Stagecraft Kit suggestions

We have a new bookstore policy that has created a new opportunity for me: ready-to-buy kits for my stagecraft class.

The class fills a gen ed. requirement and as a result the students are a mixed group: probably 8:1 non-majors to majors. I teach a course that sustains the majors but doesn't leave the non-majors flailing. My ideal kit would be fairly light: items that literally everyone would need in life, yet serves as a starter kit for the students that plan to pursue theatre.

Here's what I have, please feel free to make comments/suggestions:

Essential:
Eye protection
Ear Protection
25' tape measure

I'm on the fence/I could be convinced:
small flashlight
8" adjustable wrench
50' rope
Pocket Ref

Definitely if it were majors only, but maybe all non-theatrefolk use these?:
Backstage Handbook
Roll of Gaff tape
Roll of spike tape
Steel-Toed shoes
work gloves
scale rule

There's no actual budget constraints, but I would guess the students will - unwisely - balk at the purchase if it's over $100

If students are ever on stage, not performing, or in a shop environment the Essentials should be:
Eye Protection --Can probably be provided by School - though welcome to bring their own
Ear Protection --Can probably be provided by School - though welcome to bring their own
Work Gloves
Steel-Toed Shows
Flashlights and Wrench I feel should be required.

I still think a pocket multi-tool should be Essential also (though some schools are really cracking down on the "weapons"

I don't see any need for 50' of rope, if you need it for a specific use the school should probably supply it. It's not something students are going to use everyday. (though knot tieing courses are a must!)

Everything else throw in the Major section.

Expendables like tape should be school be school provided.

I’d say stick with the basics: 8” crescent wrench, 25’ tape measure and the backstage handbook.

Closed toe shoes are fine, they don’t all need steel toe boots. No uggs no crocs. It’s good to suggest eye ear and hand protection, as some people feel strongly about particular styles, but basic options should also be provided in-shop.

I'd add a tool leash and maybe a pouch/holder. Scale stick, red pencil, lumber pencil, sharpy? Fine point tweasers for slivers?

A utility knife can solve the wepon issue, too short a blade for worry. I'd leave the multi tool off the list. First they should know how to use real tools properly.

Concur on tape and such by the school. No rope either.

Focus hard on PPE - gloves, eye, ear, hard hat? paint coat? Talk about pants, shoes, hair, etc. Hmm, would a mini first aid kit/ box of bandages send the right message? How many have something in their dorm?

Marty Lynch said:

Essential:
Eye protection
Ear Protection
25' tape measure

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I'd say Eye Protection and a 25' Tape -- Yes...but Ear Protection I know most folks I work with just expect there to be a bin of disposable plugs onsite and shared earmuffs near all the power tools. Most audio folks (me included) carry Etymotic plugs on our keychains, but that's because we're delicate people.

Marty Lynch said:

I'm on the fence/I could be convinced:
small flashlight
8" adjustable wrench
50' rope
Pocket Ref

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Small Flashlight -- I think a headlamp is more useful, but that's because I'm constantly going rack diving.
An 8" adjustable wrench should be on the list of essentials.
50' Rope is a little unnecessary for everyone to own. I'm on the road and I carry a rope for a few dedicated tasks, and when I'm back in NYC I only bring a rope when I'm in charge of a call, it's another thing I expect a good theater to have a dozen of. I only bring my own because I don't like negotiating custody of ropes with the LX department at 8am.
Pocket Ref was more useful for me in college. I carry one in each of my workboxes, but it only gets broken out when I'm really confused, or need to win a fight about some piece of random knowledge and the internet in the theater isn't good.

Marty Lynch said:

Definitely if it were majors only, but maybe all non-theatrefolk use these?:
Backstage Handbook
Roll of Gaff tape
Roll of spike tape
Steel-Toed shoes
work gloves
scale rule

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Backstage Handbook is a cool piece to have on a bookshelf, but I can't remember the last time I busted one out for practical knowledge since my freshman year of college. Gaff and Spike Tape are perishables and should be provided by the venue, as is E-Tape.
I know a lot of folks around here would balk about this, but I only own a pair of Steel Toes because I cross the border to Canada a bunch and they require it up north. If I'm going into a venue I don't immediately trust the Steel Toes are on, but more often than not I'm in Van's because it's comfy and on a load-in day I'm on my feet from 6am until 11pm.
Work Gloves are a personal preference sort of thing. I don't wear them unless I'm working outdoors and it's below freezing.
Scale Rule I'd probably bump up a column. That being said, I keep one in each of my workboxes but I have a workflow now where it doesn't really ever get brought out. I'll print full plotted drawings but more often than not my computer is right next to it with Vectorworks open and I'll just use that for measurements as people point. I know Production Electricians who have one with them at all times -- It just depends on how you work!

