- Bowline

- Round turn and two half hitches

- Clove hitch

1:25

Large flat curtain /hard surface that  occupies the entire visible area behind the stage creating a backdrop. Can be made of cloth - muslin, 

- projection screen or scrim can be superimposed or embedded in the scene - so you have a combo of flats, 3-d scenery and projected images to create a scene

Production

Shares management of production department processes (lighting, sound, vision, staging). Has exclusive role of attending actor reheasals and marking up rehearsal space, also 'calls the show'

- operates fly pulley system 

- assemble set elements in the theatre 

- move / operate scenery, props 

- manage the venue, coordinate finishing hsow bump-out and arriving show's bump-in, schedules, dock, security...

Pre-production: Issue on the deck identified by a mechanist, he talks to his superviser, then ... hiercarchy...
Production during show communication - SM - ASM on other wing - crew - all are on comms: comm talk... 
SM "stand by stage crew cue 3..
Stage Crew: Standing by...
SM "Stage cue 3.. go

Hand tools also give users more control over the tool’s movement, which is ideal for wood carving and tasks that require finely detailed work.

Because hand tools require human power to run, they are always available for use. There is no need to worry about recharging batteries and power outages. These tools can be used any time.

With most manual tools being lighter in weight and more compact in size, they are also travel-friendly.

DRAWBACKS OF HAND TOOLS
The most obvious drawback to using manual tools is that they aren’t as powerful as their powered counterparts.

It also takes more time to complete tasks because of this lack of power. It can take two or three hits with a hammer to drive a nail into a piece of wood, but it takes just one squeeze of the trigger to drive a nail with a nail gun.

Hand tools are also less accurate than power tools because they require human power and don’t move at the same high speeds power tools move.

Greater power also means greater accuracy and time saved on projects. Power tools are usually more precise because they move quickly, and some have guides to make cutting more precise. More power also means that jobs get done far more quickly than they would with a manual tool.

Some power tools also handle tasks that are nearly impossible with manual tools. The jackhammer is a great example of this. Try driving nails or screws into concrete with a simple hammer. The powerful jackhammer can take care of this task with ease, which allows contractors to secure concrete anchors into walls to secure them to concrete floors.

In many cases, power tools (while dangerous themselves) are safer than manual tools. Cutting down a large tree with a manual saw takes longer and is far more dangerous than using a chainsaw.

THE DRAWBACKS OF POWER TOOLS
There aren’t many drawbacks to power tools, but the two main ones are: reliance on power and failing parts.

Power tools require a power source, which means they cannot be used if the power is out or batteries are depleted. These tools also have more mechanical parts, which means they are more prone to failure.

Ultimately, the decision of whether to use a power or hand tool will depend on the job and level of accuracy and power required.

The frame is the Proscenium; the wings are spaces on either side, extending off-stage. Scenery can surround the acting area on all sides except side towards audience, who watch the play through picture frame opening. "Backstage" is any space around the acting area which is out of sight of the audience.

Thrust theatre:
A Stage surrounded by audience on three sides. The Fourth side serves as the background.
In a typical modern arrangement: the stage is often a square or rectangular playing area, usually raised, surrounded by raked seating. Other shapes are possible; Shakespeare's Globe Theatre was a five-sided thrust stage.

End Stage:
A Thrust stage extended wall to wall, like a thrust stage with audience on just one side, i.e. the front.

"Backstage" is behind the background wall. There is no real wingspace to the sides, although there may be entrances located there. An example of a modern end stage is a music hall, where the background walls surround the playing space on three sides. Like a thrust stage, scenery serves primarily as background, rather than surrounding the acting space.

Arena Theatre:
A central stage surrounded by audience on all sides. The stage area is often raised to improve sightlines.

Flexible theatre:
Sometimes called a "Black Box" theatre, these stages are often big empty boxes painted black inside. Stage and seating not fixed. Instead, each can be altered to suit the needs of the play or the whim of the director.

Profile Theatres:
Often used in "found space" theatres, i.e. theatres made by converted from other spaces.
The Audience is often placed on risers to either side of the playing space, with little or no audience on either end of the "stage". Actors are staged in profile to the audience. It is often the most workable option for long, narrow spaces like "store fronts".
Scenically, a profile theatre is most like an arena stage; some staging as background is possible at ends, which are essentially sides. A non-theatrical form of the profile stage is a basketball arena, if no-one is seated behind the hoops.

Sports Arenas:
Sports arenas often serve as venues for Music Concerts. In form they resemble very large arena stage (more accurately the arena stage resembles a sports arena), but with a rectangular floorplan. When used for concert, a temporary stage area often is set up as an end stage at one end of the floor, and the rest of the floor and the stands become the audience. Arenas have their own terminology; see below.

The Proscenium is the defining element of proscenium theatre. It is basically a big picture frame dividing acting space from the audience. All directions on the stage is defined according to this division of the space by the proscenium.

Stage directions are given from the viewpoint of an actor standing center stage while facing the audience, Stage Left is the actors left, Stage Right to the actor's right. Downstage is towards the audience, Upstage is towards the back wall of the stage. The Plaster Line (PL) is a line running from the back of one side of the proscenium arch to the other proscenium. The Center Line (CL) runs upstage/downstage half way between prosceniums and perpendicular to the Plaster Line. The point where the Center Line and the Plaster Line intersect is sometimes referred to as the "zero-zero" point. The location of everything on stage is measured from this intersection.

Everything downstage of the Plaster line is called Front of House, or FOH. Occasionally it is also called "Ante-proscenium" which means "before the proscenium". Anything the audience can see on the stage is on-stage. Anything on the stage but out of the audience view is off-stage or backstage. Wings are the sides of the stage, and the Fly Loft or Scene House is the space above the stage. The floor is called the Deck.

The part of the stage located downstage of the Proscenium is called the Apron, or sometimes the Thrust. The Audience seating is the Auditorium or the House.

Stage directions: L,C,R,US, DS etc., Plaster and Center Lines:

The stage is usually set up as an End Stage, or occasionally in the center as an "Arena" Stage.

The Stage is usually set up at the Loading Dock end of the building for ease of setup. Opposite the stage is Front of House or FOH, sometimes called "Sound World", as the Mixing consoles are located here. Standard stage directions are usually used (Stage Right, Stage Left, Downstage, Upstage, etc.). The Monitor mixer often go SL in "Monitor World", and lighting dimmers go SR in "Dimmer Beach". The main floor at the Resch Center is designed as a hockey rink, and is surrounded by a protective wall called a Dasher, even during concerts. Seating is located on the main floor between the Stage and FOH, and also in the bleachers. Audience entrances from the concourses (lobby areas) into the seating bowl are called VOMs, short for "Vomitories", the old Roman name for such entrances.

