During the last week we hosted an event for the changing of the Mayor. Basically a special city council meeting. So our job was to recreate the city council meeting chamber on our stage complete with audio, video and lighting in order to webcast the meeting out to the city TV station.

This is a gig which we have done on quite a few occasions (and at different venues).

Since the theater is in the middle of changing all the mid level management and operations personnel, for various reasons which I will not opine upon here, there was absolutely no plan for the day from above. And that meant that I was left to plan and work out the complete wiring of the event (as far as all video was concerned).

Luckily I have done this gig enough to have a good idea of how to get the thing done in my head. I consulted the city’s video guy (who works at the council chambers) in order to make sure my plan would work for his purposes (which it mostly did with just some minor adjustments).

So I proceed to lay out the cabling and network cables needed to make it all work.

Below are photos and information about the build of the event.

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But today I want to talk about the heart of what makes a theater: its crew—and specifically, some of the new young people.

If you’ve read my book, you may remember a chapter about a new kid I called Ducky. That was eight years ago—and wow, has he become an important part of our organization since then. Right now, he is technically my supervisor. Crazy.

As amazing as his rise has been—from a new person with almost no knowledge of the business to where he is today—it isn’t unique, just highly unusual.

We now have a new batch of “kids” (they’re really in their twenties, but they’re kids to me). Some are outstanding.

Let’s talk about two of them.

First, there’s Jason.

Jason is a bright young guy who wants to work as an audio engineer, and as you can see, he’s already moving toward that goal. As it turns out, he’s also one of the more gifted new hires—although he doesn’t know it, even if you were to tell him.

I’ve also taught him how to run our video rig, which he learned faster than anyone else I’ve trained. He’ll need to work on his confidence, but he absolutely has the potential to thrive in this line of work.

Right now, my top pick to skyrocket to success is a young woman named Sarah. She is, without question, the brightest, most organized, and most driven new technician I’ve seen since Ducky showed up on our doorstep.

I keep thinking she’s been here longer, but she says it’s only been about nine months.

She excels at nearly every task we give her—and then some. Ducky had even started teaching her the art of mixing monitors until our Executive Director put the kibosh on that effort. Which brings me to the “troubles” section of this post.

One of the reasons we need to teach a “new kid” how to run the monitor board— one of the most technical and responsible jobs in a venue, is because we no longer have anyone doing that job in-house. We are currently relying on contractors.

Our monitor engineer/audio assistant, Kerry, stepped down from mixing. He simply didn’t need the stress anymore. The place burned him out. After mixing hundreds—literally hundreds, possibly thousands—of shows, along with many other duties, he’d had enough. I empathize completely, as I stepped away from mixing myself years ago. Not gonna mix again.

We were all hoping Ducky would step into that role, since he had been mixing frequently as the second monitor engineer and had become extremely good at it.

Good luck keeping track of this story!

Last year my ex-roomie Jack retired. He was our front of house engineer. (Main sound guy for the civilians out there.)  He was replaced by everyone’s first choice: Jon, an incredibly talented and knowledgeable engineer.

Then my longtime friend, business partner, and other ex-roommate Tom—our Operations Manager and Technical Director—also retired. After almost a year, he was finally replaced by Steve, one of our smartest and best technicians, who had been working in the city’s IT department. (Steve had also been a monitor engineer here before leaving to IT.) He was fired without cause after only a few months.

Then Paula—our Stage Crew Supervisor and my favorite boss ever (and everyone else’s too)—was promoted to the front office. A big step up in pay and prestige. While this was a huge loss for the backstage crew, we were genuinely happy for her. (The smart move would have been to keep her backstage and pay her executive wages.)

After a loooooong time, Paula was replaced by Brenda, a valued tech, especially on the lighting crew. Brenda lasted only a few months before being let go in the middle of a workday.

Meanwhile, Rogan—our Master Carpenter/Rigger and union president—finally retired after years of talking about it. His assistant, Alma, had already left more than a year earlier and was never replaced. Her position remains open.

Ducky, realizing the audio assistant job was unlikely to open anytime soon (based on the painfully long delays in filling other positions), applied for assistant to the Operations Coordinator. Both Ducky and a wonderful, talented young technician named Tori were hired. Everyone was happy—both are incredible people and excellent techs.

Then our Operations Coordinator, James, decided he’d had enough of the bad management above him and quit. His job was integral to our operation, especially since he had already been covering the duties of the Stage Crew Supervisor, including scheduling the crew.

Which meant Ducky and Tori were suddenly doing all the work of the Operations Coordinator, the Stage Crew Supervisor, and their assistants.

So now they’re my supervisors.

Circling back to Sarah: our Executive Director has now decided that since Ducky holds a coordinator position, he can’t touch the soundboard (because union blah blah blah). Which means he can’t teach Sarah—or Jason—how to run monitors.