Marty Lynch said:

There's no actual budget constraints, but I would guess the students will - unwisely - balk at the purchase if it's over $100

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Good Quality C-Wrench
Lanyard for C-Wrench
Eye Protection
Hard Hat
Chalk Bag w/Carabiners (for holding the stuff on your person)
Scale Rule

I'd add a Multi-Tool but the price would quickly get over $100 and choice of tool is largely a matter of personal preference. That's really all you need to work on a majority of crews.

I feel like the PPE should be provided by the facility and asking the students to buy expendables for you harkens back to underfunded elementary schools. From your list and the suggestions in the thread I would recommend:

• Good quality 6" C-wrench (girls have small pockets)
• Lanyard for said wrench
• Chalk bag with carabiner
• Headlamp (or bite light)
• Work gloves.

For students in the major you could talk me into the backstage handbook and a scale rule. But only if you'll actually reference it to design things and have prints for them to pull scale off of.

I would actively advise against having them buy a tape measure, rope, or a multi-tool.

• You're either going to give them an open invitation to take any tape measure they find in your shop home with them or you're going to have a mixed set of tape measures in your shop which is a recipe for madness.
• 50' of rope is rarely enough. Even if it works in your venue students will be poorly served by it in others. It also invites every freshman who has taken theatre 101 to assume they're a full blown rigger now.
• A multi-tool can save a lot of time in the hands of a technician that knows their tools and cares about what they're doing. In the hands of a bored student trying to fulfill their gen eds and maybe score with an attractive performer it's a lot more likely to strip out all of the fasteners that are hard to extract.

As a college professor in a business school (where textbooks can easily cost $400+ and students don't buy or rent them as a result), I recommend keeping the list as short and inexpensive as possible, especially since you will have non-majors there. Only include items students will use on a regular basis during class that are not provided by the school/venue. If there are additional items you want majors to buy, set that up as a separate requirement, but don't include it in the "everyone buy bag."

I'd suggest that -- assuming we're talking major students, here, which some of the other commenters apparently are not -- that you look at a glove-getter clip, and possibly the Ultimate Flat Focus Tool.

I concur on expendables, and you won't get steel-toes for under your entire $100 budget. I only wear mine on calls where I know we're doing set construction or bandshell moves; my house's stuff doesn't generally entail those hazards.

Jay Ashworth said:

I'd suggest that -- assuming we're talking major students, here, which some of the other commenters apparently are not

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He said the make up is mixed with an 8:1 non major majority.

I agree that if this is a basic class which the makeup suggests and an intro style course that fulfills requirements for people, keep it simple and make the items things that may be actually useful after they are done. PPE should be provided, though I think the suggestion or note that getting your own means you get to pick or get better than the "standard" option. And a secondary list for majors would useful, but again most of what we ever needed was provided by the university.

-Tape Measure
-C wrench
-Headlamp or flashlight
-no rope,

you can make lanyards with tieline and having worked extensively with non majors in the college shop, this would cover pretty much anything we'd ever have them do en masse and wouldn't burden them with stuff that will be useless to them after the course.

@porkchop, I’m interested in your aversion to recommending a tape measure. I feel it’s one of the most basic things that anyone can benefit from owning. No matter where I’ve worked there never seems to be enough.

As for them all being the same, it’s good to stick to the same tape for a project or a cut list, but insisting every tape in a Shop be the same seems like a fringe luxury to me. I know I have bigger issues to fight for than that.

gafftapegreenia said:

@porkchop, I’m interested in your aversion to recommending a tape measure. I feel it’s one of the most basic things that anyone can benefit from owning. No matter where I’ve worked there never seems to be enough.

As for them all being the same, it’s good to stick to the same tape for a project or a cut list, but insisting every tape in a Shop be the same seems like a fringe luxury to me. I know I have bigger issues to fight for than that.

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This is as example of why my shop has a dozen of the same Stanley tape measures and I remove any others as rapidly as possible. And the shop owns all of them so there's no reason for anyone to take one home with them.