Wing and drop: an old method, wings are legs painted like drops. To change the scene, one set of wings, drop, and border are flown out and another set flown in. This system is still common in opera and ballet.

Gripping: simplest way, just close the curtain and send the grips out to pick up set pieces and carry them off. Requires a certain amount of practice to do safely, so that the large set pieces don't upend while being moved.

Flying: Scenery is sometimes rigged to fly on battens like curtains. This can be too heavy a load for a single line set; two adjacent batten may be chained together or "married", with the counterweight for the load divided between them. Add weight evenly to both arbors until the load is balanced.

Flats are assembled into scenery using a variety of methods, depending on the nature of the show.

The simplest type of flat show involves using a single set for the whole show. Flats can be attached to each other for the duration of the run. For a straight wall, flats are connected using battens.
Battens: simply boards, 1x3 or 1x4. If the wall is not too large, lay the boards flat on the back of flats and screw battens to frame of the flats with drywall or utility screws.

For taller and/or heavier flats this is often not stiff enough.
Stiffener: To make battens stiffer, place on edge instead of flat, and hinge to flat frames. Alternate hinges on both sides of the batten so the batten doesn't fold over. Used this way,it is called a stiffener, and may be used horizontally or vertically as needed. Hinges used are backflap hinges, which have a larger surface flap than other types.

BOX SET: a set that wraps around playing area on three sides, resembles a box with one side removed. Naturally it uses corner joints.

When a corner is assembled to make a box set, the attachment used will vary with Angle.
*From 90 degrees to about 45 degrees, screws or nails can be used.
*If corner is flatter, screws or nails will likely split wood and not hold, and so hinges may be more successful.

The walls of a freestanding box set must be supported in some way. If there are sufficient corners, the set can hold itself up. Long flat walls must be supported some other way.

Two most common bracing devices: jacks and stage braces.

Traditional approach, somewhat uncommon now: specialized stage hardware used with #8 cotton sash cord to lash flats together.

Requires lash hardware:

To use, the flats are butted together, and the rope is flipped alternately around the lash cleats, then tied off over the stop cleat with a lash line tie-off knot that holds under pressure, but which can be quickly released to shift.

Alternate approaches:

Instead of lash hardware and rope, other methods commonly used today:

Two-fold and three-fold: two or three flats hinged together and folded for storage. Two flats folded is a "book flat". Three flats folded is a "three-fold". Because of the thickness of the middle flat, three-fold must be either Z-folded (not usually possible) or must be assembled with a tumbler or tumbling stile.

When book flats and three folds are opened, they can be stiffened several ways.

Traditional screw: cast iron screw with a coarse tapered thread. Pointed end is jammed into the floor and screwed in by hand. If the set is moved, the screw can be reinserted into the existing hole when the set is placed again. If this happens too many times will strip out hole and a new hole will have to be set.

Improved stage screw: designed to overcome this problem. Has square threads which engage inside of threaded insert. Outside of insert has knife threads to engage the wooden floor.
To use, pilot hole is drilled into floor and the insert is screwed into floor, usually with a brace and a special screw bit. Stage screw then screws into insert.
Disadvantage: improved stage screw requires more effort to install,BUTCan be used almost indefinitely without stripping out floor.

Leaves a hole in floor when insert is removed, but this can be repaired with dowel and glue.

The hole from a traditional stage screw tends to close up when the screw is removed, as no wood is actually removed while installing.

Castors come in two forms: Swivel and Rigid.

Standard platform is 4' x 8' because of plywood size, often too small to be practical, so wagons and platforms are generally assembled into larger units.

Bolting with carriage bolts. 3/8" bolts most usual.

Roto-locks or coffin locks: used for road shows and when bottom is not accessible for assembly:

How to get castored wagons to go where you want them:
Wagons may be gripped, pushed on with push poles, slid in tracks.

Gripping: grabbing the wagon and moving it manually. Best accomplished behind closed curtains.

"A Vista" shifts (in sight of the audience) require somewhat trickier techniques.

Push poles: simple and effective, attach push pole and shove platform out into view. Limited mostly by length of the pole; as a practical matter usually used to move platform out about 8 to 12 feet.
Works best for smaller platforms.

Larger platforms require more elaborate arrangements.

Tracked wagons use guides to make sure the wagon goes where you want it.

Knife slots.: slots in floor with metal bars or knives on wagon that fit into them. Requires a deck with slots cut into it; often involves installing a full deck over the regular stage floor.
May work better, but is much more expensive and more labor intensive to install.

Turntable: specialized platforms using rigid castors arranged in arcs around fixed pivot. Several scenes can be set up on them, then rotated into view in turn.

Turntables require some sort of drive to operate.

One aspect of wagons is making them NOT roll in use. This can be accomplished with:

Moving wagons:

Sometimes such wagons are operated by motors and winches using computer controlled automation at one extreme, and by manual operation at the other.

Slip stages: huge wagons taking up large parts of stage, which slide in from the wings or from upstage into position. Slip stages require similarly large offstage storage spaces.

Jackknife wagons: used where there isn't enough room for slip stages. Pivot in on one corner. Two may swing together to meet in the middle.

Turn tables: large round wagons that turn on a pivot. Two or three settings are set on the turntable, and the table is turned to reveal each in turn.

Part of Carpentry, involves own set of skills so is almost a separate department. The flys are run by the flymen, and under the control of the Head Flyman.

Systems come in several forms.

Earliest form: Rope/"hemp" system.

Borrowed from sailing ship industry, majority of terminology including the term "rigging" comes from sailing ships.

Pinrail
--Rope systems were borrowed from square rigged sailing ships, a wooden rail with holes for belaying pins provides tie-off points for the ropes.
Pin rails are usually double tiered.
The upper bar is used to tie off ropes when the battens are at high trim (flown out for storage). The lower bar used to tie off scenery at low trim (playing height).

Pin rail may be located at floor level or on a catwalk above floor; called the flyrail.

Today the main fly system is rarely a rope system; but rope systems are often included as an auxiliary system.
Rope systems are often used for temporary or custom rigging, as rope systems are easier to adapt than counterweight or winch systems.
Well equipped theatres often have a flyrail on both stage left and right.

Scene loft or fly space: the large open area located above stage; curtains and flown scenery are stored here when "flown out".

Gridiron, or Grid for short, on which are located the pulleys for the fly system.
Pulleys are also called Blocks, a naval term for pulleys on a ship, or Sheaves.
Blocks may sit directly on the grid with pulley (wheel) up, called Overhung, or be fastened above grid to the ceiling, pulley hanging down, called Underhung.

Often main loft blocks located on or above pairs of heavy support beams with a gap between, called loft block wells.
A floor made of channel irons or bar grating (subway grating) fills the area between.
The Grid can supporting lightweight temporary rigs, called spot lines.

Grid may be made of channel iron or of bar grating or similar lightweight metal grate; old theatres the grid and beams were of wood.

