Warm-ups, Games, Exercises:

This largely depends on who you are working with, but I stay away from requiring actors to do group exercises. The more experienced and professional they are, the more likely they are to resent group exercises. Experienced actors often have their own warm-ups they do before they even arrive in the rehearsal room, or that they show up early to do and feel like their time is wasted with group warm-ups. However, group warm ups can be very good if you have new actors in your cast, because they do not know HOW to warm themselves up, and it's a good way to encourage them to get in their bodies and voices without singling out the new actors. Just be prepared for some push-back.

Getting off-book:

Generally you can request that people be off book at anytime as long as you announce it early. Shy away from announcing an off-book date less than 2 weeks before the actual off-book date, which means that if you want them to come in on day-one off-book that you need to be sending e-mails 2 weeks before you begin rehearsal, at the very least. That said, it's generally accepted that if you don't give an off-book date that people should be mostly off-book during scene work and totally off-book when you start doing run throughs. Because you have three months, I would encourage you not to put the off book date too early. In fact, encourage your actors to have scripts in hand. This will help them grapple with the language on a deeper level. Also, have an off-book date (which means no books in hands, but they can still call line) and have a no-calling-line date, too (this should be much later in the process, perhaps during tech.

Staging:

I think this will come down to good planning in your blocking. Find the elements that don't change from space to space (for instance, there's always a stage left and stage right entrance in every space) and do most of your blocking around that. When you're rehearsing, tape out or flesh out somehow the dimensions of different spaces that you'll be in each time - so the actors can get a feel for how each space might be different. If possible, make time to do a dress rehearsal in the space before you perform in it. Or if that's not possible because of budget or because of scheduling, make sure that you make time for your actors to walk through the space at least to get a feel for it.

Initial Sessions:

Depending on the group, I would avoid giving the actors homework. They'll have their own ideas about what kind of homework is valuable. But having a discussion about the play and doing table work is a great way to start it off. First rehearsal should be a short discussion about the play and a first read-through of the script. Then table work is usually reading the play with full-cast scene-by-scene and at the end of every scene stopping and inviting questions or responses about the scene. Because it's Shakespeare there will be a lot of questions about what a word or phrase means. While you don't have to have all the answers, you should come very prepared to explain the meaning of things, or have references readily available that you can read from. But encourage broader discussion too about theme or character, or scansion.

Minor Roles:

Absolutely do not call them to every rehearsal. They are not playing a principal role and should not be expected to show up to as many rehearsals as principals. Respect the time of minor roles by only calling them when you're working on their scene or even their french scene, but make sure that they are integrated into the cast as a whole by having regular all-calls for the cast where you do something meaningful as a group (table work, stumble throughs, dance choreography, etc)

Individual Work:

Yep, this is absolutely the status quo and is the most respectful use of people's time.

Technical Stuff:

Stage management should be there before day one. They can help you organize scheduling, and often can help you even during casting. They should be in the room every rehearsal taking blocking notes for the actors and for your reference and making notes for designers as well. (A lot of these notes will likely be props notes, for example: "Props: we're adding a handheld lantern to Act I Scene 2"). These notes can be e-mailed out to actors and designers as a rehearsal report at the end of every rehearsal. You should know who is designing from day one, but they don't need to be involved that early, necessarily. Ideally, you will have had a chat with your scenic and costume designer weeks before day 1 of rehearsal and they will be prepared to give a presentation to the actors with their scenic model, renderings, and costume illustrations, but this is not always necessary and is more the professional model than the typical community theatre model. Depending on the technical ambition of your show and your resources available, you may not even need to give a presentation to actors, but remember that you cannot start blocking until you have an idea of the set so scenic sketches should be acquired ASAP.

It's typical for all of the designers to be present at your first stumble through of the show (this might be very early on depending on how you set it up) and also customary for them to be present during the first read-through. This will help them to get an idea of where you're taking the show, and will help the scenic and lighting designer get an idea of how you're using the physical space. This is an important part of their process and if they cannot make it to the first stumble through, find another early run-through that they can attend. You should be meeting with them regularly throughout and they will probably have a better idea than you about what their milestones are and what dates those milestones will be due (costume fittings, light plots, costume parade, etc). As a new theatrical director, rely on your designers to inform your process a lot.

Apart from the first stumble through and the first read, often designers do not need to come to rehearsal until tech week, or just before tech week in order to prepare for tech week. (For example, a good experienced lighting designer will show up 2 or 3 days before tech week to write down where they think lighting cues will go in their scripts. They may even start programming earlier than tech week).

Books, Resources:

Do you have any books about this kind of stuff that you think could be useful? I've got several on the artistic side of things, but nothing about how to organise rehearsal, measuring progress, case studies, and other questions mentioned above.

You should get and read through a Stage Management book. This will answer a lot of questions you have about etiquette and about scheduling. My all time favorite stage management book is this one and another good book is this one. You should also get Notes on Directing and Tips: Ideas for Directors. This two directing books are my favorite because they are not long winded explanations about the theory of theatre - they are practical, very short snippets of advice and that you can take piece-meal. Another great book for Shakespeare is Mastering Shakespeare by Scott Kaiser. This is a great book about the actors process with Shakespeare, so as a director it might not seem super helpful, but it really and truly is, especially if you're new to the theatrical process - understanding how the theatrical actors process is different than films is very important. Another very good series on acting Shakespeare is the series that BBC aired called Playing Shakespeare by Jon Barton and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Here's a link to youtube, they have almost the full series online. I'd recommend particularly the video I linked to on Verse and another video they have on Rehearsing Shakespeare.

