crew training

[NHStech]

For those of you who operate a stage crew in a high school - or for those of you who are on a stage crew in high school - does your crew specialize, or does your technical director train you in all aspects (lighting, sound, followspots, rigging, etc.)? Please give pros and cons of running it your particular way. Thanks.

 

[Nelson]

Usually I am only able to assemble a student crew for a specific event. We don't have an established crew that help out on a regular basis. Therefore, I just train each crew member in their specialty. If I had the same students more often, I would have time to train them in different areas, but that doesn't usually happen.

Usually, if the same students help out more than once, they will keep doing the same job. Some will want to do something different each time, and that is great when they do. I'm happy to train them on something different every time. Its nice when crew members at least have a basic understanding of other jobs besides their own.

 

[Footer]

Always change up jobs. There is no reason to not swap things up. First, it helps shrink peoples heads a bit. Also, it helps everyone realize what else is going on.

Finally... Colleges look for that. Employers want that. Until you get into dept. heads and or on a union conctract, just about every place I have worked crosses lines in one way or another.

 

[mstaylor]

When I was in HS, so many moons ago, 1976, I was really the only dedicated tech person so I worked in all areas, sound, lights and set building. Then we used different people to flesh out the jobs needed, props, wardrobe, set construction, follow spots and other jobs. I think this happens a lot in HS, college and community theatre. Crew members come and go as needed and as available so many cross train out of necesssity.

 

[tabithakeeling13]

In HS and College, both, we took the tech class, which trained us in everything. When it came to shows, we could ask for a specific place, but my professor liked to switch it up. I think I've been academically and practically trained for just about everything tech-wize. My professor liked to say that text book learning was good knowledge to start you off and practical training helped stabilize that knowledge.

 

[zmb]

If I have an option, to learn something new, I'll take it. Rigging and shop training were mandatory. Most recent option was metal fabrication plus welding.

Only thing that I've tried to learn and never get it right is painting. Most I can do is paint something a solid color.

 

[jlusardi]

I am currently in high school and we have a large crew for our fall play and spring musical. We are each assigned a role, but it isn't always the same for every show. Some kids get the same role show after show. Leading up to the show, most of the kids in crew help out with painting and other jobs.
This is actually my first show doing only crew, in past years I have helped paint sets while being in ensemble or having a small role. However last year during Guys and Dolls I started doing even more crew things (all while being in the cast) and really enjoyed it and learned a lot. Then during the spring I helped with musicals at our elementary schools, some dance shows, graduations, and other events where I got the opportunity to learn a lot of different jobs.
We are very lucky at my school because the people who run our shows, love for us to learn new things. They are very good at explaining what they are doing so that we can learn how to do it ourselves. Some students truly take advantage of the opportunity to learn new things while others are content to just paint and be part of run crew.
Personally I am always looking to learn new things about theater.

 

[jlusardi]

I am currently a high school student and we have a pretty large crew for our fall play and spring musical. We each get assigned a role, however they aren't always the same for every show. Some kids do get the same role show after show. Leading up to the show most crew kids help with painting and other jobs. At my school we are very lucky and have people who love to teach us new things. They prefer we learn how do something instead of them just always doing it. Some kids take advantage of this while there are some who are content to just paint and be in run crew.
This is actually my first show doing only crew. In the past two years I have helped paint and such while being part of the ensemble or having a small role. Last year when we put on Guys and Dolls, I started to help out with more aspects of crew leading up to the show when I wasn't rehearsing a song or dance number. Then during the spring I assisted with sound for our elementary schools' musicals. I also helped out with dance shows, graduations and other events where I got to learn a lot of different things about theater. I love the theater and I am glad I started helping with crew stuff. I love learning new things and I am always looking for the opportunity to help out because I know I will learn something new.
I might be repeating myself here, but I really love that the people who run our shows at school are constantly teaching us new things. I love the fact that when I was helping with shows last spring that they would take the time to explain to me what they were doing and ask if I understood it. Sometimes I didn't absorb all of the information, but I really have learned a lot in the last year.

