Overheard Stagehand Line #52: "Nothing more sad than a failed power move"

Two extra stagehands tried to force their head to change his hiring practices. In response, the old head flayed them alive. There is nothing more sad than a failed power move.

Overhead Stagehand Line #53: Matching drinking problems

"I stopped hiring that guy. He and his wife have matching drinking problems. Trouble at work and trouble at home."

Term of the Night: scut work, scut job

scut work, scut job--tedious, dirty work, often given to the youngest stagehand on the crew. "The young stagehand was given the scut job of cleaning old adhesive off the ramp with a heat gun and a spackle knife.

Term of the Day: to flay him alive

to flay him alive-- to torture someone mercilessly, to whip the skin off their body. "That contract propman is a real pest, crossing departmental lines and breaking theater norms. I know a house propman who will flay him alive if that contract man winds up in his theater. I hope they meet." 

Term of the Night: to 'Beau' a stagehand

to 'Beau' a stagehand-- when a stagehand refuses to leave a job they are stiffing and for revenge by the head, he or she is stripped of all extras, including presets, rehearsals, work calls and special events. Term comes from an annoying stagehand named Beau, who refused to leave a mega-hit Broadway show when the original stagehand who held the position asked to come back. He kept the job for several years until the show moved to another theater, but never earned another extra penny.

Term of the Day: equity lights

equity lights-- work lights that stage managers are allowed to turn on during work-light rehearsals, by agreement with the house electrician. A work-light rehearsal is a rehearsal with no props, no use of scenery, just a bare stage. No stagehands are present.