Term of the Night: "You've bought the ticket, now take the ride"

 "You've bought the ticket, now take the ride"--when you make a bad decision, you have to face the consequences.

Term of the Day: the hero

the hero: (Local 52 term) a prop, usually a table, in a TV or movie shoot where the main action of the scene takes place, where the actor  or actress who is the hero of the scene has his/her lines." "Make sure that tablecloth on the right-hand table has been steamed...that table is the hero  and is the focus of the shot."

Term of the Night: Mean Girls, the Middle-Aged Edition

 Mean Girls, the Middle-Aged Edition--difficult people in the theater from one department turning on other departments. "The wardrobe supervisor suddenly became hostile to the prop department and hired like-minded dressers. It quickly became a case of "Mean Girls, the Middle-Aged Edition."

In Memory: RIP Pete Wright

The brothers and sisters of Local #1 IATSE experienced a horrible tragedy on November 12, 2020. Pete Wright, the incredibly talented flyman of the August Wilson Theatre, was fatally injured in an accident while doing restore work at the Wintergarden Theatre. He died at the hospital a short time later.

Pete Wright was one of four stagehand brothers who were known for their great work in the Local and all were legendary mechanics. Pete was a force of nature, often doing the work of three men when he ran load ins and load outs. He had a dry wit and an unstoppable work ethic. If you asked for something from Pete, his line was, "For you, the grid's the limit." He was completely fearless in how he lived his life as a stagehand. Pete was 54.

Pete leaves behind his beloved wife Marcie, who had also worked as a stagehand. They worked together on the 1990's revival of "Grease," at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. Pete and Marcie lived in Connecticut, where they raised their two sons, Kenny and Matt.

Pete and I worked on "Jersey Boys" together. A few years ago, Pete bought an old industrial building in his town. He told me with a gleeful look on his face how he had converted the small building into the ultimate "man cave"... half woodworking shop, half metal shop. It sounded like a stagehand's dream.

--Dylan Foley

Term of the Day: to break character

 break character—when an actor becomes distracted or laughs, losing focus on what his/her character is supposed to be doing.

Term of the Day: on application

 on application--a stagehand trying to break into Local 52 will be on application, gaining qualifying hours and getting ready for the test

Term of the Night: Orange crush

 Orange crush: five-pound plastic sledgehammer good for pounding scenery or decking into place, which does not leave a mark like a metal sledge. Also called  clown hammer, for its orange color.

Term of the Day: the key, key

 the key, key-- key carpenter responsible for laying out projects. A Local 52 term. Highly skilled carpenter who translates designer plans into shop drawings so TV or film shop craftspeople can build flats, headers and other scenic pieces. Theater shop equivalent is a layout person.

Term of the Night: permit guy

permit guy-- Local # 1 stagehand allowed to work in Local #52 (film and TV local). You are permitted to work in the local. As a category, it is "in permit."

Term of the Day: anger management issues

 anger management issues--sudden explosions from (usually) older stagehands. "Him? Don't take it personally when he suddenly starts screaming. The old carpenter just has some serious anger management issues."

Term of the Night: to Bigfoot someone

to Bigfoot someone-- to overpower another person, to take over a situation or responsibility from someone because you have more power or influence.

Term of the Day: "I have receipts"

"I have receipts"-- evidence of wrongdoing. "That bonehead should never have put his threats down in writing. Now I have receipts I can use in the future." "Since he put his threats online, I now have receipts that last forever."

Term of the Day: too handy

too handy--when a dancer put his or her hands on an indelicate place on another dancer. "The female ensemble member remarked that one of the chorus boys was a bit too handy when they danced together."

Term of the Day: transfer legs

transfer legs--when a show is destined to transfer from a regional theater or off-Broadway to Broadway. "They say 'The Girl from North Country,' the Bob Dylan musical, has transfer legs to go to Broadway."

Term of the Day: laid and paid

laid and paid--happy stagehand, or a usually mopey stagehand who shows a brief moment of happiness. "It looks like he just got laid and paid."

Term of the Day: lawsuit waiting to happen

lawsuit waiting to happen--offensive old carpenter, famous for his lascivious comments and propositions to much younger dancers and dressers. "He's a lawsuit waiting to happen. That carpenter still thinks it's 1950."