 

[gumboot]

At my high school there is a long-term crew of about 4-6 of us, two on lighting and two-three on sound, supervised by a Music teacher who doubles as our schools technical director. I specialise in lighting, but I also help out with sound and backstage or whatever needs doing. When we do our big productions there are alot more teachers involved, and other students volunteer to work backstage, set paining and hair/makeup etc. It's usually only then when everyone has a specific 'job'.

 

[natebish]

at my school we have very little in specialization. however i regularly work for a designer at serveral other schools and at each of those the techs from the school are all one area each, then again they have much larger theatres and more complicated productions.

 

[josh88]

I got grandfathered into this system this year as the new guy in charge so I may make some changes. But at the moment the way we handle crew is that someone (generally a senior) has a specific job for shows. So our light board, sound board, fly rail etc are seniors and their job is to train a lower class student in how to do that job after they leave. So for specific shows people are specialized and choose which they want to learn to do real well.

THEN I've got a tech class and an advanced class. In there they learn how to do all of it, lights, sound, painting, everything. I'll be using that to find the strengths and weaknesses of the students I've got. I've got some small adjustments to make but I generally like this system (if you are lucky enough to have an actual class devoted to tech) because they get the general knowledge to be able to do anything they get thrown into, but then they've got some specialized in depth knowledge of at least one area that they were strong in or had a lot of interest in.

I've made it real clear that most of the jobs I've gotten are because I can do A. and then parlay it into another job because I can also do B. and C. It makes me a better tech because even when I'm NOT doing B. and C. I know how those jobs function and can interact better with the people in those positions.

TL;DR is that I too support the mixing it up so that you get a larger knowledge base but having some detailed understanding of at least one area is also a good thing to walk away with.

 

[jlusardi]

But at the moment the way we handle crew is that someone (generally a senior) has a specific job for shows. So our light board, sound board, fly rail etc are seniors and their job is to train a lower class student in how to do that job after they leave. So for specific shows people are specialized and choose which they want to learn to do real well.


I've made it real clear that most of the jobs I've gotten are because I can do A. and then parlay it into another job because I can also do B. and C. It makes me a better tech because even when I'm NOT doing B. and C. I know how those jobs function and can interact better with the people in those positions.

TL;DR is that I too support the mixing it up so that you get a larger knowledge base but having some detailed understanding of at least one area is also a good thing to walk away with.

At my school we also usually have upperclassmen who specialize in lighting or sound who train younger students to take over when they leave. Personally, I like learning about all sorts of different jobs because I feel that it gives me a better understanding of the whole picture. I also think it is nice to have more detailed understanding of a particular area.

In my opinion if the students are willing to learn new things, teach them as much as you can. I know I don't always absorb everything I am taught, at least not the first time, but I do gain an a good understanding of the things being taught to me. I feel that it's nice to have an understanding of a variety of jobs because it gives you a new level of respect for the people who end up doing those jobs.

 

[Dovahkiin]

At my school, crews are decided for each show separately. Usually underclassmen who apply are put wherever they are needed while the upperclassmen usually specialize and teach the new kids about the crew they lead. Usually it's the most well-rounded techies that get chosen to Stage Manage so there is some incentive to experiment. On top of that, we have a tech class that acts as an extension of the crew. The students just work on the show during class where the crew you're on doesn't really matter. I've only really worked Lights, House & Publicity, and Props, but thanks to the class I've learned Set Construction, Paint, Sound, and even a little bit of sewing for Costumes.

 

[mstaylor]

I got grandfathered into this system this year as the new guy in charge so I may make some changes. But at the moment the way we handle crew is that someone (generally a senior) has a specific job for shows. So our light board, sound board, fly rail etc are seniors and their job is to train a lower class student in how to do that job after they leave. So for specific shows people are specialized and choose which they want to learn to do real well.

THEN I've got a tech class and an advanced class. In there they learn how to do all of it, lights, sound, painting, everything. I'll be using that to find the strengths and weaknesses of the students I've got. I've got some small adjustments to make but I generally like this system (if you are lucky enough to have an actual class devoted to tech) because they get the general knowledge to be able to do anything they get thrown into, but then they've got some specialized in depth knowledge of at least one area that they were strong in or had a lot of interest in.

I've made it real clear that most of the jobs I've gotten are because I can do A. and then parlay it into another job because I can also do B. and C. It makes me a better tech because even when I'm NOT doing B. and C. I know how those jobs function and can interact better with the people in those positions.