P.S. Ducky is also on the union board. Bet you didn’t see that coming.

Simple, right?

The Titanic has hit the iceberg, and our Executive Director is trying to turn the ship around for another pass.

What’s holding this place together now is a handful of longtime crew members and the courage and dedication of a few young technicians who have stepped up to enormous challenges under chaotic and deeply flawed management.

So kudos to the “kids.”

My hope is to work another couple of years, helping these young crew members carry this place forward for decades to come and live the dream—just as my friends and I did for so many years.

Fingers crossed.

The post Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, New Kids and Work Troubles appeared first on Dangerd.

I always enjoy working with Lance Burton. It was his sixth time visiting the Cerritos Canter for the Performing Arts. Last time he came I asked him if he had signed our balls .(Ping Pong Balls that is!) He couldn’t remember, so we went in the office to check. He did, many years ago– two balls in fact. But he really wanted to see the collection anyways. He said he had heard about it but had never seen it. So I took him to look at the collection. The technical staff only has performers WE like sign the ping pong balls. All performers sign a tile for the lobby.

Lance was fascinated by the many famous people we have collected over the years, he took a lot of photos of the whole collection and especially people he knew or liked. We swapped stories about some of the performers. He especially was moved when he saw Louie Anderson had signed a ball, as they were good friends. I told him the story about when Louie came to visit. 

Louie was such a nice guy. Everybody loved him. He took the time to meet everyone, including the ushers, who he did a little comedy routine for before the doors opened. After the show he asked me if I would be interested in making some video content for a comedy/magic show that he was planning to do with a friend. I gave him my number and was looking forward to working with him. But he unfortunately passed away soon after and the tour didn’t happen.

That’s when Lance told me that he was the magician who was going to go on tour with Louie! What a small world.

Lance Burton, his crew and the friends who he tours with are all some of the most down to earth people who have ever come to work on our stage. All super friendly. He certainly does not have to tour to make money after playing in Vegas for thirty years, but him and his friends just love what they do, so they keep going out on the road.

I gave Lance a copy of my book, Stagehand: A Backstage Pass to my Life Stories, and was hoping to get a photo with him and the book while he was in his magician costume, but he gets in and out of costume only seconds before going on stage and out of it as soon as he leaves the stage! So the timing was bad and I didn’t want him to have to pose in his street clothes– oh well. Either way I am glad he will read my book! At the end of the night as we finished packing the trailer, the crew all took photos with me– but on their phones, I didn’t get any!

On to Robert Cray. I don’t have a lot to say about him. He, his band and his crew are all wonderful and hassle free to work with. The day was easy and fun. Their music is awesome! If you don’t know who he is, just know that he is one of the most accomplished blues guitarist in the world. And his band is great. Go Google his name and take a listen to some of his music, I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. I’ll leave you with some photos from throughout the day.

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But tonight my story is not about the bands and crews so much as it is a personal story. If you read my book Stagehand: A Backstage Pass to my Life Stories, you would have read about my time spent with my friends at the mall, whom I like to refer to as ‘The Old Guy’s Club”. A group of older Vietnam war veterans. One of them who I consider one of my best buddies, Cecil, is a fifty year martial arts champion and Sensei.

When I told him that I was working with the Temptations he said to me, “Really? Otis was one of my students and a good friend! Make sure to say that Sensei says hello.” (For those who don’t know Otis Williams is the last surviving original,  and founding member of the Temptations)

So of course, since I love Cecil, when Otis arrived, I went to the dressing room and gave him Cecil’s greeting. He was very happy to hear from Cecil and asked, “Do you have his number?” Which I do. So I called Cecil and put him on speaker phone. Cecil had forgotten all about our conversation and was very surprised! I ended up giving Otis Cecil‘s contact information so they could catch up later, as it has been a few years since they have talked to each other. It warms my heart to have been able to hook up two old time friends after them being out of contact for so long. (It’s not easy to get a hold of famous performers, so it may have been hard for Cecil to contact Otis.)

I’ll include some photos below.

The post The Four Tops, The Temptations and my good friend Cecil. appeared first on Dangerd.

A DiGiCo Double Play for the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

See the link above for the whole article. The venue where I work, The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, has substantially upgraded our audio system. Starting with the audio desks. Two new Digico Quantum 338’s.

We have also acquired a line array, from D&B audiotechnik, and a full stage monitor system, each including amplifiers and all supporting gear.There’s a lot to list and it’s almost showtime so I don’t have the time to do so right now. Maybe later.

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See the article at ReadersFavorite.com.

Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal for Non-Fiction Music/Entertainment

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For immediate release:

Author’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.
Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Non-Fiction – Memoir book “Stagehand”
by David H Aretsky, currently available at
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DRHSV3RH.

Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

“Reviewed By Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite

Stagehand: A Backstage Pass to My Life Stories by David H. Aretsky is a memoir that talks about the author’s experiences as a stagehand, revealing the highs, lows, and rewards of the profession. Aretsky speaks on the demanding nature of the job, including long hours, difficult conditions, and the physical strain of working in diverse environments. He leans into the sacrifices required, such as missing family events, but also his true love for the work. Aretsky also shares his personal values, contrasting them with conventional measures of success.

Aretsky chose a life of adventure, prioritizing creativity and meaningful experiences over wealth and material possessions. After more than forty years in the industry, he shares the stories and memories from a life well-lived, fulfilling childhood dreams while forgoing traditional markers of success.

Stagehand by David H. Aretsky is a thoughtful patchwork of a memoir, written as
journal entries and standalone reminiscing, that is packed with fantastic stories and the cost of his life on the road. The writing is strong, clear, and detailed, and as a reader who knows nothing of the business, I found the conversational style of the writing fluid and comfortable. Aretsky’s sharp observational style brings each scene to life in near cinematic splendor, whether it’s a chaotic tent collapse, the incredible beauty of the Château de Mazan, meeting Prince, or sharing happier moments with his ex. These varied experiences are unified by a central meditation on change. His line, “There may be times of desperation… But as a creative person, you must keep pursuing your dreams…” is less a refrain and more his guiding mantra and life affirmation. I love his characterizations of others, the standout being the surprising down-to-earth pragmatism of Crystal Gayle, revealing not just names but personalities, values, and the odd, human beauty behind the scenes. Very highly recommended.”

You can learn more about David H Aretsky and “Stagehand” at
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/stagehand where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

Readers’ Favorite LLC
Media Relations
Louisville, KY 40202
800-RF-REVIEW
support@readersfavorite.com
https://readersfavorite.com

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The prop department is responsible for many jobs on a Broadway/musical production.

The first job that the props department usually does is loading in gear from the trucks with the rest of the crews. Then we lay down marley. Marley is a vinyl-based, slip-resistant surface used as a dance floor. Almost all musical productions will use marley. It comes in giant rolls, which weigh hundreds of pounds each, and usually arrives on large steel carts capable of carrying around six rolls. The whole setup weighs several tons, and marley carts are responsible for many broken or injured stagehand feet. The vinyl surface is laid down over the stage floor and taped with marley and gaff tape. After this, the props department will sweep and French mop the surface (which they will do between and after every performance).

A French mop is basically a large, barely-wet towel slung over a big push broom. Very fancy.

A lot of stuff stored in the shop after the load-in,

The main job of the props department is to lay out or pre-set small items that the actors will use during the show. Objects like hats, pencils, pads, scarves, swords, pitchforks, fish etc.

After pre-setting props before the show, the props crew will also hand out props to their assigned actors during the performance. All of the cues (instructions about who, what, when, and where) are contained in what we call tracks—usually typed up on a piece of paper or a laminated card. The prop master (with the touring company) will also sometimes cue the crew during the show or give us a “standby” and “go” at the time when we should hand off the prop.

Many people wonder how we see everything in the dark. Everything is on a shelf and labeled in its place with tape that glows under blue light. It’s hard to miss that glowing tape.

When the shows are over the prop crew packs up the boxes and rolls up the marley, and of course we also push everything to the truck with the rest of the crew.

The post Working Props appeared first on Dangerd.

Aretsky reveals the often invisible people who prop up the people who prop up the famous—the technicians who skillfully bring the creative vision of artists to life. Aretsky has served as stagehand, lighting director, monitor engineer, and more for hundreds of concerts and live performances, and this lively memoir shares encounters with the likes of Prince (he let Aretsky keep a purple tambourine), Lita Ford (“nice person, tough and totally focused on her music”), Rickie Lee Jones (who declares “If I don’t get a new monitor guy, we’re canceling the show!”), and many others. Aretsky also digs into his personal journey, across past and present and states and countries, documenting many adventures—as a dedicated partner, as a single man trying modern dating in his 50s, and as an enthusiast of life. Following a brief glimpse into his professional past as a lighting technician at a porn-industry award show in 1988, the story opens in 2019, as Aretsky processes the end of a 28-year relationship through journal entries that reveal his raw emotions and disorientation.

From there, the narrative follows an erratic structure that mimics a life in which Aretsky allowed himself to be carried wherever opportunity led across 40 years in show business—living for years with friends at the “Treehouse,” a massive three-story structure resembling a cruise ship perched on a hill; shooting drone footage across Alaska; developing an intense dislike for Art Garfunkel after a particularly difficult production. Interwoven with these vivid tales are fond memories of adventures with his ex-girlfriend and accounts of more recent adventures—a Bumble match with a single mother trying IVF again, rekindling past friendships and attractions.

