If it makes you feel any better,
LordOfTheTechies (and it probably won't), you are not alone. I work with some of the highest hourly paid stagehands in the country and face the exact same issues as you. And mine, for the majority, are not even theatre folk, just people who somehow wandered into this industry. They certainly want to be there, especially if on overtime, but getting them to actually work, focus on the task at hand, and not socialize, is a constant struggle.
