The get-in of a
play,
concert, or other kind of
show, is the period when the
techies are in the
venue, and are putting all the
equipment where it should be, before any
actors start
rehearsing on the
set. The get-in is usually finished before the
tech stagger, or
tech run, but sometimes parts of the get-in can still be going on after the
dress run (as long as they are finished before the
first performance...)
If is important that the
stage manager,
chief electrician, and
sound engineer work out together which order things are going to be done in, so that they don't all get in each other's way. Often a get-in can last up to, and over a
week, although for very small shows, a
few hours can be enough.
The get-in is also useful for getting to know newer
members of the
crew - before you have to
trust them to do something on the spot during a
performance. It's always useful to know the rest of the
crew well before it gets to
performance time.
At the other end of the
show is the
get-out, which is when everything is taken down at the end.
If you're after any other theatre tech information, then do take a look at '
Everything you ever wanted to know about theatre tech, but were afraid to ask'