Term of the Day--a dog show

a dog show--a doomed show put in a Broadway theater by ambitious producers. Dog shows are usually put in dog houses, which are Broadway theaters east of 7th Avenue.

Term of the Day: Cl-opening

Cl-opening--when a show opens and then posts notice on or around opening night.  "In 2008, at the Circle in the Square Theatre, the show 'Glory Days' posted notice on its Opening Night that they were closing. It was the rare Broadway phenomenon of the Cl-opening."

Term of the Day: Performative rage

performative rage-- when a tech or head can turn on rage and  a torrent of verbal abuse to cow an underling. Often, they turn this rage off, like flipping a switch, without any visible effect to themselves.

Expression of the Day: "If you don't have anything..."

 "If you don't have anything nice to say, sit next to me during break"--regarding the average stagehand's love of gossip.

Expression of the Day: the screwing is inevitable

the screwing is inevitable--when a stagehand has a reputation of always screwing people over. "I am glad you got a job on that show, but watch that head. The screwing is inevitable."

"When you become a head, your true personality comes out"

"She was the nicest contract electrician on Broadway. When she got a house head's job, her whole manner changed. She is now full of piss, rage and imaginary grievances. When you become a head, your true personality comes out." "Sometimes your personality remains the same...he was a douchebag contract carpenter who yelled at his men all the time. As a house head, he does the same."

Legendary Stagehands #3: Tommy A-Flat

Tommy A-Flat-stagehand who once fell into an orchestra pit, crushed a cello and survived with minor injuries. The nickname "Tommy A-Flat" stayed with him for the rest of his career

Expression of the Night: "Hostile work environments are like toxic mold"

"Hostile work environments are like toxic mold, very hard to get rid of. Even when the heads change, the abusive environment and traditions in certain theaters remain."

Term of the Day: second locationing

second locationing--when stagehands go to a second bar or an after party. A takeoff on a second location film crew and used as a verb. "Are we second locationing?" said one young stagehand to another, after the cast party was petering out, indicating more drinking was going to happen at another bar.

Term of the night: Theater of Lost Stagehands

  Theater of Lost Stagehands--music venue famed for hiring busted-valise stagehands.