These rules of a stagehand can help make your experience be a little easier.  As discussed before, being a stagehand in a venue  is hard work, but it is where most people in the live entertainment industry start out in their careers whether for the hands-on experience before applying to larger roles, or overall knowledge before deciding a specialty. This is why it is considered a starting point, or closing point, to one’s career in the industry. Stagehands can also be those who are in-between contracts and looking to keep working until their next contract begins. Whatever the reason, these are tips from long-standing stagehands who have been around the block and seen many shows come and go.

If it has wheels, push it.

People in this industry get enough injuries as it is. Don’t be one of those people who try to look tough and strong and pick something up and carry it when it has wheels. All you are doing is proving you can’t see the wheels on the bottom.

If it doesn’t have wheels, put wheels on it.

Go back and read rule 11. Your best bet is to find a dolly, or hand truck, that is hopefully close by. If it’s really heavy and doesn’t have wheels for some stupid reason, try to convince one of the guys who are certified fork drivers to hop on and carry it that way (if the way is clear).

Dress the part- simple black clothes, a belt, and appropriate footwear.

The merch out in the hall is great, and of course support those where you can because that’s how they make their money back for a lot of the expenses. But don’t buy the bright red shirt with the sparkles if you plan on wearing it to work. Stagehands, and those who work behind the scenes in the live entertainment industry, are ninjas. We are shadows who move in darkness and do not need to bring attention to ourselves if we have to be near the stage or audience members. This is also for safety reasons. A loose belt can get snagged on literally anything. Remember how your loose headphones attached to your phones would constantly get caught on door handles? Apply that same situation but now it’s your belt keeping you from moving while someone calls “heads on stage” and this falling object might be coming at you. This is why we wear steel toed shoes.

Don’t steal the consumables of someone who can run faster than you.

Consumables, like gaff tape, glow tape, dance floor tape, electrical tape (LX tape for short), and sharpies (and everyone has a favourite sharpie including me, don’t ask me why), can be written off in price reports and invoices. This doesn’t mean we share them with everyone. Don’t be thief.

Asking to borrow something, means you plan to return it before you leave.

If you’re going to take something without planning on returning it, just ask for it. Say you need it for xyz or because you’re taking it to the other person who needs it. But if you say you’re “borrowing” something, you better have plans to return it before you see that person you’re borrowing it from again.

Never bug the talent, even when they’re late.

The talent that goes on stage, especially the A-Listers, are used to getting their way and not accustomed to being told no. So naturally, they are likely to rock up to their own show late. This doesn’t give you the right to try and find them and rush them to stage before they’ve had time to be in prep (hair/makeup/warmups/etc.). This is also commonly misunderstood for beginners in this industry, so let me spell it out clearly. Just because you get to work behind the scenes and may get to interact with the talent at some point, doesn’t mean you need to bug them about getting their autograph/picture/a note made out to your best friend of 14 years saying how much they appreciate them being a fan/etc. You are a professional there, not a fan girl/boy, act like it.

Unless you’re directed to, don’t touch the power.

Even when you’re directed to, make sure you know which power they are meaning. Behind the scenes, several things are plugged into power sources close to or right next to each other. If you really need power and can’t find it, ask the relevant member of staff.

If something falls, don’t try to catch it. And try not to look up for it.

Move out of the way the moment someone calls “heads” or “heads on stage” or “headache” or anything else that means something is falling and about to hit you and give you the worst headache of your life and potentially end your life. Also, don’t look up and try to get a glimpse of it, it’s not like the falling object is a spaceship. If you look up, it better be so you know which direction to dodge.

Load in for the out.

This will make your life so much easier. Typically, touring shows have this down to a science and want to load in and load out done in a specific order. There’s a reason for that. If you loaded something into the space first, it’s most likely going back on the truck last.

Don’t eat the fish at the catering.

Trust me. Don’t.

This article was originally published on TheatreArtLife.com. Written by TheatreArtLife Content Producer, Drew Janine.

Anna Robb

All around the world there are people working in arts and entertainment. They are not in the industry for the money, the fame or the work/life balance. They are there through a sheer driving force; The need to create. From this community, TheatreArtLife was born.
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