design and Technical Arts 1, North Bay, ON) one month after she started studying at NTS to see her perspective on the beginning of her journey with us.

Kaylie MacNeil (Production Design and Technical Arts 1, North Bay, ON) and her fellow classmates at Bootcamp, under the guidance of David Jodoin, Technical Director at the Monument-National campus

You spent your first month at school. What are the two things you have learned so far?

Bootcamp was the whole first week of classes and it was our first introduction to NTS. The whole week takes place at the Monument-National and it lays a base so that all the students are on a similar level of technical knowledge going into the first semester. It teaches things like the basics in safety, how to hang lights, run a fly set, use a genie, properly put on a harness and common knots that riggers should know. The reason for this week is so that even if some students have more experience with this stuff than others, at least the less-experienced students will know all the basics and be able to start the year with a common base of knowledge without feeling behind.

Why did you choose the Production Design and Technical Arts program?

I chose the Production Design and Technical Arts program coming from an acting program in North Bay. After graduating from that program, I actually started to work a fair bit on the technical side in shows as a Stage Manager. As I was touring one of the shows, my old professors suggested this program as I was really enjoying stage management. This program delves into all aspects of theatre technical by doing sound, lighting, stage managing, technical directing, production management and a fair bit of rigging as well. As the program states, it’s a completely immersive program into the life and jobs of production and technical arts which will give a good understanding of all the parts of putting on a show.

Why did you choose to study at NTS?

After researching the program, and seeing the variety of classes and experiences, there wasn’t really another school that seemed to be as well-rounded as NTS. By getting to study all these different departments, I know I’ll come out of this school as a technician who has had hands-on experience in each and every one of them. This program will give me knowledge on every department, and will allow me to understand how actors work, how set designers work, and how to confidently coordinate with other departments so that I can fully appreciate and understand everyone’s job.

Wei Qing Tan (Production Design and Technical arts 1, Malaysia) and Kaylie MacNeil (Production Design and Technical Arts 1, North Bay, ON) in movement at Bootcamp

What is the best show you have ever seen and why?

One of the best shows I have ever seen was a production of The Book of Mormon in Chicago. It was so well done in every way that you were completely enraptured from the moment the curtain went up to the second it went down. The music, singing and acting was amazing as well as the use of their set and how every scene flowed seamlessly into the next. The script is well written, clever, shocking and hilarious and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a production that has captured me quite like that one did. I can’t attest to other productions and their set or direction, but I’m sure that with a script like that, you’ll have many laughs and an audience that thoroughly enjoys themselves.

What would you do for a living?

I’m sort of torn between two very different worlds. I grew up in a military family and I’ve seen the whole country because of that. My mother is an avid theatre goer and has been in shows, directed a few and even had a couple of gigs as a stage manager. As a child, I would often be at my mom’s rehearsals and climbing around the theatre and doing small tasks behind the scenes. I had a few choral parts and found that I loved being on stage and involved in theatre. We would also drive into town to see different musicals and shows, so I’ve been immersed in theatre since I was very young.

The other part of my life is that I’ve also wanted to be in the military since I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. Having heard stories from both my parents about their time in service, it always sounded like such an amazing job, and I’m now in a position to professionally pursue my theatre dream as well as work in the Canadian Forces. I want to be able to balance my career as a theatre professional while still being able to serve my country. Being in the military, and being a reservist, I’m only part-time but I enjoy the work I do there and the things I’ve been able to experience thus far. I can only explain it as the best of both worlds and I wouldn’t exchange one for the other.

Who would you like to work with when you get out of school and why?

At the moment I’m not sure who I want to work with, only because there are so many options in regard to stage managing and lighting (which are my main interests right now) and I’m not sure what I want to pursue or where. I know I loved living out on the coasts, so being able to work out east or out west would be amazing, but I’m keeping my options open because I’m not sure what will be best for me once I graduate.

Wei Qing Tan (Production Design and Technical arts 1, Malaysia) at Bootcamp

Can you tell me how your artistic vision is important as Production Design and Technical
Arts student and how this is reflected in your day-to-day work?

Just like the director, as a stage manager/lighting designer/sound/designer, etc., you need to have a vision of what the show will look, sound and flow like. You should have a goal from the first rehearsal until opening night (and through until closing) so that you can do your best for the outcome of the show. Actors get to put the script on stage and bring it to life, but it’s just as important for everyone else to have a vision for the show so that you have something to work towards and create. As we go through our three years of school (more so in the second and third year, I think), we are in many different meetings with the other programs so that we can manage and make sure that all of our thoughts and expectations for the production are on the same track. That way when it comes time to put all of our work in the space, we’re all in the same mindset so that things can flow as smoothly as possible and nothing comes as a surprise to one person or another.