Stagehands I have Known #3: Le Miza Bob

Le Miza Bob--a miserable stagehand named Bob, always complaining and sucking the life out of those he works with. A takeoff on the title of the never-ending musical “Le Miz.” In Local #1, we have a Le Miza Bob working Legit and one at Jimmy Fallon’s “Late Show.”

Term of the Day: longitis

longitis--in the case of long-running shows, individual stagehands turn on each other, whole departments stop speaking with each other. See: Phantom

Term of the Day: the long knives are out

the long knives are out--an imminent, quick and brutal end. "After the psychotic soundman turned on the electrician who had protected him, the long knives were outand he was out before week's end.

Term of the Day: lurgy

 lurgy--British/Australian slang for an unspecified illness, possibly a fictional illness, that travels around small communities like the backstage of a theater, often referred to as the "dreaded lurgy."

Term of the Day: mad skills

mad skills--having great technical knowledge or a specific ability, like carpentry or rigging. "The stagehand had mad skillsas a carpenter, but he just chose not to use them."

Term of the Day: manna from the heavens

manna from the heavens--an unexpected job. From the Old Testament reference. "My show closed and I had no prospects. The sudden opening on the prop crew at the Wintergarden was like manna from the heavens."

Term of the Day: Martini Beck

Martini Beck: an archaic nickname for the Martin Beck, the former name of the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, a Broadway theater located on 45th Street, west of 8th Avenue. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there were some hard-drinking stagehands working there, thus the nickname.

Term of the Day: Mastercard

Mastercard--swing actor who is always in the way of stagehands backstage while he is learning his different tracks. "No matter where you go, he's there," to paraphrase the old credit card commercial.

Term of the Day: Miss Congeniality

Miss Congeniality-- stagehand who comes close several or many times for a head's job with one of the theater chains, but loses out to someone else. From the consolation title at beauty pageants. "They filled the job at the Cort. I guess I am Miss Congenialityagain."

Term of the Day: Moscow sprayer

Moscow sprayer--plastic Coke bottle with cap on, hole cut in cap, full of water to spray on wrinkled drops (used by the Eifman Ballet, satire of Hudson sprayer)

"moving deck chairs on the Titanic"

"moving deck chairs on the Titanic"--making small changes too late to fix a doomed show. "They made changes to the first act, but it was like moving deck chairs on the Titanic."

Term of the Day: moxie

moxie--guts, pushiness, persistence in the face of rejection. "The young dancer had the moxieto come backstage and introduce herself to the choreographer during tech." Amazing etymology...I always thought it was a Yiddish word, but it was the name of a bitter soft-drink popular in the 1930s. The word itself is believed to come from a Native American tribe from Maine, whose meaning is "dark water."

Term of the Day: "much, much better than new"

"much, much better than new"--after a repair onstage or after a paint call, where the set looks all bright and new, a stagehand or a scenic may say, "Much, much better than new," in a sarcastic or boastful manner. The line comes from an old Meineke Muffler commercial from the 1980's. 

Term of the Day: nice-guy rage

nice-guy rage--when a self-proclaimed "nice guy" explodes, the results can be very nasty.

Term of the Day: noble failure

noble failure--a Broadway show that receives rave reviews and is an artistic favorite in the Broadway community, but has dismal ticket sales and dies a quick death. These shows are mounted on Broadway when producers follow their hearts, rather then their wallets.

Term of the Day: Old Faithful

Old Faithful--a stagehand well-known for exploding in temper tantrums, at similar times of the day or under similar work conditions every time.

Term of the Day: on life support

on life support--when a show is losing money and ticket sales are going below the weekly nut (their operating expenses), the show is on life supportbecause the producers are pumping in money to keep it alive until ticket sales pick up again. Sometimes these gambles pay off for the producers and a show survives with a longer, healthy run. 

Term of the Day: On-the-job training

On-the-job training--new, unskilled and cardless stagehand working at the prevailing rate. If they screw up, you can say “On-the-job training.”

Term of the Day: rank smell of self pity

rank smell of self pity-- when self pity lurks beneath the rage and violence. "During one of old carpenter's screaming tantrums on deck, I caught a whiff of the rank smell of self pity under the cursing and violence."

Term of the Day: peanut hours

peanut hours--no extras, just the show call, no work calls, no rehearsals. "I got the job running a front light on a long-running show, but it is peanut hours, no extras. I am happy to have the job, however."