In some theatres built on the cheap the grid dispensed with, and the rigging is underhung from the ceiling beams.
Lack of a Grid makes maintenance difficult and temporary rigging almost impossible.

Head blocks: located above the rigging rail, is a set of loft blocks where the multiple lines rising from the rail spread out over the grid to individual loft blocks.
Head blocks usually multiple-wheel blocks, i.e. a single block with several grooves or pulleys, or may be a set of individual pulleys used in association. Last scheme occasionally found in older hemp houses, but is rarely used today.

Headblock well: massive I-beams designed to resist both vertical and horizontal loads.
Pull on the headblock well consists of ALL the weight on the fly system both down to the rail and across the grid sideways to the loft blocks.
If not accounted for, sideways pull can bend headblock well open, causing headblocks to collapse down the well.

Traditional material for rope systems was manila hemp rope, usually 1/2" or larger.
Replaced by polyester double-braid rope; stronger, stretches less, reacts less to humidity, rot proof, no slivers.

Weight of scenery, curtains, lighting on battens can be tremendous; needs counterweight.
  
On rope system, counterweight is supplied using sand bags, which are secured to the purchase lines with a "clew", either a cast iron clew or wire rope loop called a "sunday".

Sandbags come in standard increments, e.g. 10, 25, 50, and 100 lb. when filled with dry sand.
The weight of the sandbags must be slightly less than the load on the batten but must be nearly weight of load so the flyman can control easily and safely.

At trim, the load is held in place by tying the lines to pinrail.
Sunday is placed just below the headblock when batten is in.
Note: a batten can never fly out higher than the distance between the clew and the pinrail when the batten is in.

The arbor is kept in line of travel either by "shoes" engaging a T-track, or by guide wires. The first is called a T-track system and the latter a Wire guide system.

Metal counterweights are placed on bars of the arbor to balance load.
This weight ideally should exactly balance load on the batten so that the endless purchase line can pull the arbor both up and down.

Pipe weight: part of load representing weight of the empty batten; pipe weight should be left on the arbor when the load and its counterweight is removed.

Trim chains: chain lengths attached to the batten end of lift lines in a counterweight set. Pipe battens at trimmed to level by adjusting these chains.

Counterweights are usually iron or steel, cast or flame cut from heavy plate.

Counterweights are often referred to as "bricks" or as "pigs" (short for pig irons).
Weights come in semi-standard sizes, e.g. 10, 20, 30, and 50 lbs.
Cast weights usually made to an actual weight. Cut weights may be uneven size, such as 26 or 38 lb., since they are often made to an even dimension rather than an even weight from a standard thickness of plate.

The Single purchase simpler, more common.
The arbor/purchase line travels between floor and ceiling; arbor travels one foot for every foot the batten travels, must put the same amount of weight on the arbor as the load weighs.

Everything, travel and weight is in 1:1 relationship.

The main drawback: one entire wall must be dedicated to the system; full floor to ceiling travel of batten requires full floor to ceiling travel of the arbor. The system doesn't work well from a fly rail, as pipe is at mid-travel when arbor is at rail.

Double purchase system: similar to reversed double pull block and tackle.

In Block & tackle, rope doubles back through a floating pulley: 2 feet of rope is pulled for every 1 foot of rise of load, but your need only pull half as hard. The load is twice the weight of the pull, and moves only half as far.

A double purchase system is similar, except that the load is on pull side, and arbor on the load side.
The Arbor moves only one foot for every two feet of batten travel; can therefore be run from a flyrail located halfway to the ceiling, and still allow the pipe to come in to the floor.

The major drawbacks: double purchase needs twice as much counterweight on arbor as there is on the batten (2 x the weight, 1/2 the travel).

Loaders typically must handle larger weights.
A single purchase "single" brick typically weights 20-25 lbs.; for double purchase a "single" brick weighs 40-50 lb., and a "half" brick weighs 20 lbs., the same as a single purchase "full" brick.

Double purchase systems cost more, are more complicated to use and maintain, and must have twice as much weight on hand for a full compliment (weighs are naturally sold by the pound, or ton).
Also, flymen can't double as deck hands because they are on a catwalk overhead.

Another place double purchase can be useful is where the side walls are lower than overhead grid, as with a grid located partway up a gable.
A single purchase would not allow full travel floor to grid, but double purchase with "muled" headblocks and loading rail halfway to the ceiling would allow full travel of the batten.

Proper procedure for loading battens should ALWAYS be followed when remotely possible.

To unload, reverse the procedure:

Primary advantages: can be run remote control by single operator. Using a control console, the operator can select and run several line sets at once.
Some forms of winches can handle far heavier loads than could be operated manually.

Drawbacks: more expensive per lineset than other systems.
More complex than other systems and so need more frequent maintenance.
Lack "feel", operator is disconnected from the piece being run and has no direct sense of when trouble is happening. On a counterweight or rope system, you can FEEL when lineset fouls or hits something. First indication on winch may be when something breaks.

BUT, for very large loads (electrics bridges and moveable ceilings) winches can be superior.

Winch systems come in several forms.

Chain motor rig:
A form of almost-synchronous winch system commonly used for show rigging. This system consist of industrial chain hoists, typically one or two-ton models, rigged to run inverted and used in sets to lift trusses or other loads.
For most industrial purposes. chain motors are designed to be hung overhead, and the chain is lowered for the load.
In theatrical use, chain motors are attached to load, and the chain hook is attached to ceiling. Thus in theatrical parlance, a motor hung chain-up is considered "normal" and a motor hung with chain-down is considered "inverted", which is the opposite of other industies

Initially, a theatrical chain hoist was a standard motor with contactor inverted to prevent gravity from closing the contactor accidentally. Care had to be taken so a motor was only in the proper orientation. Modern hoists have contactors that work dependably either way, chain-up or chain-down.

These motors are fairly consistent in speed over their entire load range, and are single speed only. They are NOT identical, but they can work for theatre because:
a) they are set up and taken down regularly so that the accumulated errors don't add up.
b) they can be run both individually and together, so that single motors can be adjusted to line up with the others.

Disadvantages; chain motors get out of synch quickly, are noisy and slow. Speed is somewhat sensitive to load,
-BUT-
Chain hoists allow you to fly heavy loads (in multiples of a ton) with a system that can be quickly set up anywhere the overhead can support the load and accommodate the chain attachment points, including outdoors with a ground supported roof trussing.

Large single motor and shaft which raises all the lift lines on a batten or truss.

Used for most motorized lighting bridges, a form of truss work specifically intended for supporting permanent electrics and sometimes including a catwalk for focusing. It is also used to lift the large lineal loads.
System is big, heavy, noisy, and slow, and runs at one speed only, BUT it allows the safe movement and support of heavy loads without the need for counter weighting.