What is a role of an artist in society according to you?

An artist, whether it’s an actor, technician, comedian, painter, dancer, singer, etc., we have a kind of obligation to show the world our thoughts and visions and creative processes and it is incredibly powerful and intimate to be able to share part of yourself with audiences. We are whom people turn to when they need or want a break from their own lives. We can make them feel good things and bad things, introduce them to new ideas and concepts, and we can touch their hearts. Artists can influence minds and motivate people, and it can create unknown links between strangers who relate or feel drawn to certain pieces. I love the fact that you can talk to a bunch of different people who saw the same show, performance or art work, and each of them will have taken something different away from it. I think we, as artists, are tasked with creating worlds of make-believe and realism, illustrating sadness and laughter, and we are able to express it in so many different ways. We are free to connect with people in a way I think many people would be too afraid or unable to do so.

Kaylie MacNeil (Production Design and Technical Arts 1, North Bay, ON) is a first-year student in Production Design and Technical Arts at the National Theatre School of Canada.

The Production Design and Technical Arts programs paves the way to many exciting artistic careers: technical direction, production management, stage management, light, video and sound design. Learn more about the program!

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First-year students in Production Design and Technical Arts begin their NTS journey with a week of intensive bootcamp. We asked David Jodoin, technical director of the Monument-National, to talk to us about the course that he’s been teaching since 2009.

• What topics are covered in the Bootcamp?
  
  The topics covered over the nearly 45 hours of the course are quite varied, ranging from how all the lighting and sound equipment works to operating the mechanical stage and learning how to work safely.

• What’s the hardest thing to learn for students starting out in the Production Design and Technical Arts program?
  
  Often, the most difficult part for those who have no previous experience in theatre is learning all the new vocabulary so they can then learn how the equipment works.

• How would you describe the Bootcamp course?

  For some, it’s a review of the techniques preferred at the School; for others, it’s a complete introduction. The goal is to make sure that all the students have the same knowledge base.

• Let’s talk safety: what’s important to know when working on a theatre production?
  
  We always try to be at the leading edge of the Canadian theatre scene in terms of safety; this shows up in how we use the harness, lifelines, helmets, safety shoes…

• What’s unique about learning in a space like the Monument-National?

  The performance spaces in the Monument-National are exceptional in and of themselves, and having the opportunity to use the oldest stage in the country as your classroom is pretty special!

• What excites you about your work?

  I’m interested in the ephemeral nature of performances, the fact that you have to be in a specific place at a specific time to see it, and then it disappears without a trace. Also, working with students who reinvent the world with every production.

• What advice would you give to students in Production Design and Technical Arts who are at the start of their training and who dream of a career at venues around the world?

  Make the most of the spaces you have available during your three years hear to do all your experimenting and testing. This is the time to make mistakes!

The Production Design and Technical Arts programs paves the way to many exciting artistic careers: technical direction, production management, stage management, light, video and sound design. Learn more about the program!

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”For what it’s worth: it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over again.”

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Equilibrium. Valency. Concentration. Reagents. Moles. These are just some of the words that I used in my everyday life – or what some of us would call our”past life” prior to coming to be a student at the National Theatre School of Canada. I still remember the day I walked into my previous university’s chemistry department office to formally decline my offer of acceptance into the Masters of Science in Chemistry program, just weeks after defending my undergraduate degree chemistry thesis and finishing my Bachelors of Science [Honours] in Chemistry with Thesis.

This feels so long ago, yet also it feels like just yesterday. In reality, it was only just mid-2016 when I took the leap to a full-time theatre life. Summer had just begun, and most colleagues within my graduating chemistry class were busy planning their new chapters in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, or graduate studies related to the degree we had just obtained. Meanwhile, there I was planning my upcoming internship placements at theatre venues for my upcoming one-year program to obtain my Certificate in Arts Management while I planned the rest of my transition over to taking on theatre professionally and full-time – such as applying to NTS. This was over three years ago. It is now the fall season of 2019 and I have just begun my third and final year of the Production Design and Technical Arts program; I could not be more excited about the future ahead of me in my field of theatre production, something that I had always wanted to pursue since my high school days as a technician.