TL;DR is that I too support the mixing it up so that you get a larger knowledge base but having some detailed understanding of at least one area is also a good thing to walk away with.

Having knowledge beyond your speciality is always good. It makes no difference if you are talking about HS theatre or any other occupation you go into. I have always been the utility guy any place I have worked. When I was in HS I did lighting, sound and set construction in the theatre. I also had three jobs, wholesale produce sales, bowling machine mechanic and floor covering mechanic. I could cover any job in all three places of employment which made me more valuable than other guys.
My present job is to supply crews for shows in my arena. In addition to my basic job I am the house light, sound and AV guy. I am the head rigger, and can drive any piece of equipment to present rodeos, ice shows and monster truck shows.
I am always interested in learning new things. I am currently learning more about video. All I can say is learn all you can while in HS.

 

[josh88]

the list of my past jobs goes- boat sales, zoo keeper, lifeguard, lumber at home depot, sketchy motel maintenance, paint at lowes, and now teacher.

I have learned a ton from all of these jobs that are applicable and usable in theater. Herding actors is a lot like herding elk away from the main gate. Throw your arms up, make a lot of noise and intimidate them until they leave or turn on you and charge. All joking aside I'm always looking for new experiences and I'm never done learning.

 

[JonasA]

At my high school, we used to have techs specialise, until we realised that it meant we had about a dozen lighting 'experts' for every kid who knew which end of an XLR lead goes into a mic. These days I try to make sure they spend some time on everything - and I mean everything. They haven't done it all till they've hung lights, programmed the desk, done radio mic plots, etc. etc.

That being said, I now have 'apprenticed' one kid for sound, one for lighting, one for stage management. My hope is that by the time I finish each one will be much better in their respective field than I am, and they'll be able to lead on shows, particularly with the more complicated tasks like calling a show or lighting design, which I'd rather not have a new person do for every single show. Favouritism? Maybe. Does it get well-trained crew members? Sure does.

I fully appreciate the need to have techs who are as good as they can be at a specific skill, but they won't even get through high school shows if they can't work in different capacities. You can't always have your 'experts' be there when you need them, and it creates an environment where a few people take up the bulk of the work and leave the junior ones idle until the seniors leave and all of a sudden you have a void and nobody knows how anything works. I also think that to teach them as much as possible, you need to make every moment a training experience. Yes, actual sit-down-and-teach time is important, but I know that if you just keep talking them through everything you can, they'll pick up more than you expect. Sometimes the freshmen won't understand what you're saying about not patching movers into a dimmer, but if you keep talking to them about it, eventually they'll learn more about it than you thought they would.

 

[mstaylor]

At my high school, we used to have techs specialise, until we realised that it meant we had about a dozen lighting 'experts' for every kid who knew which end of an XLR lead goes into a mic. These days I try to make sure they spend some time on everything - and I mean everything. They haven't done it all till they've hung lights, programmed the desk, done radio mic plots, etc. etc.

That being said, I now have 'apprenticed' one kid for sound, one for lighting, one for stage management. My hope is that by the time I finish each one will be much better in their respective field than I am, and they'll be able to lead on shows, particularly with the more complicated tasks like calling a show or lighting design, which I'd rather not have a new person do for every single show. Favouritism? Maybe. Does it get well-trained crew members? Sure does.

I fully appreciate the need to have techs who are as good as they can be at a specific skill, but they won't even get through high school shows if they can't work in different capacities. You can't always have your 'experts' be there when you need them, and it creates an environment where a few people take up the bulk of the work and leave the junior ones idle until the seniors leave and all of a sudden you have a void and nobody knows how anything works. I also think that to teach them as much as possible, you need to make every moment a training experience. Yes, actual sit-down-and-teach time is important, but I know that if you just keep talking them through everything you can, they'll pick up more than you expect. Sometimes the freshmen won't understand what you're saying about not patching movers into a dimmer, but if you keep talking to them about it, eventually they'll learn more about it than you thought they would.

Agreed about talking kids through a learning process. I still do that with my hands, I try to explain why we are doing something as well as how. It is easy to teach somebody how to plug a mic in or patch a dimmer but why it is there is far more important.

