To anyone in my amateur theatre circle that hasn't seen it watch Behind the Curtain : Strange Things - The First Shadow on Netflix.

It's a far bigger production (obviously) than anything (even professional) I've been involved with but a good insight into the process and how the departments work together in a 'real' tech.

Amateur shows should be similar co-operative efforts but on a smaller scale.

There's a couple of things that stand out that a lot could learn from; It's a collaborative process. Tech is frustrating for all (including the actors) but it's necessary. The cast have had months of rehearsals, these are the few days for the technical team to hone *their* art on stage. Tech is stop, start, do this again, skip this bit, can lighting have a few hours of darkness, can sound have a few hours of silence, video projected that has nothing to do with what's on stage at the moment... this is *normal* :)

Technical elements of the show (and even the script in this particular case!) change a lot during this period and it's the nature of the beast that some assets (be it effects, props, video, whole set pieces) that are created along the way might not get used in the final production, or get used in a different way despite 1000s of hours (and 1000s of pounds in many cases!) being spent to design and develop them if they don't work, or don't add to the story.

This is part of the process, not a slight on someone's effort.

This is something that I've found frustrating in the amateur world on more than one occasion, we did/made/hired something so we have to use it - we don't unless it adds something to the scene.

Things get cut as time gets short, things have to be prioritised. Sometimes that's set pieces, or effects, or entire scenes.

If it's not ready for an audience and we're about to open, cut it, the audience won't know it was there in the first place and it's better to have the bits that *do* work look amazing!

It also ultimately shows the same stress we see in the smallest productions to the largest, and also the same elation on opening night and when we start getting feedback (or reviews in the pro world) that, yes, the audience enjoyed and loved what we did and it was all worthwhile.

For the fleeting moment in time the curtain rises and falls, the audiences come and go, laugh and cry, until the final show when we strike it all, return the stage to an empty black box 'destroying' months of work and it's ready for us, or someone else, to do it all again.

We don't build props, or lighting designs, or practicals, or soundscapes. We make a show, the show is the end product.

Everything else merely a transient part of the preparation.