ruinexplorer

I love what I do. I've been doing the same show now for almost five years. This is the first time I have ever worked on a permanent show. The closest I had come to doing so before was about two and a half months on Phantom of the Opera when it made a stop at the theater where I worked. Before this adventure, I worked in road houses or for rental staging companies. Yeah, I got used to seeing something different quite often (even if it all is pretty much the same).

Working on a permanent show is its own adventure, especially if you are not there on day one. Coming into the job, I had to learn the show, the theater, and a new city as I relocated to do this one. So, after the first month, that's when I really got into the groove to see if I could cut the mustard. I loved the discovery of it all, even though some of the equipment was known to me, surprisingly dated. After the third month, I figured that I was in it for the long haul. I started tinkering with how everything was set, judging that I knew what was what. I surprised many of my co-workers that within the next couple of months, I had streamlined the system more than the previous crew had been able to do in the few years that it had been running. To me it was a no-brainer, but I have also come to learn that my skill set is not common among most technicians. After all, video still is a mystery to many, even those who think they understand it.

So, even though I have spent the past few years upkeeping the designer's vision, even being given compliments by him for doing so, I have to wonder if it is time to try something else? I had the opportunity to overhaul the system, which was quite an undertaking. I have had some opportunities to do extra events not dealing with the show, you know to break the monotony. But, does staying in one place ultimately hurt your career, especially when there are many years to come?

We'll see where things go. I probably won't be moving again until my kids are off to college. I guess the frightening thing is that when I worked in a road house, even though the pay wasn't as good, we were always prepared for change and you couldn't foresee an end. When working on a permanent show, then there's the risk that it could end at any given time. With that eventuality, and a flood of technicians all looking for a job at the same time, who will win in the battle of new employment? Those with outside connections or just the right skills? Maybe a combination of both.

Don't mind the ramblings of the older, disgruntled technician. After all, I know many others who have survived, so I am sure that I will as well.