“If you have a show without a stage manager, run screaming like your head is on fire.”
—Lighting Design professor
*Submitted by levianity
Theatre people are in a constant state of "Challenge Accepted"
We need this expensive thing to happen and we only have this much money
So this really intricate set piece needs to be completed in an hour
Do it like that but better
I need you to draw this figure but it’s going to be really complicated
You can’t use every light the theatre owns, it’s impossible
We have to get this giant set piece through this tiny door
It has to sound smooth and distorted, but also catchy and dangerous and it can only last 5 seconds
Have all your lines memorized by the end of the week
I need you to get light through this set piece to light up and area blocked by everything
Day before opening night, completely new blocking
Never welded before, here make this steel flat
Opening night is the first night with all your set pieces
Top Ten Rules For a Technician
1) Always carry a knife
2) Always carry a flashlight
3) We are technicians not “Techies”
4) Actors will always find a way to break your shit. get used to it.
5) if you think something is safe for an actor to use and have checked three or four times. check again
6) Gaff tape will fix just about anything
7) You will use non lubricated condoms more than you had ever planned
8) you don’t sleep. you nap
9) coffee is your best friend
10) ALWAYS CARRY A KNIFE
Techies
Techies deserve your respect.
I’m not going to spew the regular stuff, like they could leave you in the dark or “accidentally” turn your mic off in the middle of your big song. They can, and they totally do, but that’s not my point.
I love doing tech work just as much as I love being onstage. And, having been on both sides numerous times, I would like to say, that both sides do a similar amount of work.
And techies get no recognition.
It’s not that we want glory. A simple “thank you” or “good job” would be fabulous. I’ve worked on shows so many times when the cast barely spares me a glance when I’m handing out their mics. once one malfunctioned, I had to run them down, get their mic, fix it with nothing but duct tape, and return it to them in a matter of minutes.
I didn’t rate a single word or look from Mr. HighAndMighty.
It’s gotten to the point that I’m surprised and shocked when an actor does thank me for the work I’m doing. I don’t think I like that.
I know there are plenty of actors out there who are perfectly wonderful, nice people who treat the techies well. I just wish there were more.
Because, dammit, I am a human being. And I deserve to be treated like one.
Stage blacks don’t mean we’re really invisible.
Women in Scene Shop
theatreprojects.blogspot.com“….I feel like this issue is the constant struggle of women working in the industry. We face double standards and catch 22s a lot. You are told that in order to get any respect you must be able to do exactly the same amount of work as your male counterparts, but at the same time you should accept help when offered by a “gentleman” and know your limits...”
I found this great blog post about what it’s like to be a female technician. It’s a kind of old, but I liked it a lot. Even though I’m pretty new to the professional world of tech and have yet to revieve any kind of formal education in the field, I can find myself being able to relate. I’ve been lucky enough to work with wonderful groups of people within the last year who understand that my gender doesn’t play a role in my ability to work backstage. That being said, I have had to occassionally put up with the way I’m spoken to or the assumptions made about me because of the stereotypes that exist about women. When I notice instances where that happens I’m very stubborn about proving that I, or other women for that matter, don’t typically fit into those stereotypes. I’m working pretty hard to learn as much as I can about tech and I dislike the fact that I sometimes have to put extra effort in to prove that I can do so as a woman.
All that aside, you should read this.
