For those who don’t know, prior to the pandemic, I spent my entire working life in the technical side of the live entertainment industry. This was primarily as a lighting designer for theatre — for which I got a fancy degree — and as a scenic carpenter, welder, and rigger. But more generally, I worked as a jack-of-all-trades event technician (I’ve since returned to the industry, yay). These are the people who set up and run the sound and lighting equipment for all the live shows you see. They handle costume and makeup changes for performers. They repair the props. They build the sets. They fly the scenery. They call the cues. They ride the tour bus from city to city. Some are unionized and some are not. Often, they’re just scraping by.
Over the years, I have grown troubled by certain aspects of theatre which often go without mention, even, or perhaps especially, by those who make their primary living from it. This episode of Weird Catastrophe is an examination of how live theatre in America often fails to live up to its storytelling potential and how we can produce better shows and improve working conditions for those who give their labor to this silly endeavor.
You can watch or listen to this article, “We Need to Talk About Tech Boys,” on the players above and below. Thank you for listening.
Audio-only version:
Watch on Youtube:
Watch on Rumble:
https://rumble.com/v51hnm6-we-need-to-talk-about-tech-boys.html
The Purgatory of Working in Live Theatre in America