Agreed. Check the schedules. I've worked in theatres where if you are scheduled to start at 8am, even if it's 15F below outside, they won't let in the backstage door until the clock has actually struck 8:00am. Then the space is yours. Sometimes you can work out a deal with them to leave gear there after your
strike to
pick up the next day or so, but that's usually only if you've worked with them before and they know/like you.
If a group isn't out on time (depending on the circumstances for the delay), they may even go as far as adding a penalty fee for being in the facility. That would be the cost of still keeping the
theatre staff there and the standard hourly rental fee multiplied for the penalty markup.
That's all if you're a rental going over your established
strike time. If you're a group they've hired in, all they can really do is shoo you out the door. On the other end, the group coming in, if they aren't on the schedule until 5a, shouldn't be in the building until 5a. I know guys who have had strikes end at 4a with load-ins at 7a who will lock the doors, hang some cots up in the scene shop, and make every attempt to get some sleep before the next group rolls in the door.
Especially with situations like that, the last thing any staff member wants is a group start their
load-in early. Even if they can only get a
power nap in, they'll try their hardest to do that.
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I wrote that reply before noticing you said
shared public venue. Can you elaborate a little more on that? If there are shows taking place with those kinds of extended work schedules for events, someone has to be representing the scheduling of the facility who should at least have a
grip on when turnovers between groups work.