Baby's 1st Load-In
Ok. So I did my first (and maybe my last) load-in with the crew of Oklahoma! (I'm not really soooo excited about Oklahoma! that I have to put the exclamation point, there just is one in the logo. I mean I am excited about it and I love my job but I sometimes think exclamation points are over used. And since I'm going to use a few when describing the crew, I want you to know that I don't use them superfluously.)
I have learned a lot about not only the process but also the kind of people it takes to make a touring show happen. These guys and gals are, to borrow from the vernacular of Sean Greiner, are hands-down, I'm not gonna lie, amazing!
I don't know how they keep the schedule they keep especially on a one-nighter schedule. Oklahoma on average takes 3 1/2 to 4 hours to load out. That means their crew bus rarely leaves the venue until 2:30 or 3:00 AM. Load in the next day begins usually at 8:00 AM. This gives them on average 4 to 5 hours of sleep. String a couple (or 5) one nighters together and you get the idea.
If that's not bad enough the hours they spend at the theatre are not exactly a mindless day's work. Each load-in they encounter a new local crew who have to be fairly closely monitored. Regardless of the local crew's experience each show is different thereby making it nearly impossible to simply delegate a job to them and go on to something else. They have to be at the top of their game and leaders all day long. And I mean all day long.
I shadowed Tim Schmidt our fantastic 'Superman' of a sound guy. From 8AM until about 2:30 AM the next day you never saw this guy doing anything but working. And the same goes for every other department. It's no wonder these guys form a surrogate family that no doubt is thicker than water and even blood at times.
I know I could never keep this schedule and deliver quality work as these guys do. Heck, I can barely make it through my day without two or three naps. So next time you see a crew guy, be it on your show or some other, give him or her a kiss. And not some lame theatre peck on the check, I mean a full throttle, dipped, open mouth, someone's gonna catch something or do some dental work kiss. They certainly deserve it. Thanks Andy, Scott, Tim, Steve, Lisa, Julia, Michael, Sue, Tara and Trinity.
I have learned a lot about not only the process but also the kind of people it takes to make a touring show happen. These guys and gals are, to borrow from the vernacular of Sean Greiner, are hands-down, I'm not gonna lie, amazing!
I don't know how they keep the schedule they keep especially on a one-nighter schedule. Oklahoma on average takes 3 1/2 to 4 hours to load out. That means their crew bus rarely leaves the venue until 2:30 or 3:00 AM. Load in the next day begins usually at 8:00 AM. This gives them on average 4 to 5 hours of sleep. String a couple (or 5) one nighters together and you get the idea.
If that's not bad enough the hours they spend at the theatre are not exactly a mindless day's work. Each load-in they encounter a new local crew who have to be fairly closely monitored. Regardless of the local crew's experience each show is different thereby making it nearly impossible to simply delegate a job to them and go on to something else. They have to be at the top of their game and leaders all day long. And I mean all day long.
I shadowed Tim Schmidt our fantastic 'Superman' of a sound guy. From 8AM until about 2:30 AM the next day you never saw this guy doing anything but working. And the same goes for every other department. It's no wonder these guys form a surrogate family that no doubt is thicker than water and even blood at times.
I know I could never keep this schedule and deliver quality work as these guys do. Heck, I can barely make it through my day without two or three naps. So next time you see a crew guy, be it on your show or some other, give him or her a kiss. And not some lame theatre peck on the check, I mean a full throttle, dipped, open mouth, someone's gonna catch something or do some dental work kiss. They certainly deserve it. Thanks Andy, Scott, Tim, Steve, Lisa, Julia, Michael, Sue, Tara and Trinity.
posted by KaseyRTGraham @ 10:51 AM
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