Scam of the Day: phantom production

phantom production--a fake Broadway show. A theater agent named Roland Scahill was convicted in August 2016 of defrauding investors of $165,000 for a fake play on the life of the opera diva Kathleen Battle, which was to play at the Booth Theatre. Scahill claimed the actress Nupita Nyong'o was going to play Battle and that the show was going to be filmed for Netflix. Neither the play nor the Netflix connection existed. Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance referred to the Kathleen Battle play as a "phantom production."

Term of the Day: pinchy

pinchy-- (adj.) cheap. to be pinchy. Short for penny pincher. "That company manager is really pinchy."

Term of the Day: pirate eye

pirate eye—shutting one eye before you go onstage during a blackout. When you open both eyes onstage, you are acclimated to the dark and can grab relevant props or pull scenery.

Term of the Day: please-and-thank-you house

please-and-thank-you house--houses with well-mannered heads. Yes, even on Broadway, good manners can survive.

Term of the Day: to poach

to poach--to steal a good stagehand from another boss, to take without permission. "During the loadout season, the head of one theater poachedseveral good carpenters from another head."

Term of the Day: Polish Tea Room

Polish Tea Room--Edison Cafe, closed by the greedy landlords of the Edison Hotel at the end of 2014. Famous for its mixed clientele, including stagehands, producers and playwrights. Neil Simon used to eat there. Its matzah ball soup was famous. Replaced by Friedman's, a more pricey restaurant chain. 

Term of the Day: post-Tony shakeout

post-Tony shakeout--when shows that do not win Tony Awards close soon after the Tonys broadcast. Fragile shows are often vulnerable if they don't win, so producers may pull the plug.

Term of the Day: pre-resume culture

pre-resume culture--Resumes still doesn't matter that much in the theaters of Broadway. More often it is your skill set--you can build a spiral staircase or you can fix a Vari-lite, or it is who you are related to, or who is your rabbi.

Term of the Day: prop trauma

prop trauma--actor freaks out over prop and becomes a possible candidate for shunning.

Term o the Day: "Props: same pay, half the weight"

"Props: same pay, half the weight"--propmen don't usually carry heavy scenery, but get paid the same as the people that do.

Wardrobe Term of the Day: "puddle the dress"

"puddle the dress"--to carefully arrange a dress on the floor so an actress can step into it during a quick change. The dress is quickly pulled up, zipped and the actress can go back onstage. The preset dress looks like a puddle of fabric. (Wardrobe term.)

Term of the Day: pull it out of my ass

pull it out of my ass--when a director or PSM makes a ludicrous request--"Can you get me a taxidermied rabbit by tomorrow?", you can reply brightly, "Let me pull one out of my ass." Line may result in job termination.

Term of the Day: the fix was in

the fix was in--Things were determined a long time ago. “Even though the heads' jobs for the new Hudson Theatre were listed in the union newsletter,the fix was in months ago.”

Term of the Day: robbing Peter to pay Paul

robbing Peter to pay Paul-- when desperate for hardware, you have to cannibalize or steal from other parts of the theater. "To finish the seat call, I had to rob Peter to pay Paul, taking seat parts from other parts of the orchestra."

Term of the Day: to throw under the bus

to throw under the bus--to throw somebody in in an aggressive fashion

Term of the Day: top dog

top dog-- dominant person in a group, may keep control through charisma or aggressive behavior. Can be used as a verb, to top dog someone, asserting a canine-type dominance of other people at work.

Term of the Day: unauthorized choreography

unauthorized choreography--a chorus boy I knew got hurt in the wings while goofing around, not doing the show choreography. We said, "He got hurt doing unauthorized choreography." 

Term of the Day: union thug

union thug--you might as well embrace the label that rabid right wingers like that sleazy Wisconsin ex-Gov. Scott Walker slaps onto good working men and women. A particularly tough Broadway head I know showed up to a mammoth load in wearing a "union thug" t-shirt in light purple. A fierce woman head I know who fought her way into a position of power over 30 years prefers her own t-shirt adorned with flowers.  Also: strike-tested union thug

Term of the Day: (the) usual suspects

(the) usual suspects--stagehands you'd expect to see at a load in, working for a particular head. "At the load in, who did you see working in Electrics? Oh, the usual suspects." Taken from the 1995 Kevin Spacey movie.

Term of the Day: virtual shaping

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

Term of the Day: Weeping Willow

Weeping Willow--constant complainer, a name given to the old scenic at East Coast Theatrical Supply in the 1980s.

