thought summer was over? Definately fall type weather.
Off the top of my head... TLC, ILC, Upstaging,
Frost, Performance Lighting, Show Department are the main production companies in the Chicago area with lots more of different types such as the Grand
Stage, Design Lab and Chicago Spotlight also doing shows/rentals/retail. This in addition to lots and lots of other places. A while back the son of the owner of Movable
Power joined the website in looking for an apprentice as it were - internship. He both works with his Dad on the big generators and
power installs, and has his own lighting company that does shows. Have to search about for him and contact off
line. Good guy, worked with him once in re-wiring a bunch of their sports lighter fixtures. Otherwise Len might be interesting to contact in getting advice and or a heads up of who else is out there in the area. Than there is always the IA route in working
overhire for them. Contact Local #2 - they are always busy given they run most of all theaters and concert stages in the area.
Don't expect to get much glamor right away. If you want to do shows, go smaller than larger as a place to work. Benefits to slinging cable for a summer while learning lots, and benefits to getting your feet wet with adventure but often having a
bit less steady income.
Also, where I work I don't do the hiring of other than my own assistants and I have enough of them at the moment. Otherwise, you get hired on your own merits and are given a full trial and all the chances in the world, plus help and training if you go for and are ready for it in mastering your
current tasks and moving onto others - an aptitude and quality of work question. Difference between those there for a job or those there for a career amongst other things and it's huge in difference. Sky is the limit for how far you can go, but it's about you as a tech person and I wouldn't interfere with that even in getting anyone a job or helping them more than anyone else off the steet, other than train you where appropriate as anyone else, and or mention to those in charged of you your faults or benefits where appropriate as per my position in helping your boss' be your boss as with anyone else. In other words, no special favors to
Controlbooth members, you stand on your own feet with a large support structure to help train you but not give you anything not earned, and hopefully that's what will set you apart in having earned what you get. Nobody taught me some stuff - learned it
thru study on my own, on the other
hand of those things I was trained in, the best training in the world once I was ready for it is what I pass on - not job hiring recommendations.