Hey friend! Before I start, let me just say I know where you're coming from. When I SM'd in High School, it was very different from what an SM would do on a Regional or Broadway caliber show. The important thing is to realize that that is ok. Community and High School theatre SMs must have a 'the show must go on' mentality, and do a lot of what you described, that is, running the deck, supervising tech. I did a lot of this in High School when I would SM, and it's very different from the real world. However, I now go to college in NYC in an incredible SM program, where I study under Broadway SMs and have shadowed Broadway shows. And you can too, but you need to know how to use your High School's theatre to your advantage.

• Question 1: Like I said, absolutely. The major difference between HS and Broadway is scale. While a large venue may have a Master Electrician, Carpenter team, Shop supervisor and a Production Manager, HS will definitely not (if they did, I want to go!). So, you will find that a lot of this work will fall on you, the SM. While in the world of Equity Stage Management, it is actually against the rules for SMs to be doing the 'dirty work' like construction and stage hand jobs, keep in mind that you aren't there yet.
  
  A huge thing to realize here is that while it seems like a good idea to try to run your SM program like a Broadway show, or like how the text books say, it isn't. High School theatre is its own type of production. Just like Regional Theatre is extremely different from Broadway, HS theatre is different as well. The appropriate way to SM Broadway isn't exactly the same on a LORT show, and furthermore, not the same as HS theatre. What this means is, you need to calmly figure out exactly what functions a Stage Manager needs to fulfill to best serve your HS productions, not if your HS was Broadway.
  
  
• Question 2: There are so, so, so many resources out there for you! First and foremost, books! I got my hands on as many SM textbooks I could find when I was in HS, and they were a TREMENDOUS help to me. I recommend this, this, and this. The Backstage Handbook is a great resource too. There's also a great website called http://smnetwork.org/forum/ which is a forum for stage managers from students to the pros. It's not as active as it used to be, but the info archived on there is invaluable. This subreddit is a great place as well!
  
  
• Question 3: Ok, first the AP thing. Take the courses. It's really going to help to have those credits in college, and I took just as many in HS. If you are dedicated, and can budget your time well (as all SMs should be able to), it will be doable. Now, as for fixing your program:
  
  Ask yourself if going against the grain and uprooting an old system is necessary. It seems that what you have going on is similar to most High Schools, and those systems are usually built out of necessity, or rather, what the HS needs out of an SM. So would you be bettering you HS by making the SM program more like what a Broadway show would be like, or would it impede the production running smoothly. Also, would you be paving the way for future SMs in your school, or just shaping what you want from your school. There isn't a right answer, and it can't and shouldn't fall completely on you to fix everything.
  
  When I was in HS, I knew that I needed to work on skills that I wasn't using in HS, but would need in college. Instead of changing the entire production, I pretended. So while I never really needed a full contact sheet, rehearsal and performance reports, or scene tracking, or properly formatted schedules, I would make this paperwork anyway, and keep it for myself. I made full show bibles, even though I didn't need to, and just kept them for my portfolio. I never called a full show in high school, and I can call a pretty tight show nowadays. Calling is an important skill, but keep in mind that it's only like, 1/10th of what we do as SMs.
  
  The skills you are acquiring while working with the crew and construction will be invaluable to you later on as you do less of that kind of work, but still need to know about it. When it comes time for college, you need to understand the difference between 'real world' stage management and what you do now, and figure out if it's still the job you want (I guarantee, it is very different from what you'll be used to). Also, keep in mind, no one expects you to be able to Stage Manage an Off-Broadway show by now. Keep in mind that you're here to learn just as much as anyone else, and you're allowed to make mistakes.
  
  I hope that covered everything. I would be happy to answer other questions you may have. Best of Luck, and Break Legs!
  
  Edit: formatting

Three things are going to help you:

• Thinking in terms of Systems and Specials
  
• Specifically choosing how your lights are channeled and groupd.
  
• Having a Magic Sheet
  
  
  

  Systems and Specials
  

  
  First off, you want to always be thinking about your lights in terms of Systems and Specials. A System is a group of lights that perform a single function together. The most common form of a 'System' is a wash. Your front light is a system. Your top light is a system.
  
  Specials are the individual lights that do 'special' unique functions. For example, you might have a light that shoots through a window to make the effect of moonlight. Or you might have a light that sits on a chair for a musical number.
  
  Let's imagine a really simple show where you have four systems, an RGB cyc, and two specials. Your systems and specials are:
  
  

• Front Straight Amber Wash, R02
  
• Front Straight Blue Wash, R62
  
• Top Amber Wash, R16
  
• Top Blue Wash, R80
  
• RGB Cyc, each one individually controlled.
  
• Firelight special
  
• Moon Gobo special
  
  The first four systems are made up of 15 lights each, covering two dimensions: SR - SL, DS - US. Something like this:
  
  UR URC UC ULC UL
  CR CRC CC CLC CL
  DR DRC DC DLC DL
  
  You also want to individually control all the cyc colors so you can do mixing. The two specials each need to have their own channel.
  
  

  Specifically choosing how your lights are channeled and groupd.
  

  
  The next thing to do is to specifically choose how your lights are channeled and groupd. When you had a board with all sliders, you might just have assigned everything numerically, because you were limited in how many physical sliders you had (or perhaps limited by dimmers). The advantage of a modern board like the Ion is that you can use numerical mnemonics to visually identify/remember.
  
  Imagine your Ion screen is laid out something like this:
  
  01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
  21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
  41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
  61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
  81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
  
  Now if you just channeled everything in order, numerically, you'd end up with channels looking something like this:
  
  

• Front Straight Amber Wash, R02 - Channels 1-15
  
• Front Straight Blue Wash, R62 - Channels 16-30
  
• Top Amber Wash, R16 - Channels 31 - 45
  
• Top Blue Wash, R80 - Channels 46-60
  
• RGB Cyc, each one individually controlled. - Channels 61 (R), 62 (G), 63 (B)
  
• Firelight special - Channel 64
  
• Moon Gobo special - Channel 65
  
  That's not a bad way of doing it, but it's not really optimal. For one, there's no easy way to visually look at the screen and see what things are doing. Your systems wrap across multiple lines, and everything is just group'd up with no rhyme or reason. It doesn't help you remember anything.
  
