Technical Conditions

What physical resources are available?

What are the technological possibilities?

What are the budget constraints?

What are the Budget Constraints?

Budget gives the producer a headache, but the entire community needs to be aware of budget constraints. Very few individuals can get away with seriously going over budget; most need to stay within these boundaries to keep working. But that does not mean the theatre artist/engineer needs to allow the budget to determine artistic merit. Sometimes budget constraints force people to find more creative ways to produce the experience or to find ways to supplement the budget. Sometimes a person can do wonderful things, and sometimes not.

Before the production process for A Moon for the Misbegotten began, the budget was seriously reduced. Some people talked about canceling the production. But the shop foreman knew a man who was going to tear down his shed. With permission, he took a group of young men, tore down the shed, and brought the lumber and tin to the scene shop. They then built the set. The painter thinned the paint with water and glue to stain the wood. The set cost about $100.