Who's all behind, backstage?

salzberg · **Posted:** Thu Mar 01, 2001 8:21 pm

To put this into perspective, and to prove I'm not being sexist here (remember, I said "most" women couldn't do it, not "all" women), I weigh. . .er. . .significantly more than 100 pounds and I remember grabbing the master handle and lifting my legs off the floor in order to bring it down.[This message has been edited by salzberg (edited March 01, 2001).]

BabsLights · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2001 9:43 am

Perhaps if you exercised your arms with something a little heavier than a drafting pencil and a tv remote, oh Emperor One. If Jeff asks any of you where I am...you never saw me here

salzberg · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2001 3:56 pm

Ahem. Vassal, I haven't held a drafting pencil in years.

Had the Lord intended for me to draft by hand,S/He wouldn't have created CADD.

Quote:

If Jeff asks any of you where I am...you never saw me here

I know where you are.

[This message has been edited by salzberg (edited March 03, 2001).]

[ 08-10-2002, 12:39: Message edited by: salzberg ]

BabsLights · **Posted:** Sun Mar 04, 2001 12:27 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>I know where you are.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Yes, but I rest safe in the knowledge that if you come near me this week, you know you'll be put to work.

salzberg · **Posted:** Mon Mar 05, 2001 7:20 am

Gosh, Babs, as much as I'd [b]love[/i] to forsake Florida's balmy weather for the northeast's snow and slush, I can't make it this week.

Basheva · **Posted:** Mon Mar 05, 2001 9:14 am

I think Emperor One couldn't quite decide between whether he wanted to italicize or be bold.......and we see the results of that indecision.....

Marie · **Posted:** Mon Mar 05, 2001 12:27 pm

Apparently indecision is common in Florida.

tyme2edit · **Posted:** Thu Mar 08, 2001 7:18 am

Great topics, guys. I like this forum,It is unfortunate about the stage hands in Canada. I am a long time IATSE fan. I like the info on Sound Designers. Keep it up.

BabsLights · **Posted:** Thu Mar 08, 2001 7:29 am

Thanks, Tyme2! Good to see you back again! I take it you have been busy.Someday you should share with us what it is you do.

salzberg · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2002 8:23 am

OK. Here's my new pet backstage peeve:

Electricians who don't know how to operate the equipment.

I just returned from a very small (2 dates) Nutcracker tour. The crew at the second venue (the Frauenthal Center in Muskegon, MI -- a beautiful theatre; see it if you possibly can) was excellent, but the crew at the first venue was appallingly slow. The board operator had only been doing it for about a month and didn't know how to do even the most basic of functions. This, combined with her bad attitude and the fact that it was a non-industry-standard console (which meant that I* didn't know it very well, either) meant that we were only able to do about 3/4 of what I'd planned to do...and I'd already cut it way down. The situation was so bad that the Artistic Director noticed and commented on the board operator's attitude and lack of experience. Even one of the parents who were along to chaperone the young kids noticed.

I'm fairly accustomed to teaching (and being taught) things about the consoles I'm working with; designers and electricians use the equipment in different ways and there are features I use a lot that they rarely need (and vice versa), but this was way in excess of that. It was, frankly, unacceptable, if for no other reason than that the dancers deserved better.
.
.
.

* No designer can know every one of the hundreds of consoles on the market, but it's certainly the house staff's responsibility to be familiar with the one console in their venue.

[ 12-11-2002, 09:28: Message edited by: salzberg ]

librarian · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2002 10:19 am

I recall being told once about a type of lighting system that called someplace in Sweden to do diagnostics on itself when something went wrong. Can I assume that sort of system isn't installed in too many theatres?

salzberg · **Posted:** Wed Dec 11, 2002 10:30 am

It must have been an Avab. They're not very common in this country.

Even if such technology were commonplace, it wouldn't solve the problem of an electrician's not knowing how to operate the board in the first place.

[ 12-11-2002, 14:49: Message edited by: salzberg ]

Andre Yew · **Posted:** Sun Dec 15, 2002 11:55 am

Apparently, ballet dads are being recruited to do heavier stage stuff:

Quote:

Ballet Dads

Cynthia Hubert, Sacramento Bee

"By day they're engineers, construction workers, police detectives," said Stuart Carroll. He runs the Capitol Ballet Company, which just finished its "Nutcracker" run in Marysville and Sacramento. "By night they're our stagehands."

more

BabsLights · **Posted:** Mon Jan 20, 2003 5:51 pm

I just had to share with you a story I'm still chuckling over everytime I think of it.

I did a couple Nuts this year - and one location was in [STATE DELETED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT] where two new artistic [POSTION DELETED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT] had choreographed a new version of the tale.

The gentleman playing DROS[CHARACTER NAME PARTIALLY REMOVED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT] has been doing it for years; and had some trouble with the idea of change.

During the prologue at this production, there is a reveal behind a scrim of this character's workshop. I had rough focused a special for it, and the stagehands (IATSE house) had spiked its location. I left the stage for the front of house, secure in the knowledge that it was in it's place (based on new choreography and designer) and had some light on it, so that I could set levels.

When I got out to the house, I could not for the life of me figure out why there was so little light where it was supposed to be. When I got back to the stage, I found the set unit had moved.

The performer had moved the set unit himself, because it wasn't "where it's supposed to be".

[MY RESPONSE TO HIM DELETED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT :eek:

]


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