 

[milan]

For those of you who operate a stage crew in a high school - or for those of you who are on a stage crew in high school - does your crew specialize, or does your technical director train you in all aspects (lighting, sound, followspots, rigging, etc.)? Please give pros and cons of running it your particular way. Thanks.

I just had to chime in. I just recently became the PAC Tech. Which is a complicated position in our region. Many of the High Schools in the past few years have built large "Performing Arts Centers" to handle events/shows/presentations for various school district activities. My job is bascially the Asst. Director of the PAC but also the TD/Set designer/Light Designer and lead tech for anything at the PAC.
We also have two main tech classes due to the changes in faculty over the last year. Theatre Tech and Stagecraft. This bascially tries to teach students at least half of all theatre duties per class. Tech handles lighting, sound, and a lot of the rigging and border adjustment. Stagecraft builds sets, paints sets, and helps around the theatre as needed. Usually theatre tech ends up actually running events that occur during the school day and sign up for after school events as if they are extracurricular activities. I am working on making stagecraft sign up for shows as running crew and, due to time constraints in the shop, they will schedule one or two extra hours after school for a max of 4 per week to make sure we don't have to build on the weekends.
Both are taught to help one another and we've been trying to always have varied jobs for the students to learn. I like the idea of "lead" seniors training the underclassmen for when they go. That is the best way to have people trained in any field. The military make sure to do that all the time. You train the person below you to do your job, just in case.
Before I arrived, the school was considering a class in Set Design as well as Stagecraft and Theatre Tech. I don't think splitting up the classes will help that much.

Feel free to respond if anyone feels they can help me streamline my organization!

 

[shiben]

I just had to chime in. I just recently became the PAC Tech. Which is a complicated position in our region. Many of the High Schools in the past few years have built large "Performing Arts Centers" to handle events/shows/presentations for various school district activities. My job is bascially the Asst. Director of the PAC but also the TD/Set designer/Light Designer and lead tech for anything at the PAC.
We also have two main tech classes due to the changes in faculty over the last year. Theatre Tech and Stagecraft. This bascially tries to teach students at least half of all theatre duties per class. Tech handles lighting, sound, and a lot of the rigging and border adjustment. Stagecraft builds sets, paints sets, and helps around the theatre as needed. Usually theatre tech ends up actually running events that occur during the school day and sign up for after school events as if they are extracurricular activities. I am working on making stagecraft sign up for shows as running crew and, due to time constraints in the shop, they will schedule one or two extra hours after school for a max of 4 per week to make sure we don't have to build on the weekends.
Both are taught to help one another and we've been trying to always have varied jobs for the students to learn. I like the idea of "lead" seniors training the underclassmen for when they go. That is the best way to have people trained in any field. The military make sure to do that all the time. You train the person below you to do your job, just in case.
Before I arrived, the school was considering a class in Set Design as well as Stagecraft and Theatre Tech. I don't think splitting up the classes will help that much.

Feel free to respond if anyone feels they can help me streamline my organization!

I personally think its imperative that students do all kinds of things. When I was working at a college, I had a girl come in and the DoT assigned her to basically be my assistant in the company, but she stepped in to do props work after someone got sick and now they employ her in the props department. You might find out you like something else better when something like that happens... If you have very qualified people, possibly pay some of them to work extra hours? Gives kids jobs, keeps them from smoking, and gets you some mildly more complex help...

 

[jlusardi]

I also think that to teach them as much as possible, you need to make every moment a training experience. Yes, actual sit-down-and-teach time is important, but I know that if you just keep talking them through everything you can, they'll pick up more than you expect. Sometimes the freshmen won't understand what you're saying about not patching movers into a dimmer, but if you keep talking to them about it, eventually they'll learn more about it than you thought they would.

I agree with you; the people who run the crew at my school are always teaching me things. Sometimes they give me a lot of information and I don't understand/absorb all of it(at least not the first time). But every time they explain something I understand it a little bit more. I am also constantly amazed at how much information I do understand and am able to explain to the younger crew members.
Questions should be greatly encouraged, I personally try to ask questions to clarify and expand on what I was just taught. Yet on many occasions I have seen kids just stand there and listen the entire time something is being explained to them. Maybe this works for them, but I have found that asking questions helps create a better understanding of whatever it is you were taught.