Term of the Day: dry drunk

dry drunk--former drunk who is on the wagon, but still has the explosive rages or dysfunctional behavior associated with long-term drunks. Term comes from the12-step community.

Term of the Day: Don't show your teeth until you have to

Don't show your teeth until you have to--controlling signs of aggression in a confrontation.

Term of the Day: cue lights

cue lights--lights flipped on by stage manager to indicate cues to men on the fly floor or on the deck. There was a legendary flyman and drinker who would take the bulb out of the flyrail cue light and stick his finger in the socket. When the SM calling the show would flip the cue light, it would jolt him awake. throwing the cue lights.

Term of the Day: a whip-around

a whip-around: a collection of money at a theater or TV studio for a stagehand who has had a death in their family or when a baby is born. "We are doing a whip-around for the family of the stagehand who died last week. They need the money."

Term of the Day: taking the train to crazy town

taking the train to crazy town--when an apparently sane stagehand goes crazy and stays that way.  "Four or five years before he retired, he took the train to crazy town and stayed there."

Term of the Day: virtual shaping

virtual shaping-- asking for work via Facebook or by email, usually by younger stagehands.

Overheard Stagehand Conversation #6: "another asshole"

At the end of the loadout, a head and stagehand had a brief conversation:
FAMOUSLY DIFFICULT HEAD: "On this show, I made you into a better stagehand."
STAGEHAND: "Nah, I just learned how to work for another asshole."