Talkin' It Out

Over the past few weeks many questions have been brought to my attention. I'd like to use this post to address all of your comments.

Road Crews v. Stage Crews
I don't personally remember any show crew as unfavorable. The variety of people that come through Mem Aud are all different, and they all have good qualities and bad just like anyone else. I asked some stage managers if any bad experiences with a road crew stood out, but nothing came to mind. If stage managers have a bad experience with a show, it's a combination of factors that normally don't reflect on the road crew itself. For example, many times stage hands crewed for a show don't show, leaving SMs understaffed and unable to accommodate road crews, which may leave them very unhappy thus making SMs very unhappy.

In response to attending shows:
If you're working a show, it depends on what task your assigned. For big shows if a stage hand is working wardrobe then you might be able to watch part of the show from backstage. For smaller shows, like Singing Men of Ohio or band concerts, stage hands have the opportunity to run the light board, spotlights, etc. In these instances, you have every opportunity to watch the show. As stage hands, however, we would not be allowed to show up at the auditorium and watch a show for free unless its free admission. All crew members are allowed to see one show for free each quarter though.

On The Lord of the Dance:
I'm not sure what the statistics are for the production's audience size or why they chose Athens. I do know that the show is on a nationwide tour, and they have performed at Mem Aud previously with better results. For more information on the production, click here.

Getting Started at Mem Aud:
I got involved at the auditorium by word of mouth. A friend of mine who was a stage manager at the time told me they needed stage hands and to show up at the next show (Smokey Joe's Cafe, February 2005) if I wanted to work. I did and then I was contacted by the production assistant throughout the quarter to be crewed. If you start at the beginning of a quarter, however, you attend a crewing meeting and receive an availability form. You fill out the form, send it to the production staff and then they send you a schedule for the quarter. As people call off or more shows come up, e-mails are sent to stage hands with the new calls, and whoever can take them gets them on a first come basis. If you're interested in working, call (740) - 566 - SHOW or e-mail production@ohio.edu for more information. (Above: All stage hands fill out an availability schedule at the beginning of each quarter. Here is a copy of mine for the first five weeks of Winter Quarter.)

Working Against Class:
Availability schedules work to the stage hand's advantage. On full-day work calls, SMs have to deal with revolving crew. When someone has class, they leave and someone else comes back or comes in to work for the first time. This can be inconvenient for road crews because they may have to reteach stage hands how to build something or take something apart. Many times, however, stage hands opt to skip class and take the 12 hours or more of paid labor. It's all dependent on the person. The amount of shows vary throughout the quarter. I work anywhere from zero hours per week to 20+ hours per week. On my availability form, I mark 15-20 hours per week, but dependent on my schedule, I may sign up to work another show. There may be multiple shows a week or only a speaker or two, it really varies.

I hope I answered all of your questions. I'll be back soon with a quick write up on the Singing Men of Ohio Annual Alumni Concert from last Saturday.