As a chemistry graduate, I never thought that my previous formal education in a field completely different from the path I have chosen now would help me rather than hinder me. People are often fascinated when they discover my roots lie deep within the field of science, specifically with the three years that I worked in a university research lab under the guidance of graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and professors who are national research chairs. I am grateful for the knowledge that I bring to the National Theatre School, which I have from my”past life”. Although my previous studies are not directly related to what I am learning now in the Production Design and Technical Arts program, there have been several instances when my chemistry degree really came in handy. Just this past spring, I had to look into different flameproofing retardants for specific types of set material for a school show for which I was the Production Manager and Technical Director. Even if a science background is not necessary for a technical director keeping their venue safe from hazards, the BSc[H] that I keep in my back pocket came in handy for my flame tests.

”Why did you switch from chemistry into theatre, out of all things” is a question I often get asked. As if there couldn’t be a possible, logical explanation for the career choice that I made. As if I couldn’t have an interest in both art and science. As if I had to pick one or the other and exclusively stick to it for the rest of my life – a notion that I believe most people hold true; it is human nature to not want to start over. We seek comfort in the path we have chosen from the beginning, and fear judgment from those around us for thinking we have failed, or quit, or did not meet expectations. I urge others to remind yourself that you do not owe an explanation of your life choices to anyone. You are not a quitter, and you are absolutely not a failure. If anything, you are strong for acknowledging that you are unsatisfied where you currently are in life, and you are brave for defying societal expectations to take the step towards living a life that truly brings out your happiness, and a life that brings out the best in you.

It’s a frosty morning, and I have just crossed into the warmth of the linoleum-lined lobby. I shake off November’s first snow from my hood as I talk about my week-end with John, the building security guard. The moment is peaceful, mundane; the exchange could be taking place in any of the surrounding cement buildings of London’s downtown. And yet – there’s an energy rising across the building as I make my way to the staircase, and suddenly I can’t help but feel enmeshed in a pseudo-Disney opening number. I’ve barely wiped one arm of its snow coating before the entire Props department comes barrelling through with a feast of silicone oysters, foam turkeys and plastic fruit, the Technical Directing team descends from the elevator deep in talk of next week’s strike, and two cast members in canvas skirts run past me, each with costume skates and scripts in hand. It’s 9AM and the entire building is abuzz.

Today marks the start of my fourth week at London’s Grand Theatre. My official title is Production Intern, but really, I’ve preferred to scurry around this building known as the ever-present, ever-nosey Intern. With this simplified title, I become the building’s official Stage Rat, sneaking my way into all nooks and crannies possible for my short time here. I can start my morning helping finalize the lighting paperwork for an upcoming load-in. By the end of the day, I am part of the rigging team troubleshooting the automated spotline from its 70-foot-high position above the stage. At times I scamper across the wide carpentry shop. At others, I weasel my way amidst rollerblading cast members across a busy rehearsal hall. And then, there are the special moments when, after contorting my legs through a small doorframe, I am suddenly standing over the original 1901 wooden arch of the Spriet stage. It’s in these moments of sawdust and darkness that I understand the term Stage Rat: I am this small, frenetic, curious and voracious critter. I’m just masquerading in flannel and steel toes.

Surrounding me I see many similar snouts to mine, busily sniffing their way into always new and innovative projects, systems and stories. I hope not to offend any of the truly special colleagues and friends that I have come to admire here at the Grand, when I say that together this group forms an energetic mischief of Stage Rats – please know that, to me, a theatre’s rodent is the highest praise I can give. And yes, the collective noun for rats is mischief (you can look it up, as I just have). And what a serendipitous word, mischief! The work in this large regional theatre is just that: playful but rebellious, clever and engaging. The mischief at play here can only be done through the efforts, reigned collectively, of its managers, designers, marketers, directors, volunteers, facilitators, movers, shakers and painters. Just as a group of critters will scurry in unison along a path, so too does a large-scale regional theatre’s team move of one accord. A designer will come with an idea, which then ripples through every wall of this building to be fully achieved.

Sharing, pushing and pulling are always a part of a collaborative process, and are markers of what first drew me to theatre. What a wonderful way of life: to work amongst others and know that your finite skills become infinite when combined. I’ve marvelled in this for some time, yet it is finally in these few weeks that I see the choreography of collaboration on the large scale. Always having preferred the intimate, small-group dynamics of indie theatres, I’ve grown through this internship to appreciate what a regional theatre can bring – yes, its scale can benefit larger audiences, but I look specifically behind the scenes (as a Stage Manager tends to do) and I think of their daily dynamism, and the fluid swarm of this theatre’s stage, shop, lobby and offices. It is now 12PM at the theatre. The team has gone to lunch. The scurrying of this morning subsides. And yet…

-Claire Bourdin (Production Design and Technical Arts 3rd year, Toronto)