Term of the Day: props and crafts

props and crafts--making paper goods for a show, tools required are limited to scissors and glue sticks. "Get me some crafty people for tomorrow...it is a day of props and crafts."

Term of the Day: paper

paper--comp tickets. ”They papered the house.” Standard practice during previews and when reviewers are in, but a very bad sign during a normal run. See: producers’ pep talk

Term of the Day: "paid by the hour"

"paid by the hour"--when a skilled stagehand's talents are wasted doing menial labor, like sorting garbage, it is a good thing to mutter, "I'm paid by the hour."

Term of the Day: (a) pair of shoes from the hall

(a) pair of shoes from the hall--ordering two stiffs from the union hall (brawn matters here, not skill) for a brutal day on the load-in or loadout.

Term of the Day: overhire

overhire--worker hired at a scenic shop during a busy season. Not a regular. "The overhires were let go after the Met shop finished building the new opera."

Term of the Day: kowtow

kowtow--to bow down, to show servile deference. From the Chinese.

Term of the Day: jump ship before it sinks

jump ship before it sinks--when the contract men and women on a show start leaving for other jobs as the ticket sales start going down.