Stage Maintenance
Introduction
Making the stage show-ready requires the work and skill of many crew members. In stage maintenance, riggers, stagehands, and running crew work together to ensure a safe and spectacular performance. This guide will provide an introduction to the requirements of stage maintenance and its importance to successful theatres.
Terminology
- IATSE: The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, also called Local One, is the union for stage employees.
- Deck: Another name for the stage.
- Running Crew: The people who work backstage on the various technical aspects of a show during a performance.
- Stagehand: The crew members who work backstage to ensure set pieces move when and where they need to go during a performance.
- Riggers: The crew members who are in charge of things that hang or “fly” during a performance.
Context & Analysis
The job of stage maintenance is to make sure the backstage and stage area are always safe for actors to perform. Before, during, and after performances, they must routinely safety check items like the deck (stage), moving scenery, special effects (such as fog or pyrotechnics), trap doors, fly rigs, lighting, and sound systems. Depending on the size of the theatre and its
to read our learning module for Stage Maintenance and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Links & Media
Quizzes
Laura Josepher
New York-based theatre director and acting coach