Automated Rigging System:
The most modern rigging system is the Automated Rigging System. This uses a single winch with a short drive shaft for each line set. The shaft holds a series of cable drums. Each drum has an associated pulley which directs a lift line to the loft blocks. The motors are powerful enough to lift the loads without counterweight being necessary. Motors may be single-speed or variable speed.

What makes the system "automated" is that the motors are computer controlled. The control computer can control all the winches in the system, and control signals of the system can be recorded as cues.

The great advantages to automated systems are that no counterweights are required, and that rigging shifts can be recorded and played back on cue exactly the same each time.
Biggest drawbacks: are expense, and a dependence on automated safety systems. The human operator is removed from the load path, and so limit switches and load detection system are required to sense a problem and stop the load before injury or damage can happen. Proper and regular maintainence are absolutely required to keep the system operating safely.

Special purpose temporary rigging sets, usually with one lift line holding a single object, such as a chandelier. A loft block is placed in position and a line dropped where needed.
Often rigged as cable picks (pickups to carry bundle of electric cables offstage).
May be rigged for line sets in out of ordinary positions, as for battens run diagonally across the stage.
Spotlines are typically rigged using rope system rigging, but can be set up with chain motors, winches or counterweight arbors.

Curtains: a cloth that fills the stage opening. Generally opaque, usually in dark or subdued colors, made from heavy cloth. The best are made from velour, as this fabric is best at light absorption and has the lowest reflection. Curtains are usually hung with fullness, or pleating. Pleating may be sewn in, or created by hanging a long curtain on a shorter pipe, with the fullness tied in. 50% fullness if common, meaning the curtain when stretched is half again as long as when tied on the batten.

Legs: narrow curtains used as masking at sides of stage to hide wings.

Tormentors: furthest downstage legs, the "torms". Used to reduce the size of the proscenium opening. Often hard, with a frame and hard subsurface beneath a velour covering.

Borders: short curtains used to mask the top of stage, to mask the loft.

Teaser: furthest downstage border also used to reshape proscenium opening. Torm is sometimes called the grand drape or the Valence.

Portal: a border and legs combined into a single piece with a large opening.

Velour- Best cloth for curtains, a dull finished knapped fabric, really a form of velvet. Best at light and sound absorption and blocking, but also heaviest most expensive fabric for curtains.

Duvetine- lighter, cheaper substitute, a heavy fabric with brushed rather than woven knap. Looks almost like velour and weighs less, but doesn't work as well.

Corduroy- another substitute for velour, also cheaper and lighter weight; works well if it has a thin wale. However, the wales give it a definite directionality.

Guillotine curtain: flies straight up and down. One of the most common curtain riggings.

Travelers or draw curtains: split in the middle into two panels and pulled open and shut on tracks, generally with an "endless" operating line. Usually hand operated, but may be run with a winch, especially with remote control systems.

Braille curtain, or Austrian drape: a curtain raised from the bottom using vertical parallel lift lines.

Tab or Tableau curtains, also known as Opera drapes: two overlapping panels pulled upward and outward on the diagonal. Main drape travelers are sometimes also rigged with opera draping built in for alternate use.

Contour or profile curtains, also known as Venetian drapes: rigged similarly to braille curtains, but can be raised in various configurations because each lift line can be individually adjusted.

Fullness is expressed in percentage of fabric folded back on itself, or how much longer material is than pipe length it takes up. Therefore: a curtain half again as long as the pipe it is hung on with the excess distributed as gathers or pleats, has 50% fullness. If it is twice the length of its batten, it has 100% fullness.

Fullness can be sewn in using any desired pleating system.
Gather
Z-fold
Box

Sewn fullness easier to put up, only need to stretch the top out and tie to batten. Also, works well with traveller system; top can be pulled flat by the carriers but the fullness will stay evenly distributed.

However, if fullness is sewn in, can't hang piece without fullness.

An alternative: use tied fullness. In this system, curtains are sewn flat but made longer than pipe. Piece is tied on with gathers.

Tied in fullness will not work well with travellers, as the carriers pull the fullness out as they extend. You CAN tie a sort of pinched pleat in by tieing two grommets to each carrier, but that is all, an it doesn't work as well as a sewn fullness.

Cycloramas or cycs: large scrims used for simulating sky. Rigged far upstage, often on curved pipes to wrap around back of the scene. Usually hung with a Bounce, a white canvas curtain just upstage of the scrim cyc. The cyc gives effect of distance and the bounce gives opacity.

Transparency: scrims "painted" with dyes to create a drop that is opaque and visible when front lit but which disappears to reveal a scene behind when back lit.

Drops, or backdrops: large pieces of canvas which are painted to be scenery. To look natural as possible, must be stretched to get rid of wrinkles. Simplest way to do this is to sew a long tube called a pipe pocket into the bottom edge of the drop and insert a water pipe for weight. Wooden battens sandwiching the drop, or chain in a chain pocket are also used.

Full drop: a solid piece of canvas, usually as large as the stage picture.

Cut drop: a drop with holes cut into it for scenic effect. Often used for foliage drops, with leaf shapes cut into the edge and through the drop. Cut drops are often made using netting to hold the irregular edges and shapes of the cuttings in position.

Roll drop: a method of rigging full drops in a theatre without a fly loft. The drop is tied to the batten above. The bottom is fastened to a round tube 4 to 6 inches in diameter. The ends of the tube sticks out beyond both ends of the drop by several feet. Ropes are wrapped around each end of the tube in opposite direction from the curtain wrap. When the ropes are pulled up, they upwrap from the tube and cause the drop to wrap around the tube, When the drop is let in, the ropes wrap up around the tube as the curtain unwraps. The tubes were once made of wooden strips, but today are usually plastic or aluminum tubing. Cardboard rug cores also work for smaller drops.

Tripped drops: Another method of flying out a long drop in a short fly house. Lift lines are attached to the bottom pipe (or to a pipe in a special pocket one-third of the way up the drop) and are raised to lift the bottom of the drop out of sight.

Natural fiber; Made from plants, easily made by hand, but affected by moisture and humidity, and rots easily. Best available is manila. Weakest is cotton.

Synthetics:
Have mostly replaced natural fibers, much stronger, doesn't rot from moisture.

Construction of rope:

Twisted, most commonly used for traditional natural fibers that take a set.

Typical pattern: 3-strand lay. Four stand also possible.

Braided, most common for softer fibers that don't take a set well, cotton and most synthetics. Multiple strands braided into BRAIDS.

Three typical patterns:

Hollow braid: is left unfilled; very flexible rope. Very easy to splice or to pass a fid through without damage. Ex. water skiing rope.

Kernmantle ropes: Braided rope around a core material.

*Kern is Austrian for core.