Classic Expression of the Night: "What a bad day to stop sniffing glue"

"What a bad day to stop sniffing glue"-- from Leslie Nielsen in "Airplane." when the shit hits the fan during a load in, a good nonsense line to express stress.

Term of the Day: vultures start circling

vultures start circling--when a stagehand or musician is on the cusp of being fired, people will start coming by, looking to take their jobs. "The vultures started circlingwhen the word was on the street that the concertmaster at 'Lion King' was going to be fired." "The show wasn't even out of previews when the producers for a show looking for a theater started asking about the theater. The vultures started circling while the show was still alive."

Term of the Day: walker

walker--archaic term for a musician that is on the payroll, but doesn't have to show up, such as the four musicians once required for a straight play. One producer made four walkers play in the bathroom during intermission.

Term of the Day: watch your 6

watch your 6--watch your back. It is a Vietnam term, using the clock face, where 12 is in front of you and 6 is behind you. "That's a brutal theater to work in...watch your 6."

Term of the Day: "We'll get it on the loadout"

"We'll get it on the loadout"--for anything that rolls under the show deck.

Term of the Day: "We're going to run it!”

"We're going to run it!”--producer line at the producer pep talk, when a show's ticket sales have dropped, a bad sign that the closing notice is coming soon. This is akin to saying, "We are driving the train off the cliff."

Term of the Day: "What am I, chopped liver?"

"What am I, chopped liver?"--you've forgotten me, I'm offended, I'm being treated badly. Chopped liver is a side dish that is easily overlooked. "All my friends were called for the big Radio City load out, but I wasn't. What am I, chopped liver?"

Term of the Day: Who's who in the zoo

Who's who in the zoo--availability, who is working at a certain venue. "The head said, "I need to know 'who's who in the zoo.'"

Term of the Day: (to) Wildhorn someone

(to) Wildhorn someone--The main Broadway reviewers for the New York Times hate the composer Frank Wildhorn, so his musicals like "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Dracula" always get savaged. Repeated vicious reviews about the same composer or playwright by the same reviewer means that the artist has been Wildhorned.

Term of the Day: willing lambs to the slaughter

willing lambs to the slaughter--producers with dubious Broadway vehicles. "When I read in today's Times that a musical about Cher was in the works, I thought of the producers, where Broadway has a 90 percent failure rate, as willing lambs to the slaughter.

Term of the Day: wood

wood--pay, paychecks. “the wood’s in.” "The house manager dropped the wood on the carpenter's desk Wednesday morning

Term of the Day: to work someone over with a ball-peen hammer

to work someone over with a ball-peen hammer--to take someone apart. "When the contract man gave the house head lip, her tirade was like working him over with a ball-peen hammer.

Term of the Day: working my last good nerve

working my last good nerve--annoying someone. "You are working my last good nerve." (a line often used by the late and very talented Sal Sclafani, longtime roadman and House Propman at the Hirschfeld Theatre)

Term of the Day: work me like a rented mule

work me like a rented mule--sarcastic comment when it's a hard day of work. Also: "treated me like a red-headed stepchild"

Term of the Day: "Where are you stacking them?"

"Where are you stacking them?"--when building multiple pieces, you are working too slowly. Breaking chops.

Term of the Day: “Who do I have to fuck to...”

“Who do I have to fuck to...”--statement of exasperation..."Who do I have to fuck to get my payroll signed?"

Term of the Day: underminer

underminer--stagehand who will undermine other members of the crew for personal advancement or because he/she can't help him or herself.

Expression of the Day: "You can make a lot of money and be miserable, or you can make a lot of money and be happy. It's your choice."

"You can make a lot of money and be miserable, or you can make a lot of money and be happy. It's your choice."

Term of the Day: "You can't break iron"

"You can't break iron"--When asked how he was recovering from an injury incurred when somebody pushed a roadbox on him, the stagehand, who survived the horrors of Vietnam combat, said with deadpan intensity, "You can't break iron."

Term of the Day: "You can't hit a moving target"

"You can't hit a moving target"--If you are working around the theater or constantly moving, management has a hard time nailing you, and stage managers can't find you. If you are in your office, with your feet on the desk, you become an easy target.

Term of the Day: "You don't need four years at MIT to know that"

"You don't need four years at MIT to know that"--it's obvious. "Despite good reviews, 'Groundhog Day' ticket sales went through the basement. You don't need four years at MIT to know that's why it closed."