The anecdotal approach means there’s not much narrative momentum, but Aretsky’s crisp, self-aware writing style and unwavering dedication to his craft—both as stagehand and storyteller—compel, as does his philosophical approach to life’s uncertainties. Aretsky reminds us that often the most interesting stories belong to those standing just outside the spotlight.

Takeaway: Lively memoir of a life setting the stage for great entertainers.

Comparable Titles: Phil Kaufman’s Road Mangler Deluxe, Pat Egan’s Backstage Pass.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

https://booklife.com/projectid/9c86ee50-eda5-11ef-a5ff-547275647911

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Today should be an easy day, we start off by striking (taking down) some lighting fixtures and cables. Mostly ellipsoidal (Leko) lights, a workhorse in lighting – especially in theater.

We unplug power and data cables and then untie them from the linesets, then remove all the lighting fixtures hung on the (battens) pipes for storage on “Meatracks”.

In the foreground of the picture above you can see the thick Socapex cables hanging off the end of the pipe. These cables carry multiple circuits of power for lighting fixtures so they are made out of a lot of copper and thick non-conductive outer casing. They hang from the grid at the top of the flyhouse and we usually keep them coiled up on our midrail which we call the 42ft Level. They need to be pulled up and down that 42 feet whenever they are used, have to move or be stored. They connect to stage pin (Bates) cable through “Breakouts”. (photo above) Those cables then can be split with 2-fers or converted to other types of connectors for moving lights etc.

Aside from Par Cans

and Ellipsoidal (Leko) lights, we will also remove or move some larger moving lights to use on the next show or be stored.

We also have to collect and distribute small accessories for some fixtures. Things like “top hats”, for lighting control on the front of Leko’s, gels for coloring/softening/color correction on conventional lighting fixtures, gobo patterns for creating shadows.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY SAFETY CABLES.

Many fixtures will be coming out of a box where they have been stored, as such will have to have pipe clamps re-attached to them so they can be hung on the battens.

We need to scavenge some Baby Colors from the aluminum truss in the shop.

Moving lights don’t work unless they are connected by DMX cables (or network) so there is a lot of DMX cables that have to be run out to each light. And don’t forget about power. After leaving the Socapex, power is converted to Stage Pin / PowerCon or whatever is needed for a particular fixture.

There’s 5 pin and also 3 pin DMX which can be converted between the two but are definitely NOT XLR cables which are for audio.

At the end of the moving lights DMX cable chain don’t forget to put a terminator on the last data output or things may not work as expected.

The moving lights are each assigned a unique address on the network, some lights have dip switches, this one is a little bit more modern.

Once all the old lighting fixtures are removed, the new ones hung, all the cables stripped and then re-hung for the new placement of everything and all the DMX, Power cables, breakouts, and Soccapex are in place and tied up neatly we can tie on a short border to the front of the batten in order to make sure the pipe and cables go unnoticed by the audience during the show. Like everything in this black hole it should be invisible.

Now that everything is connected and looks beautiful it’s time for the carpentry crew do do their thing. A loader at the top of the flyhouse on the loading bridge (82 foot level) will add or remove steel bricks (the same kind as in the upcoming video). The weight of all the lights, cables, accessories, borders etc. will be calculated by the flyperson (in our case here today Alma), at that time the loader will be told how many bricks are equal to (or very close) to that weight and the loader will place steel bricks on the arbor (a carriage) to counterweight the load on the batten (pipe pictured above). Then the flyperson working at the Rail will pull the batten “out”, which to most people means up!

All the lights are hanging in the air! So I guess were done? Nope, now it’s time to build booms! We are lucky to have rolling boom bases which we can build light trees on and then roll where we need them, very convenient.

Each of the rolling boom bases will be loaded with 24, 22 pound steel bricks. The same type of bricks which the loader on the loading bridge uses to counterweight the fly system.

Pipes, pipe clamps, lighting fixtures and cables are gathered together to be hung on the rolling boom bases using the scissor lift and a ladder.

Fixed Cheeseboro (“cheeseburger”) clamps are used to attach horizontal pipes to the tall vertical pipe (upright). The lighting fixtures will hang from these horizontal pipes.

Everybody on the lighting crew today pitches in to build the rolling booms.

Once the booms are built, all the lights are hung and secured and have been cabled with power runs and data to their bases, power cables are pulled from the floor trough in order to route power and data to the fixtures on the booms from below. Then the ME/LD can test the setup from the onstage control wing of the lighting desk.

It’s a short day so it’s time to clean up now. Here is a view looking up at the Socapex cables hanging from the 42 level and above at 85 feet, the big yellow thing is our grid from which everything hangs in the flyhouse.

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