AUGUST 20
Theatre's unsung heroes

This week I wanted to send a salute to the people of theatre who are often overlooked, the crew. And I’m not talking about the producer, or the director or the writer. They certainly get their praise; I’m talking the unsung heroes. The lighting operator, the stage manager or the friend those working in small theatres suckered into selling tickets. Sure the cast do a clap to the bio box, and sometimes to the stage manager, but is that enough? And when I stand on stage I have seen many audience members smile, thinking the cast is actually clapping them. I can imagine in their heads they were saying, “Yeah, damn straight, we were a great crowd. We rock!”

So it’s time for the kudos. And they won’t get some big ad from some corporate giant with fake schmaltz like all these vomit inducing ads running during the Olympics for the parents. They get this column, wow, didn’t they luck out! Crew are always the first there on a bump in day, and the last to leave on bump out. They get to climb the ladders, haul the heavy set and watch as actors stuff around, or complain about the dressing room or how long they have to sit there until the tech run will start. Quite often while the actors are boozing and schmoozing the crew are in working to get the show out of the theatre. And I don’t think I’ve ever read a review where it said, actors looked like they were huge divas and drama queens so congratulations the amazing stage manager who someone managed to get them on stage without them killing each other.

I say all of these lovely things, will print off this column and post it on the wall, so next time I’m a demanding director who wants the world on a zero budget and expect the crew to stay until they see the sun, I’ll point to this. “Look, I appreciate what you do, now get to work you slack bastard!”


Read Last Week's Wayne's World