  Visually, the channels will look like this on your Ion Screen: http://i.imgur.com/YJca3Ff.png
  
  Instead, imagine channeling it something like this:
  
  
• Front Straight Wash R02, Channels 1-15
  
• Front Straight Wash R62, Channels 21-35
  
• Top Amber Wash R16, Channels 41-55
  
• Top Blue Wash R80, Channels 61-75
  
• RGB Cyc, each one individually controlled. - Channels 81 (R), 82 (G), 83 (B)
  
• Firelight special - Channel 91
  
• Moon Gobo special - Channel 92
  
  Now look at that on the Ion Screen: http://i.imgur.com/3TXCGYx.png . Look at the nice neat columns and rows that let you easily see what's going on. What's more, the numerical mnemonics help you know where channels are:
  
  11: UR 12: URC 13: UC 14: ULC 15: UL
  06: CR 07: CRC 08: CC 09: CLC 16: CL
  01: DR 02: DRC 03: DC 04: DLC 05: DL
  
  You know that X1 is always DR. So 01 is DR Front Amber, 21 is DR Front Blue, 41 is DR Top Amber, 61 is DR Top Blue. You can look at the screen and see what's going on visually. Eventually, you'll be able to look at the channel screen and instantly understand what it should look like on the stage.
  
  Now, it does get tedious to select all the channels you want all the time. This is where Groups come in handy. You use Groups to select your systems so that you don't always have to type in [CHANNEL 1 - 15].
  
  Again, numerical mnenomics will help you out. Let's just think of our four front washes. You could group them 1-4:
  
  
• Group 1 - Front Amber Wash
  
• Group 2 - Front Blue Wash
  
• Group 3 - Top Amber Wash
  
• Group 4 - Top Blue Wash
  
  Problem is that way doesn't help you remember what your channels are at. Group 4 is... What? Oh, Top Blue Wash, my fourth system. When I make groups, I make them around channel numbers:
  
  
• Group 1 - Front Amber Wash, Channels 1-15
  
• Group 21 - Front Blue Wash, Channels 21-35
  
• Group 41 - Top Amber Wash, Channels 41-55
  
• Group 61 - Top Blue Wash, Channels 61-75
  
  That helps you remember what channel you're selecting. You can also add more groups to get more levels of control:
  
  
• Group 5 - Down Stage Front Amber Wash, Channels 1-5
  
• Group 10 - Mid Stage Front Amber Wash, Channels 6-10
  
• Group 15 - Up Stage Front Amber Wash, Channels, 11-15
  
  And so on.
  
  Eventually, you'll have a selection of groups that let you quickly and easily select areas of the stage you want to isolate.
  
  
  

  What is a Magic Sheet?
  

  
  Once you know what your systems and specials are, and you've got them grouped/channeled, you can make your Magic Sheet. Your Magic Sheet is for you, as the designer, to help you remember what your systems and specials are. It's a quick reference to tell you what your systems and specials are so that you DO remember what you have to use. That way you can just look down and know what channels you need to call out. Magic Sheets are unique to you... you might make them look like color keys, you might have them visually laid out on the stage.
  
  
  Here's an example of a magic sheet I drew up for this show:
  
  http://i.imgur.com/5uOvjYU.png
  
  The magic sheet has all my systems with their appropriate channel numbers as well as my cyc numbers and specials. Because I'm using group number mnemonics, I don't have to write down group numbers... I can just remember that Group 1 selects R02 Front, Group 61 selects R80 Top, etc. etc..
  
  I hope those tips helped. If you haven't yet, you should get (and read) the Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, which will really help you get the most out of your designs. http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Stage-Lighting-Edition/dp/0415812003
  
  

  tl;dr
  

  
  Buy this book: http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Stage-Lighting-Edition/dp/0415812003

Books I recommend / see commonly recommended.

• • -
    Show Networks and Control Systems
    
    This is a great book all about how modern lighting networks work using sACN and other protocols. John Huntington is a great speaker if you ever get a chance to see him speak. He should be doing a session or two as USITT this year. He is also a professor at CUNY and has a great program there.
    

• • *
    Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician & Technician
    
    Another great book by another great speaker. I got to see a panel with Richard Cadena a few years ago at USITT. I was very impressed with how he spoke about stage lighting and some of the practical experiments that he has done and shared with us. I haven't read this book, but I've heard great things about it. A big topic of conversation at that panel was inrush current, and he gave some really great and easy to understand answers. I suspect that his book is more of the same.
    

• • -
    Designing with Light
    
    A classic. Very very well respected book. It will probably be the text book for your first lighting class in college, if you choose to study lighting in college.
    
• • -
    [Light Fantastic: The Art and Design of Stage Lighting] (https://www.amazon.com/Light-Fantastic-Design-Stage-Lighting/dp/3791343718)
    
    My favorite lighting book. Covers a huge array of topics, addresses lighting history & color, shows and demonstrates some really really interesting designs.
    
• • -
    A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting
    
    I see this book recommended most often. It's another great book. The title holds true, it is a very practical guide to stage lighting. How to do paperwork. How to write a contract. How to talk to people. Some nuggets of lighting knowledge. I didn't really get as much out of it though, as I am not trying to become a professional lighting designer.

Scene Design and Stage Lighting is an often-used text-book from what I can tell. I have an old version myself, but can't attest to the current version. Design and Drawing for the Theatre is also an old standby (and denser), though it appears it's out of print.