*Mantle for sheath.Two forms of kernmantle:

Single-braid: braided mantle around a core of parallel fibers. Core may just be filler, but often adds greatly to strength of rope, depending on material used.Most common construction for synthetics. Subject to some "milking" depending on stretch of core vs. mantle.Most common general-purpose synthetic rope.Double braid: literally, a braided mantle around a braided core, a rope within a rope.

* Often found in climbing rope.

* More abrasion resistant than other constructions, core is protected by hard-braided mantle.Often stiffer than single braid, harder hand, great tendency to "milk"

The standard theatrical unit has long been the flat. This is an open frame covered with a lightweight material. Traditionally, frames were wood and were covered with painted fabric to represent walls. More recently, frames have been made of metal tubing and coverings have been thin plywood.

Standard flat:

The standard flat, also referred to as a "theatre" or "Broadway" flat, is a wooden framework made of 1x3 or 1x4 pine. The frame pieces are laid flat to the surface of the unit, and assembled using butt joints held together with corner blocks and keystones (pre-cut 1/4 ply gussets). The covering is canvas or muslin, glues to the frame.

Corner blocks: made of 1/4" fir plywood. These are the mechanical fasteners that hold the frame together. Corner blocks are generally right triangles 10"x10". The surface grain should be across the joint at perpendicular or diagonal, NOT parallel to it.

Keystones are either rectangular or "keystone" shaped. The keystone shape is slightly stronger but takes longer to make. The keystone would be about 3 1/2"x7"x2 1/2". The rectangular strap would be about 2 1/2 to 3"x7".

Corner blocks and keystones are secured using an 11 nail/screw pattern for cornerblocks, and a seven to 10 nail/screw pattern depending on fastener and usage.

Once the standard fastener was the clout nail, a soft iron nail that clinched itself when nailed into a metal plate. Now standard fasteners are either pneumatic staples and glue, or 3/4" screws. Screws are quick and allow easy disassembly. Staples by themselves are not strong enough, but with glue are very fast and permanent.

Once the frame is built, it is covered with muslin or canvas. The canvas is layed on the frame smoothly but not tightly. It is then stapled to the frame along the inside edge about every 6-8". The fabric flaps are folded back and a slightly thinned layer of white glue is painted on the frame. Fold the flaps back and go over it with a wet sponge or paintbrush.

After the glue is dry, trim the excess and size the flat with size water or a coat of paint to tighten the cover.

Construction is simpler than a Broadway flat. The frame is simply nailed together like a box, and the surface nailed, stapled or screwed on. It doesn't need corner blocks, as the cover will stabilize it.

Each style has its advantages and disadvantages.
Broadway flats, when covered with canvas, are much lighter than a similar size Hollywood. One person can handle a flat. They are also somewhat cheaper in materials too, as canvas is cheaper per square foot that plywood. Canvas also gives a very good painting surface without obvious grain to fight. Since they only take about an inch to store, you can store a number in a fairly thin space. Broadway flats are easy to assemble into corners, as they can be nailed, screwed or lashed.

However

Canvas flats are less rigid, so they require stiffeners and bracing to support walls of them, and the canvas can flap if the flat is bumped or a door in the wall is slammed. They take longer to build, and are fussier to construct. It is easy to get them out of square.

Hollywoods are easier to get square, somewhat easier to build, and don't flop in the breeze. They are easy to join together, can be clamped or screwed together. They are easy to paint, as you can use as roller instead of a brush.

However

Corners are more difficult; you may have to use hinges on inside corners, or even build fillers on some outside corners. You have to pay some attention to the seams in the plywood, which otherwise show every 4 x 8 feet.

Platforms are the most common units for adjusting elevations. There are two types, the rigid platform, which is usually just called a platform, and the parallel, which is a platform with a removable top and a folding frame.

The tops of platforms are, naturally, usually made of plywood. 3/4" is the usual thickness, but 5/8" is sometimes preferred for a small weight savings. A theatre should stick to one or the other, though, so that platforms with the same length legs will be the same height. Because plywood come in standard 4x8 ft., platforms are usually made in 4x8 units, or in some even division thereof.

Rigid platforms are usually made with frames of tubular metal, or of lumber. Each material has advantages and disadvantages. 2x4s are very commonly used. The wood is readily available, cheap and can be assembled with a variety of fasteners. The finished platform is 4 1/4" thick. Construction grade lumber is sufficient, although #2 is better. As disadvantages, 2x4 platforms must almost always be legged when used. The lowest level difference usually used is 6 inches, so even the bottom step of a stack of platforms needs legs to come up to six inches. 2x4 platforms must also be faced with 1/4 ply to give a smooth face, even on the bottom level.

1x6 platforms are another alternative. 1x6 weighs about a quarter less than 2x4, but is almost identical in strength. It does not have to be legged or faced when used for a 6" ride. When legged, it offers a longer diagonal for the bolts. On the minus side, 1x6 costs more, and you need to use a better quality board than for 2x4, adding further to the expense. #2 is the minimum, and Select is better. Each platform unit takes more space to store, being thicker. 1x6 also splits easier, so more care must be taken with choice and placement of fasteners when assembling. This greater chance of splitting tends to negate the longer bolt diagonal of legs, so you need as much bracing as 2x4 platforms.

Strongest are platforms with tubular steel or aluminum for the frame. They require a qualified welder to build properly, but are most durable, esp. for a road tour. They are more difficult to leg.

Simple bolted leg: A leg, usually of 2x4, is cut to the desired height minus the thickness of the platform lid. It is then placed inside the platform corner and two bolt holes are drilled through with holes placed diagonal to each other. The best bolt for this is the 3/8" Carriage bolt, usually about 1/2" longer than the platform and leg thickness combined.

This system is simple and direct, and reasonably strong. However, the weight is carried only on the bolts and bolt holes, and if there are not enough legs or too much weight, the platform frame may split or the bolts might shift, causing the weight to be borne against the lid. This can cause the lid to pop.

Compression or step legs: For these, legs of the same thickness as the sides are cut to the height desired minus the overall thickness of the platform lid and sides. Then a bolt plate of 1x stock is laminated to the leg with screws and/or glue. This plate extends past the leg to the thickness of the platform frame minus about 1/4" or so. The extension plate can be the full length of the leg for a little extra strength, or can be applied to the top foot and a half or so of a long leg to save material. Compression legs are stronger than simple legs; the weight of platform bears directly onto leg in compression, rather than by the bolt holes in sheer, so much more wood bears the weight. The sides won't split and the lid never carries the load. Since the bolts are not load bearing, they can be smaller, 1/4" rather than 3/8". Often flathead bolts are used rather than carriage bolts, so even the slight bump of a carriage bolt head is avoided.

Trestles are another useful system, especially where large raise decks will be used. Also called Knee walls, these are built like stud walls of a house, with top and bottom plates and vertical "stud" legs on two to four foot centers. The stud frame overall is the height of the deck minus the thickness of the platforms. The trestles are set in place and platforms are set on top of and secured to the top plates of the trestles. Trestles are placed on two to four foot centers, and may run under several platform units. Essentially it is a decking system rather than individually legged platforms fastened together.