Term of the Day: "You're killing me"

"You're killing me"--exasperated line when somebody gets in your way constantly or is blocking your worksite on stage with scenery or props. The proper response: "If only it were true."

Term of the Day: you reap what you sow

you reap what you sow--when your decisions or actions have long term and usually bad results. "The young stagehand's fistfight with an assistant designer got him banned from most industrials. You reap what you sow."

Term of the Day: a yutz

a yutz--a stupid, useless person (from Yiddish)....see also mook.

Term of the Day: "You the boss, I'm the hoss"

"You the boss, I'm the hoss"-- You are in charge, I'm just the worker, ready to do hard work. Overheard from a head who was working as a day laborer for the day.

Term of the Day: acts with his props

acts with his props--an actor who may damage his props or puts too much emphasis on them. This actor may be ripe for shunning.

adult daycare-- when an older boss comes to work every day, but delegates everything to his/her assistants, not working him/herself, using the job as a place to go. "The old head had entered theadult daycareperiod of his career, not leaving his office and only playing guitar all day."

Term of the Day: above my pay grade

above my pay grade--indicating you are not qualified to make a decision, deferring a difficult or embarrassing decision to the bosses above you. Washing your hands of a matter.

Term of the Day: a vista scene change

a vista scene change--scene change in view of the audience. "The flying out of the 32,000-pound mansion unit during 'Sunset Boulevard' was one of the greatest a vista scene changesI have ever seen."

Term of the Day: "An actress wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire"

"An actress wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire"--said by an elderly New York actress, circa 1991. A reference to the cutthroat competitiveness in the New York theater world.

Term of the Day: annuity-buster

annuity-buster-- a showgirl. After the divorce, the ex-wife (or now ex-husband) gets half your annuity for all the years you were married. "Bobby Bobby Bobby (an infamous stagehand) showed up to work catatonic when he found that his ex-wife had sucked half his annuity out of his account when the divorce was finalized. He had married an annuity-buster."

Term of the Day: ass-kissing overdrive

ass-kissing overdrive-- excessive and aggressive ass-kissing. "When the head retired, the longtime extra man went into ass-kissing overdrive to keep his spot with the new head."

Term of the Day: asshole move

asshole move--when one department in a theater intentionally blocks another department from getting their work done.

Term of the Day: bird-dog someone

 bird-dog someone--to harass a coworker, usually maliciously.

Term of the Day: “Big trouble”

“Big trouble”--“How are things going?” “We got big trouble.” Sarcastic response, usually means everything is fine.

Term of the Day: Broadway adjacent

Broadway adjacent--what an actor might say if they are working at one of the off-Broadway theaters near the Theatre District, like the Laura Pels on 46th and 6th, and the Second Stage Theatre on 43rd and 8th, in the glorious old bank building.

Term of the Day: break your shovel

break your shovel--destroy contact, lose job

Term of the Day: bringing him along

bringing him along--to mentor or help a young stagehand, to bring up to speed

Term of the Day: brick in the wall

brick in the wall--to ignore the existence of another person in the theater (“From now on, he’s another brick in the wall,” said the head carpenter, of a rude PSM)

Term of the Day: Broadway ADD

Broadway ADD--the recent pervasiveness of short musicals and plays, such as "The Band's Visit" (90 minutes) and "Meteor Shower"(66 minutes). Twenty years ago, most musicals were up to 2:45 or even 2:55 in length.

Term of the Day: brouhaha

brouhaha--a fight, an over-the-top reaction to an event, social agitation over a small incident (from the French, possibly Hebrew). "The stagehand made a big brouhaha over his chair being moved in the basement."

Term of the Day: "conversations with myself"

"conversations with myself"--when someone is caught having a loud conversation with no one else present. "I found the older actor upstage, having a profanity-laced dialogue by himself... Oh, I guess it is a case of 'conversations with myself.'"

Term of the Day: death number

death number--Local 52 (the movie local) slang for the stamped seniority number on a member's IA card. The number changes, going down every year when members retire or die. The joke is that the number indicates how close you are to death yourself. (Thanks to my cousin Michael Maronna, a Local 52 grip.)

Term of the Day: death of a thousand cuts

death of a thousand cuts--when the person calling the shots, maybe a head or a PSM, keeps changing their mind, harping on small details or adding new tiny responsibilities on a long-running show. 