If you want something lighter and less expensive, perhaps Fundamentals of Theatrical Design or An Introduction to Theatre Design, though they aren't limited to just scenery. I haven't read the former, but the I've taught from the latter in an intro to design course. It's rather light, but that can be good for a first book.

You can also go the more theoretical route, and pick up the classic Dramatic Imagination by Robert Edmund Jones. What is Scenography? and Scenographic Imagination are chock-full of great theoretical discussion for the long term, but not suited for your first dip into the pool. Might be worth bookmarking for down the road, though.

And sometimes it's good to just have a survey of other's work. American Set Design isn't a bad place to start for that. I recently picked up World Scenography, and while I haven't had the chance to sit down extensively with it, it's a gorgeous book.

This is of course just going from scene design, there's also options out there about the history of design, useful technical handbooks for the craft, or even more specific things like model-making.

If you're already generally familiar with theater and roughly understand the production process, maybe grab one of the two in the first paragraph. If you're coming in completely fresh, starting with one of the cheaper super-introductory books in the second paragraph might be better to ease in. If you have the funds, I'd suggest one from each paragraph. Perhaps others in this sub have more specific choices they feel are definitively superior than other options.

Also, I'm guessing your university may not have a design professor, but you might suggest an independent study in scene design as a course. Hope this helps!

FrostD makes a good point.

There are some standard textbooks that you might look into (with the accompanying knowledge that they will carry textbook-like price tags). I've found them more useful than websites, mostly because I had a lot of trouble finding any websites that did a broad overview of stage lighting.

Shelley's A Practical Guide to Lighting the Stage is a pretty well known one.

Personally, I learned a lot from Gillette's Designing with Light. But I also encountered it after I'd had some experience with the actual lighting instruments. So I remember it as a great introduction to "how do I design," but I can't remember if it covers any of the "this is a fresnel, this is a par" things.

If you want to learn how to program cues, I'd look into tutorials (or at least manuals) relating to whichever board you are likely to work with. If you don't know which board you're most likely to work with, there's a decent chance you'll end up behind an ETC Express [citation needed].

While I'm recommending texts, if you want to figure out how to draft a light plot (likely a further-down-the-line thing in your education), Hillmar's Light Plot Deconstructed is a pretty good way of learning how to make a plot in Vectorworks.

But really, the best way to learn is to do, or at least to be around people who do. If you're going to school, check out if the theatre program (if it exists) would like an extra set of hands on the next load-in/strike. Or if they need a board op (which was one of my favorite ways to pick up on lighting design without needing a lot of prior knowledge or experience).

If you're not going to school atm, see if there are theatres nearby who might want help. Often, even small places (high schools, churches, restaurants that host live acts) will have their normal "lighting guy/gal" they could put you in touch with. Most should be willing to at least point you in the right direction, even if they don't end up wanting/needing a hand with things.

This isn't by any stretch a complete guide, but hopefully it's enough to get you started in some direction or other.

You're a short form group, right? Is there anyone in your group who can play an instrument? That's gonna be where you start; a great accompaniest can make anyone sound brilliant.

If you're doing short form, I suggest starting out with some super simple structures. Seriously, Hoedown from Whose Line may cause some long form snobs to roll their eyes but it works. Laura Hall, their musical director, has a book that may be helpful. (I also recommend Nancy Howland Walker's book and Michael Pollock's book.)

One quick tip: You can get away with not rhyming in a song; in fact, commitment, selling it, and staying on rhythm are more important than rhyming. Make rhyme the thing you workshop on the the second day. When rhyming, it helps to think if the word you want to get to first, and then backfill your way there. Like, if I'm singing about dogs, and I've got the word "leash" ready to go, I'll work backwards from there. "As interests go, mine may be niche, but I love it when you pull my leash." Get it?

I'll try to respond to each item:
Rehearsal Time: 3, 4, or 5 nights a week is reasonable. As long as you don't have every actor called to every rehearsal. (I'll discuss this more later.)
Schedule: Plan out what you are going to work at every rehearsal. For example, on Monday we are working Act I Scenes 1-2. Call only the actors that are in those scenes. Work those scenes, run those scenes move on. If I have a long enough rehearsal process I like to plan in 30 minutes to 1 hour of rehearsal for every minute of show.
Warm-ups and Exercises: I'm a firm believer that these are activities that actors should take care of before rehearsal begins. Sometimes you'll encounter an activity or an exercise that will help with a scene or a moment in the show, then, by all means, work it into the rehearsal
Off Book: An expectation that I have for my actors is that the third time I run a scene, they are off book. They may not have a scene memorized at the start of rehearsal, but if you're using your rehearsal time well, they will have it memorized by the end. You can also set official off-book dates. With Shakespeare I would do it by Act. Let's say that I'm going to block and work Act I over 1 week. Well, the final rehearsal that week would be the official off-book date for Act I.
Staging: Venue size shouldn't matter too much. If your actors are comfortable in what they are doing, then they'll be able to adjust. If you can secure them a bit of time to work in each venue before hand that would be ideal. Just enough time for them to work their spacing and to move around the space and get comfortable.
Initial Sessions: I like to have a brief discussion with my cast, introduce the designers and stage manager, review the production calendar, and then do a table read. It's ideal if your designers are at the table read, but I know that doesn't happen all the time. Discuss your ideas about the characters, but don't dictate exactly what you want. As for character research, that is part of the actor's job description. Rehearsal is a place for the actor to try out the work they've done on their own. The director is there to shape what the actor brings, not to dictate what is seen.
Minor Roles: Call them when needed. Invite them to come to sit in at any rehearsal, but only call them when you need them. There's nothing worse than feeling like someone is wasting your time.
Individual Work: (See Above)
Technical Work: Preferably before you've even auditioned. You should have production meetings before you ever start working with actors, get everyone on the same page. Invite them to the table read.
Books and Resources: [Stage Management] (http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Management-Edition-Lawrence-Stern/dp/0205006132) [Tips: Ideas for Directors] (http://www.amazon.com/Tips-Ideas-Directors-Art-Theater/dp/1575252414/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394337595&sr=1-1&keywords=tips+ideas+for+directors)
Hearts and Minds: Don't waste their time. Be well prepared for every rehearsal. Do your director homework. Study, analyze, and plan. If you don't have an answer to an actor's question, find it as soon as you leave that night. Have an answer for them the next day before you even start rehearsal.
Actor Wishlist: This is strictly my opinion, feel free to ignore it. Don't give a line reading. Nothing more humiliating as an actor than for a director to have to give you a line reading.

