Actors vs. Crew/Techies

                In every show, actors can get so particular about various insignificant things. It is an old running joke amongst the crew and techies about whether or not actors could manage without us to help them. It’s a joke because there are some actors/performers who act like they are so much better than us because they are actually in the show and we are not; however we always sit back stage wondering how badly the show would crumble without us. I don’t think that it’s an arrogant way to think because we appreciate what they do and we realize how difficult it is, and that we would never be able to do what they do on their level. However, the actors like to complain a lot about little things, like someone not having a prop that they need when they are perfectly capable of getting it themselves or being tired. The crew and techies build the set, take care of lights and audio, paint and design the set, move it during transitions, and plan everything out to go smoothly.  Crew learns the harsh lesson of blood (you aren’t a real crew member until you have bled on the stage while working and not cared), sweat (if you don’t get sweaty while working, then something is wrong with your body), and tears (alright, maybe not tears because I’ve never seen anyone cry, but it goes with the flow…you should want to cry from annoyance, frustration, and exhaustion by the time everything is done, because everything is never all done). All the actors have to do is to take all of the pieces that we have completed and make sure that they combine it to look as effortlessly as possible, and because that they are able to do that is amazing! To me though, it just shows a difference in talents because I would be hopeless as an actor, but I was able to take apart one of the old six foot tall boxes from Bye Bye Birdie in a jiffy with a power drill, and not many girls know how to use one properly these days. I feel like everybody’s differences make them who they are, and I am who I am today because of stage crew and I’m proud of it!