Trestles may be built as stock and stored for future use. Trestles are a little slower to built, and bulky to store, but allow extremely fast assembly of large decks once the trestles are built.

Trestles are very common as legs for metal framed platforms.

Parallels come in two flavors, standard and continental.

The standard parallel is made with full-length side frames, and one-piece end and center frames. The frames are hinged together so that the frame folds like a big parallelogram. .

Standard parallels can be almost any size so long as the ends and sides are parallel. It can be square, rectilinear, or even a skewed parallelogram. It requires fewer parts than an equivalent continental parallel. A folded standard parallel when folded is the combined length of one long side and one short end..

The other flavor of parallel is the continental parallel The ends and center frames are made of two identical individual frames, each half the size of the overall width. Combined, two of these equal one end or middle gate of the American style. The biggest advantage of continental parallels is that the frame when folded is the same length as the opened platform.

There are more restrictions on the size of continental parallels. The ends cannot be longer than 1/2 the length of the sides. Otherwise, the frames when folded run into each other and the frame cannot fold completely.

A word about platform lids. The tops of platforms and parallels are usually made of 3/4 plywood. CDX is usually sufficient, although occasionally AC or BC may be used instead if appearance matters. You can get away with 5/8" plywood for a small weight reduction, but don't go any lower, or the platform will be bouncy.

Also, when legging platforms, your legs should probably be no more than 4 ft. apart if possible. A platform may supported just at the corners, but it will be bouncy; also if the load becomes too great, or there is dancing in it (synchronized dynamic loading), or if the side board has a knot in the middle, it can break. Placing the legs four feet apart will cure those problems.

Stairs consist of several parts. The tread is the part that you walk on. The carriages are the sides of the staircase that support the treads. Risers are the boards that close in the front of each tread. Stringers are similar to carriages, but support the center of the treads. Carriages come is two forms. The open carriage is often used on stage and look like a stairway from the side. The rise and tread surfaces are cut into the carriage boards, and the treads and risers are fastened to the cut surfaces. It is important to remember that the carriage is only as strong as the part of the board that is left uncut. For this reason it is common to use 12" nom. lumber for carriages as this leaves the maximum board left after the steps are cut out.

The other type of carriage is the closed carriage. The whole width of the board is left after the stairs is built. Treads are supported either by dadoing grooves into the carriages (the system used from finer stairs in houses), or they may be attached to wooden or metal cleats nailed to the carriages. Be careful not to use drywall screws to attach cleats. They break in shear, and may fail when someone runs down the stairs. In houses, cleated closed carriages may be found in basement stairways. In theatre they are common for escape stairs, which are used to get off a set backstage.

Open carriage stairs may be made with lumber, which will have to be supported somehow but which take less space in storage, or they may be built with plywood sides which are self supporting, but which take a lot more room to store.

There are two general ways to describe stairs according to their support: independent and dependant.

Independent stairs are stairs that hold themselves up. If they are plywood stairs, the sides go all the way to the ground and also close in the space under the stairs. If they are board sided stairs, they can be legged like a platform with standard legs. The stairway would need to be closed underneath separately. Independent stairs put no stress on the platform they are beside, but they are bulky to move and store.

Dependant stairs need the unit they are against to hold them up. This can be done by bolting the stairs to the platform or platform legs, or using a support board is nailed to the adjacent platform, to which the stairs are hooked. Dependant stairs are not self-supporting but take less room to store.

The legs on stairs can also be made to fold if a single bolt is used or if a flat type frame is used to hold the top of the staircase up. Be sure to use sold bracing to support the legs to they done collapse.

Production Manager- producer's right hand, handles all financial matters.

Stage Manager- in charge of back stage operations and liaison between the various elements of the production. Calls the cues.

Designers- design the portion of the production for which they are responsible and oversee execution of their designs.

Technical Director- Supervises and coordinates the various technical areas. House TD looks after the venue facilities.

Steward- In charge of local Union crew. Keeps track of the crew and hours worked, assigns crew to departments, handles employer/employee problems, sees that work rules are followed.

Head Carpenter- supervises all carpenters, on stage and in shop. Usually in overall charge of backstage area & crew.

Carpenters- term covering construction and running crew who construct and handle scenery
and the deck itself.

Flys- carps who handle anything flown overhead.

Riggers- flymen who install the fly system itself or portions thereof.

Grips- carpenters who handle scenery on stage, the deck crew.

Head Electrician- supervises electricians in preparing, installing and operating anything electrical.

Electricians - term covering installation and running crew who handle electrical equip.

Sound- electricians who install and operate electrically operated sound effects and reenforcement.

Follow spot operators- run follow spots during productions.

Properties Head- supervises props crew.

Props- term covering construction and running crew who handle hand props, set dressing, furniture, floor coverings, and set up the orchestra pit.

Personal props are props worn or carried by a particular actor and issued to him rather than stored on the prop table.

Set props include most obviously furniture. These are objects that add to the look of the setting, with which the actor interacts.

Set dressing consists of similar items, but which the actor doesn't usually handle. Some set dressings are "practicals", props like lamps or chandeliers that perform on stage as they do in real life. Trim props are a type of set dressing that hang on the walls, such as pictures, window dressing and curtains, and so on.

Also included in set dressing is anything on the floor. In the days when ground cloths were common, they were part of the properties department. Ground clothes are canvas drops painted to be floor. They were laid by starting down center, then were stretched out and back and secured with carpet tacks. Today props still includes rugs, carpets, and other floor coverings, but doesn't generally include a hard deck.

Greens are any plant, live or artificial.

Mechanical special effects are part of the prop department. That basically means any special effect that is not plugged in to operate. If a pull pin or a string operates a trick, it is a prop, but if an electric solenoid trips it, it is under electrics. Mechanical noise makers are props, but taped sound effects are electrics, and so on.

Atmospherics includes fogs, smokes, snow, etc.

Fogs are made using cryogenic (very cold) materials, which must be handled carefully to prevent injury.

Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide. It produces a ground fog effect when dropped into hot water, or hot water is poured on it. Dry ice usually comes in blocks, and must be broken up before it is put into the dry-ice fogger.

To handle dry ice safely, you must use proper precautions. Never handle dry ice with bare skin; wear gloves. Use safety goggles when breaking up blocks to keep chips out of the eyes. To break a block up, first wrap it in a blanket to contain the chips, then break it into golf-ball size pieces with a hammer. Avoid contact with metal; the ice chunk will "scream" or "sing". Don't break the dry ice into powder, or it will "burst" into fog almost explosively!