That's how I work. I would absolutely kill for a 3 month rehearsal process.

The mixing part is the same. If you are solely the FOH mixer, and you don't want to be in charge of the bigger picture, you have no concerns - just make it sound good and know the consoles you are working on. The system tech is there to make sure that the rig sounds good everywhere in the room, and the PM and riggers are there to make sure it is run and hung safely and efficiently.

If you want to PM on bigger rigs like that, you need to start learning the details of all those people's jobs - not necessarily so you can tell them what to do, but so that you can spot safety issues and inefficiencies, and work hand-in-hand with them to meet your goals.

Here's a good book to start on power: https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834

And here is a good book on audio systems: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415731011/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I haven't read this one on networks yet, but it's probably my next read...maybe others can chime in on wether it is a good one.

https://www.amazon.com/Show-Networks-Control-Systems-Entertainment/dp/0692958738/ref=asc_df_0692958738/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312115090752&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=449842820588414772&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061129&hvtargid=pla-415287733133&psc=1

​

And of course, nothing beats experience, so weasel your way into bigger jobs and watch what everyone is doing.

​

First things first, different areas are going to call different things different names. Never be ashamed about asking what people mean by a term, as clear communication is critical in this industry.

Next, three books that will help you.

1. Backstage Handbook while a little outdated, this is the stagehands bible.
   
   
2. Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician this is a good reference for how electricity works. Less of a what things are and more of a how things are. Good book regardless.
   
   
3. A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting also more of a how things are, this details more of the design and communication side of lighting. Also a very good read, as it details out paperwork for shows.
   
   As far as what equipment and systems you should be familiar with? ETC EOS family is a good starting point. It’ll get your mind familiar with how to program lights and is a pretty universal starting point. ETC Sensor Racks are also fairly standard for dimming. For moving lights, that’s really going to depend on what you’re able to get your hands on. If there’s a production shop nearby to you, call them up and see if they’re willing to take you on as an intern so you can learn things, or just ask them to spend a couple days showing you how everything works. Or see if there’s an IATSE chapter that’s nearby to you, they’ll also be able to help point you in the right direction.

I second /u/wrightde's suggestion of seeing as many shows as you can. You'll start to build a vocabulary that you like, discover how other people make it happen, and just as importantly, you'll see what doesn't work.

Lighting Design is a mix of the artistic and the engineered. /u/wrightde is correct that you shouldn't get bogged down in the technical - the artistic should come first - but the artistic still has to be translated to the technical, so you need that knowledge as well.

My go-to recommendation is Steve Shelley's book: A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting. It covers a lot of great craft - from design meetings, to how to calculate coverage, to how to use/draw a plot and section, and a host of other subjects.

Good luck!

Not all of these are in our core training/ required knowledge, or related to our day to day functions as a university A/V department, but They are all available to my team for knowledge building and professional development. Additionally , and our job ladder includes Infocomm certifications, so the library is a little biased towards infocomm resources at the moment.
Books I use are

• [Master Handbook of Acoustics](
  http://www.amazon.com/Master-Handbook-Acoustics-Alton-Everest/dp/0071603328)
  
• CTS exam guide
  
• sound reinforcement handbook
  
• a/v best practices
  
• Sound system engineering
  
• show networks and control systems
  
• television production handbook
  
• tcp/ip illustrated vols 1-3
  
• PMBOK
  
• network wiring
  
• entertainment electricity
  
• sys admin
  
  just ordered digital video and hd
  based on a recommendation in r/videoengineering
  
  infocomm's audio and visual systems design, essentials of the av industry, av best practices, AV installation hand book
  
  
  white papers/ online training from extron, JBL, Dalite, surgeX, bluejeanscable, and others. (out of the office and do not have the exact list and links with me
  
  
  
  
  

Hi, I would recommend the same book i recommended the digital compositing handbook, I'd also look into Z-Brush, if you like monsters and dive into Artstation.com & Behance.com for motivation and see what people are making.

Unless you are talking about physical VFX, then perhaps history in sculpture and makeup, this book is great https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240818946/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought that book for learning how to retouch photos better. The theory of lighting and shapes is very good.

If you’ve been a production manager and assistant director, stage management would be a good fit for you. There are many SMs in theatre that are also PMs. Community theatre is always an excellent way to get into theatre!

I fell into stage management in college and I haven’t looked back. Starting as a production assistant for assistant stage manager for a show is an excellent way to learn the ropes. It’s all about trial and error, and the more you do it, the more you will make all the duties your own. You will learn very quickly what works for you and what doesn’t.

There is an absolutely wonderful book called “The Backstage Guide to Stage Management”. It’s very informative and the author throws in funny and realistic experiences. backstage guide to stage management

This has good reviews on Amazon! I would just look around there for books! You'll find some good things. Also knowing period makeup and what was popular for men and women in each decade is super helpful!

