All cameras and switchers required camera operators and a local director of principle photography to select the shot to be shared at the partner sites. At UCF, there were four cameras used, three static and one mobile. So, the lighting department and camera ops had to cooperate to achieve the desired goals. Genlocking cameras are recommended for these collaborations. The work of our UCF directory of principal photography, Don Merritt, was never seen on site at UCF but produced for the partner locations. Our partners followed the same process. It was at this juncture that feedback took place about light levels and types of shots each local site required. This was a discussion unique to Alice. For Adding Machine, the UCF office that we converted to a green-screened, one static camera, I2-connected studio did not allow for light level changes locally, and there was no concern for lighting design at UCF because there was no audience to serve. Alice designers and crew, however, had to adjust to serve the three locations.

Hearing Wonderland
The sound design global lead was Andy Allen at Waterloo. Like others, he posted his design elements to the accessible website, but local execution was still required to address unique echo issues and to provide audience-level quality sound for each location. The sound issue was something we learned we had to resolve from our Adding Machine experience. Only Bradley had audience- and performance-level sound, a major challenge going into this production. The solution required local adaptations of theory, provided by an outside workshop (courtesy of Bradley) by Dr. Brian K. Shepard from the University of Southern California. The workshop was multi-linked by UCF via a Polycom 4000. While an effort was made to unify all sound systems to have the same gear, this “one size fits all” approach had to be tweaked for each local system and space. Different equipment was used locally, but we found a way to fit our systems together globally. “We activated the sidechain differently,” says sound designer Martin Wootton. “We used group sends instead of auxes. Groups 1 and 2 were fed to the send computers, and 3 and 4 were open at the output. At the output matrix, we used two of the matrices with groups 3 and 4 potted up as the ML3000 has an insert on the matrix and not the groups. A TRS connection was made from the matrix insert directly to the sidechain input of the DBX.”

Brown describes the Bradley setup as sound “sent to the partner institutions routed through a Behringer XR440 Multigate Pro Quad expander/gate to control local echo, into a Mackie 16.8 mixing console and then into the Canopus ADVC110 converter box where it joined the video signal being transmitted via DVTS. The sound-receive came off the DVTS computers, through the Canopus ADVC110, and into the sound board, where it was processed with an RNC 1733 sidechain compressor to eliminate the echo from the remote site before it was sent to the amps and speakers.”

The local studios were also handled differently. For example, Bradley ran its studio audio through TroikaTronix Isadora. Brown explains, “We used a second Canon GL2 Digital Video Camcorder that was connected via a FireWire cable to a Macintosh PowerBook G4 laptop running Isadora software.”

At the UCF site, we did not run live video or audio through Isadora. We used a studio mic and a direct video feed from the camera. “This was due to the fact that our studio was upstage, and the audience would have heard the actor’s dry voice and the latent video and audio,” Wootton explains. All sound designers were linked together live through computers during the performances to collectively execute the sound design and to handle/merge all sound cancellation and echo issues.

The Rehearsal Process
At UCF, we treated our rehearsal like a film set. This meant we endured a lot of waiting. French scenes were not practical because we often did not know how fast we would be able to work or at what locations cast members would be available, because our academic/production schedules were so different. The cast’s patience and belief in the process were amazing. Almost every rehearsal had additional students in attendance or outside visitors. They wanted to learn as much as possible about the new work. In fact, students in our department and from other departments attended multiple UCF rehearsals just to become part of the crew of Alice. Two of our camera ops were selected from this group of eager students, and both film and digital media students joined our cast and crew.

Waterloo students were so focused on the project that many demanded involvement in the writing process, going beyond the assignment of dramaturgy. The script, the first-ever created specifically for a three-point performance of this kind, contains contributions from Waterloo student Amy Senenstein. An entire song was created for the Humpty Dumpty scene that was written The script went through 51 versions and took two years to complete and scored by UCF cast members Sam Waters and Ross Alonga, and performance ad-libs from all sites were approved for inclusion. I was responsible for the script adaptation from the novel written by Lewis Carroll, and it took two years to complete. There were 51 versions, due to production challenges.

This did give our designers some concern. But, they met the challenge and created a unique, unprecedented, and beautiful production. This process involved approximately 300 faculty, staff, and students. I have left key people out. With a project of this size, it is unavoidable, but on this project, there were no small players. It is important to highlight the contributions of all cast, design, and especially production team members because it was their adaptability, creativity, and immense effort that created a unique visual and audio environment in a new theatrical arena.