Liquid nitrogen is also used to make fog by releasing slowly from its storage flask, where it condenses water vapor in the air. Keep clear of the valve and nozzle, as the escaping vapor is extremely cold and can freeze bare skin.

Smokes and hazes are usually made with glycol-based smoke machines. The nozzle gets very hot, and should not be touched. Be sure to use ONLY "fog" juice from the same manufacturer in a smoke machine. Each brand is different, and will not work properly or safely if mis-matched with a machine it was not designed for.

A snow effect can be done several ways. One is the snow cradle. The cradle is a long piece of muslin with slits cut in it at intervals of several inches and fastened as a trough between two battens on the fly system. Ground polyethylene or sometimes confetti is placed in the cradle, and when the batten is rocked up & down, the "snow" will sprinkle through the slits in the cradle.

Snow can also be made with commercial "snow" machines that spray out fine suds which fall like snow but which disappear with almost no residue.

Breakaways are props designed to break on cue. They may be made of brittle material, or be pre-broken and lightly glued back together with hot-melt glue, so as to break again easily.

Hot melt glue is a rubbery glue with a low melting point. It is useful for emergency repairs as it sets in less than a minute, but it is not very strong.

Setting the orchestra pit for a musical.

Setting stands & chairs for an orchestra concert.

Placing a piano for a recital. Once placed, the lid should be raised and the finish polished to remove smudges.

Placing the lectern for a speaker. A pitcher of water and a glass should be placed nearby for the speaker to use.

Laying and taping dance floor.

Sweeping the floor before and after load-in and mopping the stage floor before each performance. Options for mopping include a traditional string mop, or a "French" mop, consisting of a damp or wet towel wrapped around the head of a push broom. French mopping is less likely to leave visible swirls and is often preferred for dance floors and smooth, untextured floors.

Getting the coffee & donuts before morning break!

The most common means of doing this is to use one or several props tables. A props table is simply a large table in the wings where props are laid out for use. Usually the table is covered with heavy paper which is divided into sections for each prop, appropriately labeled. The props are often outlined to make their proper place obvious. It is then quite simple to look over the table to see if anything is missing.

Seeing that props are in place on the props tables are the responsibility of both the props running crew and the actor who uses the prop. The crew should do preshow check AND each actor should check his own personal props before the show. Ideally props should always be in their place on the table when not in use. The actor will pick them up before an entrance and should replace props on the table when they exit.

Other options for show props:

Prop shelves and prop crates, are especially useful for travelling shows. These are usually not as easy to set up, and may be harder to check than tables, but they make setup and tear down very efficient.

The key to any system is that there BE a system and that it be easy to check and maintain so that props are always available when needed.

The task of dresser involves more than just assisting the actor. A dresser must be constantly alert, organized and prepared for anything. Items and personnel can change from show to show. The dresser must deal with personalities, some of these are very difficult, but at all times the emphasis must be on making sure the actor can do his or her job. Wardrobe ALSO includes Stitchers, Beaders, Makeup, and the subsidiary department of Wigs and Hair. Yet in this Local, stagehands are expected to be able to serve as Wardrobe crew, just as Wardrobe members are expected to be stage crew as needed. Each area calls on the other within the Local before going out side to fill a call.

On a call, the Wardrobe Department is under the Job Steward like everyone else, but since they are usually working away from the stage area, in practice the department reports to the Wardrobe Department head upon arriving. Like other areas, the crew should arrive early enough to be checked in, coat put away, and ready to go by 5 minutes before call time. They should be dressed in dark clothing, with sturdy shoes. Lots of time is spent standing and walking on concrete, which can be very tiring, and proper shoes are important.

Basic items wardrobe crew should always have with them are:

Throughout the entire In-Show-Out, the duties of a wardrobe person are basically THOSE ASSIGNED BY THE WARDROBE MASTER/MISTRESS. During Load-in they may include (but are NOT LIMITED to) machine laundry, hand laundry, steaming, ironing, unpacking gondolas, sorting and hanging clothes, delivering make-up cases, mending, minor costume construction, shopping for materials and supplies, spot cleaning, painting or polishing shoes, going to the dry cleaners or shoe repair shop, knitting, crocheting, brushing fake fur costumes, and setting up on stage quick change areas.

During the show they may include may include (but are NOT LIMITED to) preparing presets, helping actors with changes - fast and slow, helping actors in the dressing rooms and stage area, delivering costumes to another area where they will be needed, collecting "dead" costumes and laundry, carrying 'supplies' that an actor will need (water bottle, hand props, etc), collecting and returning things the actor(s) have finished using (costume pieces, hand props, etc.) emergency repairs of rips and broken zippers or snaps, etc., making notes of necessary repairs for day work, changing "character heads", setting costumes to dry for the next show, .... You will normally receive a cue sheet that will list the "regular dressing" duties of the track you have been assigned.

During load out they may include (but are NOT LIMITED to) packing gondolas, sorting and hanging clothes, packing shoe bags, packing show equipment (irons, ironing boards, steamers, sewing machines, etc.) delivering make-up cases, shoes, hats and other costume pieces for packing, collecting costumes and laundry, making notes of necessary repairs for the next city.

Dresser tracks: Many shows have cue sheets and very often each wardrobe person has his own. These are called "dresser tracks". If there are sheets, there are enough cues that you cannot possibly remember them all. Do not try to memorize them. Instead, check them constantly, even if you're sure you know what is coming up. These notes often are altered somewhat because of circumstances in this particular house, if a regular actor is out, etc, so carry a pen or pencil with you for the first preset and throughout the first show to jot down any verbal changes.

When handling any wardrobe pieces, there are two things to do EVERY SINGLE TIME.
First, if there are any names or numbers on the hanger, clothes, pieces and parts, check them to make sure everything matches. Check them when you hang them up, when you set them out in a preset and when you are doing laundry. Even if you have already checked them, double check them and then triple check them. You must be very diligent about this. This is not only to double check yourself, but very often other people will move wardrobe presets for WHATEVER reason, and you are responsible for making sure all presets are correct. Make sure shoes haven't been kicked out of place.

Many costumes have Pit pads. These are small crescent-shaped pieces of absorbent material which snap into the arm-pits of costumes. They help protect the costumes from damage from perspiration stains. They are removed and laundered separately from the costume. If your actor's costumes use them, you must snap them in place before the show and remove them for laundering afterwards.

Secondly, every time you pick up a piece, give it a quick look at zippers, buttons, snaps, hooks & eyes, (and anything special like skate covering hooks, etc.) to make sure there are no loose or broken items, hooks that are squeezed shut, etc. Check for holes, ripped seams/hems, etc. If it's before the show, determine whether or not the problem is all right to go on stage. If there's time get it fixed. If there's not time, make a mental note of it. When the actor is done with the piece, put a safety pin by the problem, take it to the wardrobe room and tell the road crew about it. They usually will have a notebook where you can write down the costume piece, its number and problem. Before the next show you MUST remember to go back to the wardrobe room, pick up your pieces and return them to their show positions.