The Makeup Artist Handbook: Techniques for Film, Television, Photography, and Theatre https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240818946/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_YkEEwbMX719MH

Designing with Light is a great introduction to design, the price is criminal https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Light-Introduction-Stage-Lighting/dp/0073514233/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

A Practical guide to Stage Lighting is one of the best and most complete books on the subject https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Stage-Lighting-Third/dp/0415812003/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51wHNTlRvuL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR124%2C160_&refRID=F1TC2GN49HDAM9GJ75ZZ

The Design Idea is a great book on design https://www.amazon.com/Lighting-Design-Idea-Wadsworth-Theatre/dp/1111836868/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465919421&sr=1-1&keywords=linda+essig

Stage Lighting Design: The Art, Craft and Life is another great book https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Lighting-Design-Craft-Life/dp/0896762351/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465919500&sr=1-1&keywords=richard+pilbrow

There are my top 4 lets see what others suggest.

Rich Cadena’s“Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician & Technician” is by far the best read on this specific topic.

He also hosts training classes and is ETCP certified.

Also check out the NEC sections 400 and 520 for people in the USA.

ProSoundWeb’s AC & Grounding forum is great, as is Mike Holt’s websites and forum contributions throughout the Event Production and Electric industries.

Hello, live event electrician here.

Take a look at Richard Cadenas book, Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician (link below)

I both read his book and took a course he taught. Specifically with stage power, he made sure to burn into my brain using GFCI protected deck power. The time it takes for a short to happen and trip the breaker at your distro is enough to kill. It's happened before.

As for another resource I suggest protocol magazine. It's got all sorts of good, dry information if you are into that. I certainly am.

Educate yourself, don't lift your grounds, ALWAYS use GFCIs for deck power. Too many people have needlessly been electrocuted. Requiring GFCIs for deck power is currently being discussed (I believe)for addition to either the NEC or ESA (Event Safety Alliance)

Good luck out there!

http://www.esta.org/Protocol/protocol.html



https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834

Hey, I just wanted to tell you that I bought that book you recommended and I loved it. Thank you. This is off in a little different of a direction, but you might enjoy this one:

Arcadia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia_(play)
http://www.amazon.com/Arcadia-A-Play-Tom-Stoppard/dp/0571169341

There's a little misinterpretation of the past by modern archeologists in it, and it leads to some great comic lines.

I'd just like to point out that I'm not a film maker in any way shape or form so it would be nice if somebody could verify what I'm about to say.

I've been watching a lot of videos by FilmmakerIQ.com on Vimeo and have learned a lot from them. Anyway, they have a list of recommended books that I haven't checked out yet but would like to. I'll just list them out here:

Painting With Light

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style (Hollywood Standard: The Complete & Authoritative Guide to)

Set Lighting Technician's Handbook: Film Lighting Equipment, Practice, and Electrical Distribution

Master Shots: 100 Advanced Camera Techniques to Get an Expensive Look on Your Low-Budget Movie

Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors

The Camera Assistant's Manual

The Makeup Artist Handbook: Techniques for Film, Television, Photography, and Theatre

Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics

Grammar of the Shot (Media Manuals)

Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player

Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know

The Five C's of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques

Check out Steve Shelley’s book Practical Guide to Stage Lighting. I learned a fair amount about contracts from it, enough to write my own.

The above comment about consulting a lawyer is also wise, but most lawyers are going to know your business like you do. If you come to them with something to look over, you’re more likely to get a positive and meaningful reaction.

http://www.amazon.com/Show-Case-Second-Edition-Maintaining/dp/0240819268/ref=pd_sim_b_1/176-7324097-3879356

This is a pretty awesome book and it pretty much covers all the standards on how to present your design work in portfolio form its quite good.

This is a great resource for portfolios:
https://www.amazon.com/Show-Case-Developing-Maintaining-Design-Tech/dp/0240819268/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478057461&sr=8-1&keywords=rafael+jaen

Some key things:

• Show your process. If you're including a set design for a show, you might have a small collage of some inspiration images, a thumbnail sketch, a final rendering, and a photo of the set.
  
  
• Keep it simple. Don't include 15 photos of the same set from a million different angles. Pick the best quality photo and make it big and bold. If you have a few looks, pick the photo that best represents the design and make that big and maybe include 3 more smaller images underneath.
  
  
• For college portfolios, if you don't have a lot of practical design experience, include examples of things that show your creativity and artistic or technical ability. This can be things like sketches, photography, graphic design, etc.
  If you're coming in person, don't be afraid to bring a physical item. When I had my final portfolio review in college, the strongest feedback I received was in regards to the fact that when I showed images of props I'd built for "Grease", I also pulled a fake root-beer float out of my bag and put in on the table.
  
  -Don't be afraid to go back and enhance your past work. If you designed a show in high school but didn't do a scenic design sketch at the time, go back and do one and include it. If you know how to do a scale drawing, make a simple scale plan for a scenic element that you built for a show.

It all depends on what kind of design you want to get into? Concert/music design is totally different than theatrical, even within theatre musicals and plays often have different design principals.
I'd check out Steve Shelly's book https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Stage-Lighting-Third/dp/0415812003/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0415812003&pd_rd_r=QMEV3MMX5JMSDAZPBNNT&pd_rd_w=uh8vJ&pd_rd_wg=jKgB8&psc=1&refRID=QMEV3MMX5JMSDAZPBNNT
as well as this one. https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Lighting-Handbook-Francis-Reid/dp/087830147X/ref=pd_sim_14_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=087830147X&pd_rd_r=YG5RCJMEPDWJ7E98CBCZ&pd_rd_w=QJmxz&pd_rd_wg=ZQ1Dr&psc=1&refRID=YG5RCJMEPDWJ7E98CBCZ

My biggest suggestion for someone who's just getting started is to not buy any equipment. Equipment is mostly cheap to rent, a PAR can is $3 or $4 a unit, and it's someone else's problem to fix it and buy lamps for it. You're not going to be able to afford quality gear, so you'll end up with cheap Chinese crap that's just going to disappoint you. The other thing to remember is that intelligent lighting is relatively new to lighting, lots of fantastic shows were lit without anything fancy. It's far better to master your color and angle work then get in to using movers than it is to just start throwing strobes everywhere and pray that it works. Learning to make choices and which choices are stronger than others will get you a lot further in life than being able to spit out flash and trash like everyone else can.