Stage Management
Leah Higginbotham, SM: University of Central Florida
Jessica Moore, SM: University of Waterloo
Justine Palmisano, SM: Bradley University

Sound Design
Andy Allen, Global Sound Designer: University of Waterloo
Martin Wooten, Local Sound Designer: University of Central Florida
Steve Krave, Local Sound Designer: Bradley University

Set Design
Vandy Wood, Global Set Designer: University of Central Florida
Amanda Haverick, Local Set Designer: Bradley University
Christina Olinski, Local Set Designer: University of Waterloo

Costume Design
Tan Huaixiang, Global Costume Designer: University of Central Florida
Becki Arnold, Local Costume Designer: Bradley University
Jocelyne Sobeski, Local Costume Designer: University of Waterloo
Costume execution was a collaboration led by Dan Jones, University of Central Florida Becki Arnold, Bradley University Jocelyne Sobeski, University of Waterloo

Hair/Make-Up Design
Lisa Huberman, Global Hair/Make-up Designer: Bradley University
Christina Olinski, Local Hair/Make-up Design: University of Waterloo
Dan Jones & Tan Huaixiang supervised Local Hair/Make-up: UCF

Light Design
Bert Scott, Lighting Design: University of Central Florida
Scott Spidell, Lighting Design: University of Waterloo
Forrest Sayrs, Lighting Design: Bradley University

Media Design
Vandy Wood, Global Media: University of Central Florida
Monty Martin, Local Media: University of Waterloo
George Brown, Local Media: Bradley University

Properties Design
Kira Phillips, local properties mistress: University of Central Florida
Joe Recchia, local properties master: University of Waterloo
Drew Overcash, local properties master: Bradley University

Networking
Pete Acquaviva: University of Central Florida
Keith McGowan: University of Waterloo
Alex Buholzer: Bradley University
Principles Of Photography

UCF Selected Lighting Gear
1 ETC Emphasis® System with Insight Faceplate
2 Strand CD80 Dimmer Racks
4 SGM Giotto Spot 400
4 SGM Giotto Wash 400
3 Altman Zip Strip
8 Altman PAR64 MFL
16 Strand 6" Fresnel
14 ETC Source Four PAR MFL
8 ETC Source Four PAR WFL
2 ETC Source Four 10° Ellipsoidal
2 ETC Source Four 19° Ellipsoidal
14 ETC Source Four 26° Ellipsoidal
46 ETC Source Four 36° Ellipsoidal
7 ETC Source Four 25°-50° Zoom Ellipsoidal
16 Wybron Forerunner 7.5" Color Scroller

UCF Selected Video Gear
1 TroikaTronix Isadora
5 Sony 17" LCD monitors
1 Sony Vaio XL1 Digital Living System
1 Sony Betacam
1 Panasonic
3 Proxima LCD projectors
2 D/A converters
1 40-channel video switcher
2 1x6 Video DA
4 Viedo monitors
1 Rackmount 3-channel 8" LCD monitor
1 Polycom 4000
2 Datavideo DAC-200 DV Converter
2 StarTech VideoView (ST122)
4 Dell desktop
1 Apple G4 desktop

UCF Selected Sound Gear
1 Allen & Heath ML-3000 48ch LCR
2 Pre Sonus ACP 88 8ch Compressor/Gates
18 Sennheiser Evolution 500 Series Receivers
17 Sennheiser SK 500 Body Packs w/MKE-2
Gold Elements
1 Sennheiser SKM 500 Handheld Wireless Mics
2 Mackie SRM450 12" with Horn Active Enclosures
1 Apogee AE2 w/P2PV Processor
1 Echo Layla 24/96 8ch Multitrack
Recording/Playback System
1 Stage research SFX v5.6 Audio Playback Software
1 Clear-Com MS-200c Base Station
6 Clear-Com Belt Packs with Headsets
6 Production Intercom BP-1 Belt Packs with
Eartec Cyber Headsets
1 DBX 231 Dual Graphic EQ
1 Behringer XR4400 4-channel Expander/Gate
1 DBX 1046 4-channel Compressor
1 DBX 266XL Compressor/Limiter/Gate
2 Yamaha 2031 Dual Graphic EQ
1 Yamaha SPX-2000 Multi Effect Processor
1 Bogan CTS-1100
1 QSC RMX850
2 ProCo DB-1 Passive Direct Box
2 RaPco ADB+8 Active Direct Box
2 Live Wire SPDI Passive Direct Box
2 Yamaha MSP3 Active Monitors
1 Behringer Eurorack UB802 Mixer
1 Dell Desktop Computer
1 Gateway 17" LCD Monitor
1 Dell Laptop with Wireless Internet and Skype