Those look like soft sewing tapes which are known for getting stretched out over use. I don’t think you’ll get that much variation with steel tapes. The bigger thing to watch for is bent and deformed hook ends, THAT has screwed me in the past.

josh88 said:

He said the make up is mixed with an 8:1 non major majority.

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He sure did, and I missed it. Thanks.

Thank you for all of this feedback. Let me provide some updates/clarity:

It seems we can all mostly agree on these essential items:
A light
a crescent wrench
lanyard for said wrench
25' tape measure*

*only if they are all the same, which is why this new kit option intrigues me; I can require the same one be included in the kit. I'll have sharpies available to label them in class.

I believe this list fits these criteria:

1. Useful in my class
2. Useful to anyone once my class is finished (i.e. tools my wife borrows from my box all the time)
3. Affordable - the bookstore informed me that $50-60 is the actual balking number for many students

I'll take the recommendations on PPE & handbooks and make sure the shop provides everyone with options. We have a first aid kit, so I'll keep it stocked rather than require students buy anything. Requiring steel-toed shoes is probably a pipe dream but I can recommend them on my syllabus. For that matter, I will make a list of recommended gear and announce on syllabus day that majors need to consider purchasing their own (esp. a multi-tool) in the near future.

I've always found a quality rope to be an awfully handy thing to own, but perhaps non-theatrefolk wouldn't use them as often. I keep 6' lengths for my knot-tying unit anyway so I'll leave it at that.

I'm off to shop online now. i have ideas on tape, wrench, & lanyard, but if you have recommendations on lights I'm open to suggestions.

Personally, I carry a Fenix FD-40, with 26650 lithium rechargeables.

But that's $100 including the charger, and for people who aren't making a career out of it, a $8-15 LED cheapie is probably fine.

For days when you are are doing set builds and other things that should have saftey shoes, @gafftapegreenia makes a good point about CLOSED TOE SHOES at a minimum. The School SHOULD have available for students to use slip on Safety OverShoes - especially for people who will not be doing this as a career. They're cheap. You can also hand them out to visitors walking through the area.

If PPE is required the Job / School should provide disposable glasses / goggles, disposable earplugs or other hearing protection (especially around power tools or my children), & gloves. At least, that's how it is in my day-time (power plant construction) industry.

Marty Lynch said:

Thank you for all of this feedback. Let me provide some updates/clarity:

It seems we can all mostly agree on these essential items:
A light
a crescent wrench
lanyard for said wrench
25' tape measure*

*only if they are all the same, which is why this new kit option intrigues me; I can require the same one be included in the kit. I'll have sharpies available to label them in class.

I'm off to shop online now. i have ideas on tape, wrench, & lanyard, but if you have recommendations on lights I'm open to suggestions.

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I have a bit of a flashlight jones and own several headlamps ranging from $3 to ~$200. My daily go-to for service calls and such is the $3 dollar model -- I got a three-pack of them at Ross for $9 and they say "Car & Driver" on them. I like them because A) they were cheap -- if I lose one, it's no biggie and B) they use regular AAA batteries, not rechargeables or watch/calculator batteries, so it's easy to get new batteries for them. If I am going to be wearing a headlamp all day -- or am crawling though a ceiling or some other near-pitch-black space -- the I break out the Phoebus unit with the separate rechargeable battery pack. That being said, there are a bazillion of them on Amazon -- look for a three-way strap (around and over the head), brightness and 4-star rating or better (and no special batteries).

Also, I would insist on that basic pack including eye protection -- the eyeball transplant success rate in the US is zero. m

I generally agree with the thought that PPE should be employer/school provided. OSHA says so, but having it is the top priority!

Eye protection has some issues. Many times old googles are so badly scratched that using them feels more dangerous than going bare. The solution is to have a steady flow of new equipment. Stuff that goes on your face is also a bit more personal. Eyes can be infected quite easily. Keeping such gear in good condition is important.

Unless they are employees, OSHA does not apply. That being said, it is good practice to teach safety at the college level (prefer even before that).

For PPE, how does the school handle it for scientific or other occupational courses?

ruinexplorer said:

Unless they are employees, OSHA does not apply.

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I mention it as a point of reference. I've also been hearing of many schools with policies of following OSHA for students. That seems wise from both safety and legal views.