I am a director and I was given this book a long time ago. At first, I didn't know what to make of someone giving me a book about directing, but it really is great.

https://www.amazon.com/Notes-Directing-Leadership-Directors-Performance/dp/080271708X

It is now my go to gift to get for new directors.

The best resource for this in my opinion is Richard Cadena's book "Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician." [Amazon] Worth every penny.

Richard was nice enough to do a Q&A for us - read it here.

Vectorworks and Lightwrite are pretty standard for generating light plots and paperwork. WYSIWYG and AutoCAD are also used, along with manually created fixture/patch/color/etc schedules.

I'd recommend this book for an excellent, in-depth guide to the practical side of lighting design.

Read these books. They won't make you a rigger but you'll have a better appreciation of what you are dealing with.

The Arena Riggers' Handbook

Rigging Math Made Simple

Stage Rigging Handbook

Entertainment Rigging for the 21st Century

The Theatre Riggers' Handbook

Structural Design for the Stage

The Physics of Theatre: Mechanics

I'm not sure what line of work you're in, but from an event work standpoint, and I suppose a film standpoint, more and more manufacturers are moving towards LED-source fixtures. So if you're actually looking to build a distro and are looking towards future use, 120v may be the direction to head it. It's hard, though, to pigeon-hole yourself into 120v or 208v exclusively. You're better off having a variety and having that flexibility. A good reference for understanding these concepts can be found here

I've heard good things about this book: http://smile.amazon.com/Stage-Lighting-Design-Craft-Life/dp/0896762351/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408621466&sr=8-1&keywords=pilbrow (And I like Mr. Pilbrow a lot).

I would also push Steve Shelly's book (of field template fame): http://smile.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Stage-Lighting-Edition/dp/0415812003/ref=pd_sim_b_6?ie=UTF8&refRID=17JEA99XS937A1M5TPEK

I'm not sure there's one solid book for it (but I'd be happy to be wrong). Are you specifically looking for live (e.g., busking) lighting design, or are you just looking for general lighting design?

• Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light in Theatre, Live Performance, and Entertainment
  
  
• A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting Third Edition
  
  
• Stage Lighting Design: The Art, the Craft, the Life
  
  
• The Automated Lighting Programmer's Handbook
  
  
• Concert Lighting: Techniques, Art and Business
  
  
• Light Fantastic: The Art and Design of Stage Lighting (Great theatrical resource for history and theory, and beautiful photographs.)
  
  
• Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was: The Lighting & Stage Design of Andi Watson (The text reads like an design student's pseudo-intellectual wet dream, but the pictures are great.)
  
  
• Photometrics Handbook
  
  
• Stage Design: Concerts, Events, Ceremonies and Theater

Maybe The Great Treasury of Western Thought. It has a large collection of short passages from many classic works of philosophy and literature. Most are about 100 words but they range from a single sentence to a few paragraphs.

Or for a more visually pleasing book you could try 30 Second Philosophies.

A podcast I listen to recommended Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician my copy just arrived but it seems like it would be a good place to start.

30 Second Philosophies

Breaks down 50 of the most prolific philosophical concepts pretty swiftly, with added miniature biographies of some famous philsophers; from Aristotle to Wittgenstein. A brilliant primer into one of the most complex academic fields.

Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician & Technician by Richard Cadena. Understanding electricity and electrical safety is big, and a shocking number of technicians lack what I consider crucial basic knowledge.

Also, if you have interest in automated lighting, a decent grounding in electronics can be useful for troubleshooting and maintenance, and I'd start with Introductory Circuit Analysis by Robert Boylestad for this - you'll get a much more thorough grounding in circuit analysis than from Cadena, even if you don't work your way through the whole text.

https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834

A seriously good book, and an area a lot of techs seem to overlook. After that, what u/deviantpixel said about reading manuals is spot on. I have my job today because I blew my boss a away by actually reading manuals when I first worked with him. It turns out, they have a LOT of great info.

Here's a great resource. Available as an e-book and at many libraries as well: https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Stage-Lighting-Third/dp/0415812003

It's one thing to learn the "how", it's another thing to learn the "why". I highly recommend doing some reading/research on the concepts of lighting design: when, why and how to use lighting to help tell the story. Some starting suggestions:

https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Lighting-Design-Craft-Life/dp/1854599968/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496027350&sr=1-3&keywords=stage+lighting

https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Stage-Lighting-Third/dp/0415812003/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496027350&sr=1-4&keywords=stage+lighting

https://www.amazon.com/Light-Fantastic-Design-Stage-Lighting/dp/3791343718/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496027350&sr=1-5&keywords=stage+lighting

I think you've got a lot of good points in here, but I'm going to nit-pick at one:

>You can also learn about rigging from taking a look at their nightmare rigging pictures on fb.


I don't think you can glean much useful information from a picture on the internet, especially if you don't have any background knowledge to know that what you're looking at is bad. Jay Glerum's book is a good place to start for fundamental stuff - though nothing is a substitute for real world experience. I feel like looking at pictures of bad rigging makes you a rigger like looking at kittens on the internet makes you veterinarian.

I really like this book: A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting. I think you'll appreciate how Steve Shelley lays his ideas out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1848311621?pc_redir=1408680920&robot_redir=1
If you are more into print books, this is a great one I found. 50 philosophies in 30 seconds or less, plus glossaries. It's $10 at Barnes and Noble too
Its a really nice quality hard cover

https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Managing-Theatre-Etiquette-Basic/dp/1566632013

Best $15 you’ll ever spend

Best IMO: http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Stage-Lighting-Edition/dp/0415812003

You might want to check out Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, which is a play that weaves in a lot of discussion about determinism and chaos theory. Even without the link to mathematics, it's a damn good play that's worth reading on its own merits.

