Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1995 - 45

SHOW CUE SHEETS
* WHAT ARE SHOW CUE SHEETS?
The preliminary cue sheets will be used by the production
team all the way through the opening of the show. However,
the sound board operator will require a specific version of
the preliminary cue sheers in order to acrually run rhe show.
These are the "show cue sheers." Their purpose is to provide
technical documenrarion of every change in the sound
design for the show, excluding live voices and conrinuous
reinforcemenr mixing. They differ from the preliminary cue
sheets in the way the differenr fields are arranged on the
page, and on the conrenr of the fields. The conrenr is differenr in that a special rype of "shorthand" is required for the
sound board operator to fit the technical information
required to run a cue inro the speaker and description column. Since no one but an experienced sound board operator
is expected to use the show cue sheets, the inclusion of technical information in the show cue sheets is not a problem. .
.
It IS a necesslry.
Sound cues are usually ser wirh lighting and other cues in
a preparatory session to the technical rehearsals known as a
"paper tech." A paper tech is a special meeting between the
stage manager, lighting designer, sound designer, board
operators, and any other members of the production team
who need to have input inro the incorporation of cues inro
the show. The purpose of the meeting is to anempt to resolve
any differences in placemenr of cues in the show, and to
resolve logistical problems of scene changes, etc. before the
tech rehearsals begin. Since the sound design should be close
to performance shape before the tech rehearsals begin, and
because a "plan of anack" is needed ro make the most efficienr use of the time set aside for the paper techs, show cue
sheets should be prepared before the "paper tech" by the
sound score designer and the sound board operator.
Although the sound board operator will refer to cue sheers
as necessary during the operation of the sound cues in a performance, the ideal sound board operator would know the
"score" well enough to "play" without the music. Indeed, the
sound board operator's relationship to the show cue sheets is
analagous to the relationship between the orchestra conductor
and the orchestral score during a musical performance.
Although conductors may follow the score, they are usually
familiar enough with the score that they can devore their anention to what is happening with the musicians. Similarly, sound
board operator must never find themselves so dependenr on
the show cue sheets that they no longer are inrimately involved
in the action on the stage.
On the other hand, if something should happen to the
sound board operator during the run of the show, the completeness and correcmess of the show cue sheets can go a long
way toward minimizing the adverse impact of a new sound
board operator running the show. Show cue sheets need to
provide a quick efficienr means of retrieving importanr techni-

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T D & T

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1995