Term of the Day: dinner theater

dinner theater--productions done at the Roundabout Theatre or Manhattan Theatre Club, known for their low rates. "This is real theater, not dinner theater."

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: an elaborate song and dance routine

an elaborate song and dance routine-- when someone gives you an elaborate story or uses an outright lie to cover up a fuck up or a personal error.

Term of the Day: elder tantrum

elder tantrum--sudden, usually inappropriate bursts of anger from older stagehands, set in their ways.

Term of the Day: failed bully

failed bully--when one stagehand bullies another, but backs off when faced with an unexpected resistance or defense. "It's hard to come back after you become a failed bully.People begin to view a failed bullyas a buffoon."

Term of the Day: "Forever came"

"Forever came"--the end of "Cats." The 18-year musical "Cats" had the motto, "Now and forever." At the loadout, some stagehand wag noted, "Forever came." 

Term of the Day: freeloading situation

freeloading situation-- in right-to-work states, workers can refuse to join a union and refuse to pay dues, but are still covered by union contracts. This unfair, selfish behavior is a freeloading situationthat can help financially undermine or even bankrupt unions. Contrary to misinformation, New York is NOT a right-to-work state.

Term of the Day: French alteration

French alteration--placebo alteration for a troublesome actor, calming them down by pretending to fix a costume (from SAPSIS Rigging)

Term of the Day: ginsu

ginsu--two-sided Japanese saw, name comes from old knife infomercial

Term of the Day: to go Ghandi on someone

to go Ghandi on someone-- to refuse to do something, to use passive resistance, or maybe passive aggressiveness, to force a change.  "When the contract propman stopped providing the props for the lift rehearsals at half hour, the house head told the extra stagehands to go Ghandi on him and not do the rehearsals, so the contractman had to do them by himself."

Term of the Day: good Rolodex

good Rolodex--a boss who has a long hiring list of the good stagehands, who has access to and hires good people. A Rolodex is the archaic card index that businesspeople had on their desks for many decades.  "That head has a good Rolodexof mechanics and builders."  Also: "I've got your name in my Rolodex."

Term of the Day: (to) blow someone up

(to) blow someone up--to attack another stagehand's reputation to others.

Term of the Day: hurry up and wait

hurry up and wait--to do all tasks quickly, then to wait and do nothing

Term of the Day: kisses up and bullies down

kisses up and bullies down-- a stagehand who kisses the head's ass, but then bullies the extra stagehands. "The first broom in the prop department was famous for kissing up and bullying down. He always had time to kiss the head's ass, but would bully his fellow extra stagehands."

Term of the Day: mercury poisoning

mercury poisoning--When a TV star very suddenly quit the revival of David Mamet's "Speed the Plow" a few years ago, his publicist said that he had "mercury poisoning" from eating too much sushi. Other sources say he had a problem with his nose.

Term of the Day: moxie

moxie--guts, pushiness, persistence in the face of rejection. "The young dancer had the moxie to come backstage and introduce herself to the choreographer during tech." Amazing etymology...I always thought it was a Yiddish word, but it was the name of a bitter soft-drink popular in the 1930s. The word itself is believed to come from a Native American tribe from Maine, whose meaning is "dark water."

Term of the Day: my zombie apocalypse stash

my zombie apocalypse stash--important, common-use items hidden by a propman or carpenter for future emergency use and only given up grudgingly. "Those are my last two rolls of double-faced tape, from my zombie apocalypse stash...I don't really want to give them up."

Term of the Day: one-punch artist

one-punch artist--a stagehand who can knock another stagehand down with one punch. There is a very famous story behind this one, involving a Christmas House coming offstage and chicklets punched out on deck, but it is better as an oral legend. 

Term of the Day: pie in the sky

pie in the sky--an unreasonable dream, it isn't going to happen, that's a fantasy. Lyrics from the extended version of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land." We are so far behind at this load in, it is pie in the sky to believe that we are not going to have a work call tomorrow morning."

Term of the Day: Trumpcake

Trumpcake--crazy supporter of Donald Trump. You find them in the theaters, despite the Trump Administration's systematic efforts to attack labor unions.

Term of the Day: string-puller

string-puller--in some theaters or TV studio, the department head may not be the power. The string-puller may be an extra man who does the hiring or makes the policy decisions.

