Stagehand Line of the Day #58: "He's that odd combination of being a sociopath and..."

 "He's that odd combination of being both a sociopath and an ass-kisser. He works all the time."

Term of the Day: smash-and-grab theater

smash-and-grab theater-- a short-term, quick theater event, with people coming in mostly for the money. A reference to the brutal robbery technique of smashing the display window of a store and grabbing the valuables.

Term of the Day: stagehand karma

stagehand karma-- karma in a theater environment. The layperson's definition of karma is that a person's actions, good or bad, will have appropriate consequences, good or bad. Like the stagehand who stole my iPhone charger during a Broadway load-in, who got hit by a bus a week later outside MSG while talking on his phone off the curb.

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: money hose

money hose--when a call or a particular day becomes a cash bonanza, and it feels like money is being sprayed on the stagehands. "The memorial service was held on a national holiday and every stagehand got a buyout for a taping of a documentary. The day became a money hose."

Term of the Day: to kneecap someone

to kneecap someone--to intentionally cripple someone by breaking their knees, to interfere with someone's job so they can't do it. "By taking up large parts of the deck with his motor boxes, the house carpenter kneecapped me, so I couldn't do my own work."

Expression of the Day: there are lots of ears

there are lots of ears--the walls have ears...Be careful what you say in the theater, people are listening.

Expression of the Day: "Hmm, that is a bad tactical decision"

"Hmm, that is a bad tactical decision"-- a nice way of saying that is a fucked up way of fixing something, or that is a screwed-up choice.

Term of the Day: "I don't give fuck all"

"I don't give fuck all"--stock line by bitter, angry carpenter. Must be said with caustic rage at inappropriate times, barely covering his desperate fear of retirement.

Term of the Day: "Let me think about this for a few minutes"

"Let me think about this for a few minutes" -- code for "I'm going to the alley to call the business agent." When presented with an unsavory ask by the tech, say this to buy the time to go out to the alley to call the business agent.

Term of the Day: starting the day at 11

starting the day at 11--11 is the "Spinal Tap" reference to the loudest possible amp. ("This amp goes to 11."). It has been taken to mean operating at a high level of chaos or constant over-the-top behavior.