Pre-Production

Pre-Production Meetings

Each group putting on a show must send TWO representatives to the pre-production meeting held at the beginning of each semester. The representatives should be the chairs/presidents and producers of the show. If there is a technical chair, they should attend the meeting as well. 

Securing Rights and Royalties

Groups that deal with rights and royalties must request them in a timely fashion.  There are a few companies that cannot take either purchase order or pro-card and will not send materials without payment.  This means that you must work significantly in advance since issuing a check from an invoice can take three to five weeks.

Securing Spaces

If your group is interested in securing a space outside of the PAC-Exec space allocation process, even if it is for a non-PAC show, you may only book University spaces and/or you must receive approval from Risk Management to use a non-University space. For questions regarding this policy or to be put in touch with Risk Management, please contact platthouse@pobox.upenn.edu.

Rental Cars & U-Hauls

If you (plan to) rent a vehicle to assist with your load-in, load-out, etc., any and all drivers must complete Penn’s required Driver Safety Training for Van Drivers offered through Knowledge LinkClick on the link and log in in using your PennKey and PennKey password. Under “Find Learning, search for “Driver Safety Training for Van Drivers”. Click on the folder of the same name, and be sure to complete all TEN required modules. These modules will take some time to complete, so set aside the time you need in advance.

You should also consult with the PAC Shop Technical Advisor and/or Shop Supervisor before renting a vehicle. UHauls should be reserved for Load-in and Strike at the same time. The PAC Shop will ask for documentation of this prior to load-in. 

Please note: You must be 21+ years of age to rent a U-Haul. 

Fight Choreographers and Intimacy Coaches

When fight choreography is involved in a performance, groups should work with a trained fight choreographer to make sure moves are learned and executed safely. The Society of American Fight Directors is a helpful resouce.

If your performance inlcudes intimate moments, you may want to consider working with an intimacy coach for the rehearsal process. No matter what content is involved in your show, all performers, crew, and group members should feel safe thorughout the entire process.

If you have any questions about fight choreography and/or intimacy coaches, please contact Platt House staff.

Additional information on productions, including building a staff and sample production schedules is available at http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/pac/producing.php.