Term of the Day: straight from Central Casting

straight from Central Casting--when an actor or crew member conforms to a Broadway stereotype. "The new dancer was a Texas redhead straight from Central Casting." The Central Casting Bureau was an extras casting agency set up by the Hollywood studios in the 1920's as a resource to find extras and as a way to control them and their wages.

Term of the Day: stagehand rumor

stagehand rumor:(noun) a story or piece of gossip making the rounds in the Broadway Theater District that has been distorted by an extended game of telephone through many stagehand whispers and dosed with a certain amount of debt settling and character assassination. Often, the truth has been flayed alive and made into a wallet. "It is a stagehand rumor, so it might be 30 percent true."

Historic Theater Foods: special won-ton soup to go

special won-ton soup to go--whiskey in a take-out soup container. China Peace was a Chinese restaurant that ran for decades in Hell's Kitchen. It was at three different locations over time. Legendary stagehands and legendary drinkers would go there on matinee days. The owner was agreeable to fixing special "to-go" cups for his regular customers.

Expression of the Day: "Smile when you stick the knife in"

"Smile when you stick the knife in"--sometimes getting revenge can be BOTH business and pleasure.

Term of the Day: snot rocket

snot rocket--one actor's gross habit of holding one nostril and blowing out boogers onstage or in the wings.

Term of the Day: second banana

second banana--a comedian in a vaudeville or burlesque theater who plays a secondary role. An actor who plays a secondary role to the leading man. A sidekick. "Tony Roberts has had a brilliant career playing second bananas, to Woody Allen in 'Annie Hall' and Al Pacino in 'Serpico.'"

Term of the Day: punch her ticket

punch her ticket—to send somebody back to where they came from, like off-Broadway. “The hateful designer was unfit for Broadway. We punched her ticket and sent her back to the Public Theatre.” Train reference.

Term of the Day: balls in a jar

balls in a jar-- castration reference, possibly as a response to violent behavior or other serious trouble. "When the theater owners finally put his balls in a jar, the violent old carpenter stopped attacking his co-workers. He retreated to his office and stayed there, watching gun shows and screaming at the TV."

Term of the Day: black swan event

black swan event—an unpredictable event of great magnitude with ongoing, pervasive consequences. “The Broadway shutdown is a black swan event that could not be predicted. 

Term of the Night: to 86 someone

 to 86 someone--to throw someone out of a bar or from backstage. "Security 86-ed the drunk guest who was harassing the ingenue backstage." Excellent etymology on this term. Chumley's was an old speakeasy in Greenwich Village. When the cops would raid the place, the patrons would be hustled out the 86 Bedford Street entrance.

Term of the Night: caveman sledgehammer

caveman sledgehammer--a stage weight used as a sledgehammer, to bang a piece of scenery into place.

Term of the Night: Broadway shutdown

Broadway shutdown—the unnerving, open-ended shutdown of Broadway on March 12, 2020, due to the coronavirus.

Plague Term of the Day: Corona handshake

Corona handshake--bumping elbows and not shaking hands during the coronavirus pandemic.

Term of the Night: cup of rage

cup of rage-- how old stagehands whip themselves up into a a frenzy. "Before catching the 6:33 from Cold Spring into the city, the old carpenter would drink a cup of rage, so he was furious at the morning line up at 8am."

Overheard Stagehand Line #65: "My bar mitzvah was years ago..."

"My bar mitzvah was years ago...I'm too old to have a rabbi."

Term of the Day: bench carpenter

bench carpenter-- shop carpenter who builds scenery. bench partner--carpenter who shares your bench. Can be a relationship that goes on for many years.

Overheard Stagehand Line #64: "People on the street are saying horrible things..."

"People on the street are saying horrible things about you, and most of it's me."

Term of the Day: seasoning

seasoning-- putting an inexperienced and possibly cocky stagehand with an older stagehand to speed up acquisition of skills, to send a young stagehand on the road.

Overheard Stagehand Line #63: "Geniuses don't make good stagehands..."

Old Roadman: "Geniuses don't make good stagehands. They get bored easily and die young."

Term of the Day: three-quarter house

three-quarter house--a Broadway house outside the Broadway League contract, where the pay is lower, being 75 to 80 percent of the League contract.

Term of the Day: to claw back

to claw back--to take back work or money, usually breaking a promise.

Term of the Night: a Willy Nolan

a Willy Nolan--a small, heavy hammer. Named after the legendary, now-defunct scenic shop Nolan's, which was in the Local #1 jurisdiction.

