"There has been so much effort ‘giving gifts’ in a way. It’s pretty miraculous thinking about the original concept of the performance, what it is now, and keeping the integrity of it. (Director/Choreographer) Melanie Stewart worked tirelessly with each performer.”
- Dave Cimetta, Music/Sound/Technical Coordinator for RUTD.
Rounding out the first semester for the Rowan University Department of Theatre & Dance, Small Gifts is a dance/video production offered as gestures of hope in a time of isolation and revolution brought about by both the COVID-19 crisis and the Black Lives Matter movement. Small Gifts features eleven Rowan University dance majors accompanied by music majors playing baroque violin and viola. This show is a co-production of the Rowan University Department Theatre & Dance and Dance Extensions.
Here to talk about the piece is Dave Cimetta, videographer and production photographer of Small Gifts. He is also the music/sound/technical coordinator for RUTD. In a joint effort with director Melanie Stewart, Cimetta was able to virtually curate a sense of unity as a 'small gift' for the audience.
Want to hear more about Dave Cimetta's filming and editing process, Small Gifts collaboration with the department of music, and Cimetta's advice for students who want to go into his field of design/technology? Keep on reading!
In the process of filming Small Gifts, the house was set up with three cameras mounted on the stage, in seating, and aside operated by Cimetta for cut-ins of each piece. The camera he operated was sent to a monitor so Stewart could see what he was seeing. In an additional shoot of each piece, Cimetta also used a handheld camera. There were 11 evenings where a performer came in and would run their piece three times. The first and second were footage from the house, the third from the handheld camera. Dancers marking the piece beforehand was also necessary to plan lighting design.
Where were you at in terms of preparing to design Small Gifts when the pandemic first began?
“This was a completely different production, especially the music. The plan was to have a choir lining the room. That’s the antithesis of what could happen; it all fell apart. We really fell into this hole and Melanie had to pivot so quickly to provide this experience for the performer with these new protocols. It became a much more intimate process of using string musicians so we did not have to worry about aspirating and the spread. (Student musicians were recorded separately in Wilson Hall to play the score.) Jeff Hiatt, Rowan University music technology professor, helped us enormously to capture audio and facilitate in Boyd Hall.
There has been so much effort ‘giving gifts’ in a way. It’s pretty miraculous thinking about the original concept of the performance, what it is now, and keeping the integrity of it. Melanie worked tirelessly with each performer.”
“The trickiest part is when we come back to normal-ish times again, how much will we be able to continue streaming and how will this all come back together again? It’s going to be interesting to see how much this time influences the future. We’ll always have this contingency plan if we need it. Or, now we can provide to audiences that could never be here.”
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to go into your field of design/technology?
“You should never turn down an opportunity that comes to you, even if it’s maybe something you didn’t expect. Like it or not, you’ve learned something. Trying to pick up work you can say ‘Yes I have experience, have used this software, or done that.’ That’s the way I built my life. Try your best to build your knowledge base. Being on stage is great, but if you don’t learn what it takes to put that production together then you’re really just handicapping your opportunity.
Something that I've had to learn over the years is to not become terribly attached to your contributions. You may have spent many hours of time and felt strongly about a design element, but in the end, the choices can't be taken personally. As long as you feel mutual respect with your collaborators, it's part of the process. If you become completely entrenched and married to your design choices, you will find it nearly impossible to work as part of a design team.”
Small Gifts will be available to be streamed THIS weekend, December 3rd-6th. This free production will be presented as two separate programs on different dates. Reserve your tickets at: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35360/production/1032763?performanceId=10576259
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See you next Monday!!
Erica Gerold
Musical Theatre & Public Relations '23
(Left) Dave Cimetta, videographer of Small Gifts. Music/Sound/Technical Coordinator for the Rowan University Department of Theatre & Dance.
Direction & Choreography by Melanie Stewart
Lighting Design by Robert A. Thorpe
Set Design by Dirk Durosette
Costume Design by Jaime Grace-Duff
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