A dresser's main job is to assist the actor in getting into and changing costumes. Often quick changes are required, these can present challenges. Wardrobe presets are costumes arranged to expedite a quick change. Presets most often will be placed on a chair or on a drop cloth and should not be touched. The wardrobe person sets out the clothes in the order that the actor needs to put them on (the first thing to be put on the top of the preset, the last thing to be put on at the bottom of the preset). The zippers, buttons, velcro, and other fasteners are open and ready to be picked up and put on by the actor.

For even quicker change, "underdress" may be employed. Underdress is when the actor wears one costume under another, so that he only needs to remove the outer one to be ready, an he is already wearing the next costume needed.

For almost any quick change a drop cloth may be useful. This is a large cloth placed on the floor where the quick change will happen off stage. It helps protect costumes from areas that may not be very clean or items that might damage the costumes. It is helpful in "keeping track" of small costume pieces like jewelry.

Getting an actor into a tight costume like a body suit can be tricky. Usually the actor will help you by arching her/his back. Firmly grip the costume at the bottom of the zipper and pull down. Gently pull the zipper tab up. You may be able to put your index finger behind the zipper tab and move up with the tab as an additional protection against catching skin in the zipper.

If the fabric gets caught in the zipper, care must be taken not to damage the costume (or the actor). Look at the fabric in the zipper. Will it likely do less harm to gently pull the zipper up and try to free the fabric, or will it be better to try to pull the zipper tab down and free the fabric that way? Choose the best option, being sure to guide the fabric out of the path of the zipper tab as you try to work the zipper free. You may have a better chance of freeing the material by gently pulling the tab one way and then gently the other, while trying to free the fabric. The trick is to work gently, but quickly and avoiding damaging the fabric -- if possible.

A dead costume is one that will not be used again in the current performance. It can be returned to the place it will be set for the next performance, (or taken to be cleaned or repaired, if needed). In the last performance of a run a dead costume can be prepared for packing for the load out.

Many shows have slow periods. You can bring a book or magazine along just in case, but don't bring busy work that has a lot of pieces and parts. But, do not assume it's all right to read. The road crew will tell you on the first show whether it's all right. If they don't mention it, DO NOT READ. Pay attention to your job.

Ditto about watching the show. Sometimes they will tell you when it might be all right and sometimes they will say don't do it at all. If you DO watch part of the show: keep constantly aware of where the backstage crew is and when actors are going to be coming offstage. There are cues you know nothing about that are probably coming up any second.

Also, talk as little as possible, and only in whispers. You often hear road crew talking, sometimes quite loudly. DO NOT TAKE THIS A LICENSE TO DO SO YOURSELF.

Go very lightly on makeup if you wear any at all. There is too much chance of things rubbing off onto costumes. You are in close personal contact with sweaty, naked bodies. EVERYONE is concerned about transmitting whatever these days. Wash your hands frequently, both for your sake and the actors'.

Occasionally, there are shows where the people you dress will tip you. This is acceptable, but its not standard practice. Don't expect it, but be happy if it happens!

A "continuity" call is normally a one hour call between a matinee and an evening show. This amount of time is all that is available to prepare the costumes for the second show of the day. This call allows wardrobe personnel to put out clean laundry, perform emergency repairs, prepare or preset costumes into their preshow location and a chance to iron or steam the most important costumes for the next show. This is the only "acceptable" call that is less than the house "minimum".

Usually one person is made responsible for doing the laundry, but each dresser is often responsible for ironing his or her actor's costumes. The wardrobe head will usually give you any special instructions. Otherwise, use common sense and iron the costumes with the appropriate heat settings. Above all, do not use too hot an iron, or you could damage a very expensive costume.

If you must iron a man's collared (dress) shirt, there is a trick to it.
The clue here is to think "from small to large".

There are other tricks that are useful when ironing special shirts like ruffled front tux shirts. The wardrobe journeymen will be glad to pass those on if you need them.

A sleeve board is often useful for ironing sleeves when no crease is desired. A sleeve board is a miniature iron which can be slipped inside the sleeve. By rolling the sleeve around the sleeve board as you iron, it can be pressed in sections without creasing.

A steamer is useful for removing wrinkles from fabrics that should not be ironed, like velvet, brocades, heavy wools, and some very delicate fabrics. Care must be used, though, as steamers can cause severe burns. The steam from a costume steamer should be kept away from your skin. The metal head of the steamer, as well as the copper coupling between the hose and water reservoir, can cause burns. Sometimes a steamer will "spit" drops of boiling hot water. This "spitting" can be reduced if you hold the head of the steamer up in the air for a few moments, allowing the condensed hot water to drain back down into the reservoir.

Velvet can be particularly tricky. Velvet is a fabric which has a nap woven into it, so it is easily crushed. NEVER IRON VELVET ON THE NAP SIDE. If possible, it should be steamed. You can also use a pin board, a pad with many "pins" set in it, points out. The velvet can be placed nap down on the pins, and the back pressed gently. The pins support the nap without crushing. If you have neither steamer or pin board, you can still be successful with extreme care. With terry cloth towels under the fabric (if available) place the fabric nap side down. Use a damp pressing cloth and iron on the back side of the fabric. Be sure iron is only warm enough to remove the wrinkles. Do not use downward pressure on the fabric, and avoid crushing the nap of the fabric, or damaging the fabric with too hot an iron.

A pressing cloth is a medium to light weight piece of fabric (often cotton) used with an iron to press a costume. This may be to protect the costume from too much heat from the iron, residue of starch or other material that may be on the face plate of the iron, and/or to keep a fabric from getting "shiny" from the pressing process. The press cloth can be damp if that is appropriate for the fabric.

A Stitcher is a costumer responsible for building and repairing costumes. A stitcher must know hand sewing AND the use of sewing machines, and how to alter costumes as necessary if another actor takes over a roll.

A sewing machine is meant for sewing the various cut-out pieces of a piece of clothing together into a finished costume. It will do straight stitches as well as several others, zig-zags, mending stitches, and sometimes decorative stitches. A serger is a specialized machine meant primarily for simultaneously trimming and overcasting the edge of a piece of cloth. It produces a semi-finished edge which can be used as a hem, but more often helps keep fabric from unraveling before and after it is sewn together on a regular sewing machine. It is a neater overcast than the zig-zag stitch of a regular sewing machine, and helps the costume to last longer.

Intro - What is the job of a production manager - ‘the role’

Para 1 - What are the primary technical departments, and what are their basic requirements

Para 2 - How would I allocate time to different departments - you are, essentially the focal point for operations - you are managing your time and the ‘production timeline’ (you are making decisions about what sequence of production events’  

Para 3 - How to divide different departments into manageable groupings

Conc - Summarize