Overheard Stagehand Dialogue #62: "...the assistant director"

Stagehand #1: "Did you hear the assistant director lost his shit when he saw a stagehand with white sneakers onstage in a blackout?"

Stagehand #2: "It's rough owing all that money to Yale. When he calms down, I hope he can get his head back up the director's ass."

Term of the Day: laundry job

laundry job-- producing a bad show to launder the money from a from a hit show, usually by the same producers.

Term of the Day: alley conversation

alley conversation--the Broadway alleys, where the deals are made, plots are hatched and business agents are called. "Hey be quiet, that's an alley conversation."

Term of the Day: roll 'em in the aisles

roll 'em in the aisles-- to make an audience laugh uncontrollably.

Term of the Day: flunky

flunky-- yes man (or woman), hanger on

term of the Day: bench partner

bench partner--in the scenic shop, the mechanic you share your workbench with.

Term of the Day: go apeshit

to go apeshit--to go crazy in an irrational way, over a little thing.  Possibly violent.

Term of the Day: all skate

all skate-- when numerous cast members are out and many or most understudies are thrown onstage. Skating rink term, when all patrons are allowed to skate.

Term of the Day: deep-seeded hatred of stagehands

deep-seeded hatred of stagehands-- an irrational rage and hatred of stagehands. "The genial PSM, known for his candy drawer, had a deep-seeded hatred of stagehands that popped up periodically. His jovial self was not to be trusted."

Term of the Day: Belasco blue dress

Belasco blue dress-- dress worn by a female character in every production at the Belasco Theatre. The Belasco Theatre was owned by the impresario David Belasco, who died in 1933. There are at least two ghosts in the theater. One is Belasco, who wears a tuxedo, and the other is the Woman in the Blue Dress, a showgirl who fell down the elevator shaft and died. To keep the ghost of the Woman in the Blue Dress happy, each new production's costume designer puts a blue dress in every show.

Term of the Day: All-Day Ray

All-Day Ray-- famous mechanic, now retired, who was known for working slowly and taking all day on projects, big or small. When sent to the alley to build things during the load ins, you wouldn't see Ray until the end of the day.

Expression of the Day: "He's not my fave"

"He's not my fave" --a subdued way of saying "I hate that guy."

Term of the Day: snark

snark--sarcasm, inappropriate sarcasm.

Term of the Day: uptight nice, uptight nasty

 uptight nice, uptight nasty-- two flavors of Broadway stage managers.

The San Francisco Animal Project

Dave Chisholm from San Francisco said that he and his fellow stagehands went
crazy collecting animal names for stage terms. Here is his list: 

Pig (Iron) = Theater weight 
Hog Trough = Two sticks of 1"x joined in a V-shape 
Seagull = Swoop in on someones gig (from catering) 
Chicken = Slack (San Francisco) 
Fox and Hound = Two part cable tester 
Rabbit, Turtle, Hare, Tortoise = Fast, slow (lift controls)
Duck = Opposite of "Heads Up" 
Clam = Bad musical note (Buddy Rich)
Albatross = Case with a bad caster (England)
Birdie = MR-16 based mini-par light 
Squid = Fan-out (audio) 
Yellow Jacket/Bumble Bee = Cable trough 
Dog = Cam 
Spider = Speaker part 
Spider Box = Movie electrics distro 
Sheep Shank = Hitch 
Snake = Multi channel audio cable
Fly = Where scenery is stored when not in use
Dog House = AC breakout box or mixing board cable protector
Dog and Pony = Routine show 
Cattle Call = Many workers/actors
Turkey = A particularly awful show
Mouse Off = Using bailing wire to secure a hook 
Fish = Pull cable through a narrow passage 
Squirrel Around = Thread cable through a tight area 
Monkey Push the Buttons = Learn to operate a piece of gear through trial and error 
Catwalk = Elevated walkway 
Hamster = Short wave radio operator (not a stage term but super funny) 
Honey Badger = To tear something apart without caring (OK, we stole that one from Randal) 
Branch-a-Loures.. (Really a Film term) Think Gobo. 
Animal = When we are over-performing. This could be either a positive or a negative observation.

Crap we made up:
Mice = Audio 'cause they squeak
Magpies = Props 'cause they hoard and distribute shiny things 
Owls = Video 'cause the peer intently into little screens
Wilde Beasts = Carps
Riggers = Flies
Monkey = Any Hand
Electricians = Visigoths (ACT)