Im not sure how good this book is but I have it in my wish list on Amazon

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0415702747/?coliid=IPZNL7UTTFS0S&colid=CYNSYUKT0VH&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

This is a great read about power and is specifically geared toward our industry: https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834

Stage rigging handbook by jay O,Glerum

It's more theatrical but it makes the math and load calculations easy to understand.

My undergrad prof used The Back Stage Guide to Stage Management by Thomas A. Kelly for our SM class. I thought it was really helpful!

also this http://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834 is a very good book. without electricity none of this works.

This book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/024081553X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1370445799&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

It covers the basics, and some good practices while programming.

Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician -- Richard Cadena

http://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0240809955

Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician by Richard Cadena

I second the recommendation for Jory's book, and I really like Notes on Directing too.

Maybe Gospel? See here and here

Watch all the Whose Line Song Styles.

Also maybe check out this book, which was recommended by Laura Hall (side note: she did AMAs here and here).

May I present our lord and savior Jay Glerum (RIP). This guy literally wrote the book on stage rigging and was also the nicest guy ever. Seriously this is the place to start

Stage Rigging Handbook
That'll teach you how to do it the right way. Then you can adapt to fit your space.

https://www.amazon.ca/Back-Stage-Guide-Management-3rd/dp/0823098028

You've got to take blocking/light/sound cue notes, call the show, hold talent accountable for call times, lots of paperwork... generally be in charge of the show when the director isn't there. As a disclaimer, I've never been a professional stage manager because it's way too much work, but I work in professional theater.

A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting-http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415812003/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Stage Lighting Handbok-
http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Lighting-Handbook-Francis-Reid/dp/087830147X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407560871&sr=1-2&keywords=stage+lighting

The Backstage Handbook (has the basics on instruments, cable, etc.)-
http://www.amazon.com/Backstage-Handbook-Illustrated-Technical-Information/dp/0911747397/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407560935&sr=1-5&keywords=stage+lighting

Tips: Ideas for Directors https://www.amazon.com/dp/1575252414/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_XCZxDbXY0NFG0

Harold Clurman: On Directing

Bill Ball: A Sense of Direction

Anne Bogart: A Director Prepares

A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting by Steve Shelley

Designing With Light by J. Michael Gillette

These are the two staple textbooks for any lighting design class.

This one was the one we used in college, and it was fairly in-depth. http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Management-Handbook-Daniel-Ionazzi/dp/1558702350/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409457455&sr=1-1&keywords=stage+management+handbook

https://www.amazon.com/Musical-Direction-Improv-Sketch-Comedy/dp/0974742740/

Few books that helped me get started:
https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Managers-Toolkit-Communication-Performance/dp/1138183776/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1542608132&sr=8-7&keywords=stage+manager

​

https://www.amazon.com/Back-Stage-Guide-Management-3rd/dp/0823098028/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0823098028&pd_rd_r=8bc387b0-ebc2-11e8-ae28-63a19228e702&pd_rd_w=z03gC&pd_rd_wg=p4c6y&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=6725dbd6-9917-451d-beba-16af7874e407&pf_rd_r=BFK34PJ5BZQ4P1BDVYTQ&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=BFK34PJ5BZQ4P1BDVYTQ

​

https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Manager-Experience_Refreshed-Larry-Fazio/dp/1138195073/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542608202&sr=1-1&keywords=The+professional+stage+manager

​

The bible on the topic: https://www.amazon.com/Automated-Lighting-Programmers-Handbook/dp/024081553X

John Berger's Ways of Seeing (absolutely brilliant)

Ron Carlson Writes a Story

Critical Theory Today

Wilhelm Reich-The Mass Psychology of Fascism

Amy Bloom-Normal

Tom Stoppard-Arcadia

Sara Marcus-Girls to the Front

for the power end of things: http://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834

for the audio-interconnection end of things:

http://www.rane.com/library.html

http://www.qsc.com/resources/document-library/

http://www.crownaudio.com/en-US/support_downloads#technical-paper

& http://www.prosoundtraining.com/site/resources/

Books on rigging!

One Book,

Two Books,


Three Books!

Two books:

A Sense of Direction by William Ball

Tips: Ideas for Directors by Jon Jory

Everything else you will learn from practice.

And referenced adeptly in Stoppard's masterwork 'Arcadia'.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0809327414/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Stage Rigging Handbook.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0316736465

First Aid Manual

Just starters.

> Or perhaps the problem is something other than the power?

The thing that passed through your brain that made you think that this was a smart decision.

Here are some ground rules about movers and electricity that pertain to your situation, and some thoughts.

1. Don't power movers off of a dimmer. Ever. The power sent from them isn't full phase, and will most likely damage your fixtures.
   
   
2. Just because it seems like a good idea in your head, does not make it a good idea in practice. A reverse twofer??? A simple web search will show that you can't safely combine two sources of 110v to get 208v.
   
   
3. That VL is probably dead now, so have fun paying for repairs, and potentially having your university blacklisted from renting from them again.
   
   
4. If you don't get electricity, don't mess with it. That's a cardinal rule. I've never seen anyone silly enough to try to combine phases for their moving lights. This is dangerous.
   
   Please be safer next time, and don't break expensive gear that you don't own. Accidents are accidents, stupidity can't be played off as an accident.
   
   If you actually want to learn more about electricity and how to use it safely, please read this book: https://www.amazon.com/Electricity-Entertainment-Electrician-Technician-Richard/dp/0415714834