The Unsung Heroes: Spotlight on the Local Crew

Mar 1

As a member of the show production team, I've had the privilege of working with many local crews all around the world. These individuals are the reason we as a touring or show production crew can put together massive shows night after night.

In the world of live productions, from Broadway shows to music concerts, there's an undeniable magic that captivates an audience night after night. While the spotlight shines brightly on the performers, and attention gets paid to the production staff (Anyone with an ALL-ACCESS PASS), there exists a group of individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes, often overlooked and underappreciated—the local or stagehand crew. Today, we're shining a spotlight on these unsung heroes and acknowledging their invaluable contributions to the success of every live production.

With that said, it is true, that there are many places where local productions often hire random people with no knowledge of the industry or what to expect during a load-in or load-out. Sometimes these workers can be lazy or just not willing or capable of following instructions. While this can be frustrating, it is always disheartening to see fellow tour/show production members speak disrespectfully to their local crew. I was always taught that if someone doesn’t understand or can not execute my instructions, I need to do a better job of explaining. It is something I always try to press upon my colleagues. Even when it isn’t the instructions, I always try to press upon them to be respectful and to treat them with respect.

Let's take a moment to appreciate the countless reasons why the local crew deserves our utmost respect:

For starters, we are all present to complete a job, and to do it in a set amount of time.

For Lighting, it would be impossible for the production crew to plug in every light, bolt every truss, and run every cable in the allotted time.

For the Stage crew, It would be impossible to lift every stage deck, and push every set cart.

Even on our hardest day, having a local crew makes our jobs that much easier.

For those who are a part of the local production crew, on behalf of touring crews all around the world, I would like to say thank you for all your hard work and sleepless nights. You are the reason we can do what we do.

To the touring and production crews all around the world, make sure you treat your local crews with respect. You never know what issues or challenges they had to face before you arrived.

In conclusion, for those of you who buy the tickets and attend the shows, remember, its not just the workers you see when the doors open, Its not just the performers on stage, it is also a team of people who rarely get to enjoy the fruits of their labor, but they are the backbone of every show that comes through your city. They are overworked and underpaid. They are the local crew and they deserve some recognition.