by Karen Azenberg

It is graduation today here at the U, but not quite the end of the season for PTC. We start tech today for Mamma Mia! – orchestra rehearsal was last night, as well as our first spacing rehearsals on stage. However, since I am not directing I can focus on next season.

For some context:

We hire approximately 4 directors, 4 musical directors, 1-2 choreographers, 7 scenic designers, 8 lighting designers, 8 costume designers, 3 dramaturgs and a dialect coach each season. In addition to our resident sound designer, we’ll hire an outside sound designer for one show, and we will also use our resident fight choreographer for one or two productions.

Again this is all on top of our resident staff of stage managers, carpenters, scenic artists, painters, electricians, properties artisans, cutters, stitchers, drapers, crafts artists, and hair and makeup artists. On top of that, we hire live musicians for each musical production.

That brings the potential total (beyond designers) to approximately 30 musicians and 95-100 actors.

Most of my efforts right now are hiring directors and designers, but that will expand next week to include actors, as auditions for Oslo begin here in Salt Lake, followed by Sweeney Todd the week after.

So while the U will quiet down and parking will not be a problem, things will continue to hum along here through the summer as next season looms large.