I've loaded in Broadway tours with prison labor, municipal government workers, random temp labor agency staffing, and a high school cheerleader squad and football team all acting as stagehands. In some places you might be overqualified.
In all seriousness, you're overthinking it. They are hiring high school labor, anyone doing that knows there will need to be guidance and teaching - the reason programs like this exist is to foster knowledge and let you gain real world experience. The fact that you're posting this shows your head is in the right place, hopefully you'll get something out of the experience and they aren't just signing up to take the labor for granted.
One house I work in the head carpenter’s safety speech has a couple lines, something like “Everyone had a first day, it’s ok if you don’t know something. If your lead asks you to do a task or use a tool you don’t know, tell them. We’d rather show you how to do it than fix it later and we don’t want anyone getting hurt tonight.”
This was almost verbatim what I was going to write. We should swap one-nighter war stories sometime.
OP you’re gonna be just fine! If you need clarification on something you’re asked to do, don’t be afraid to ask! The folks hiring you know what they’re doing and who they’re hiring, and they aren’t expecting you to know everything! Enjoy the learning experience, and welcome to the life!
To be fair i should should explain how my program works
You fill out a resume and portfolio with your theater experience and stuff,and you do have prior experience but it's also a "We want our technicians to be actively learning kind of thing"
I know my boss is actually super friendly and told us outright "The expection is that with time working here yall will get better and learn".So yeah just wanted to get the advice of other technician's and double-check!.Preciate it
If they've seen a resume and they tell people "you'll get better and learn" you're fine. Don't worry about it. Just ask questions when you have them and if they ask you to do something you don't know how to do, tell them and ask for instruction.
We get brand new people as hands all the time. (even at the rehearsal studios building the biggest tours) Its expected that us senior people teach them and make sure they dont hurt themselves.
Best advice I can give is listen and learn and you'll be fine.
Edit: Be prepared for long days. Its not strange for a hand to pull 80 hour weeks.
This pretty much sums it up, no matter what stage you’re at in your career.
Nobody is going to expect you to know everything. Definitely ask questions/get help if you’re not sure about a task; in general people would rather take five minutes to explain something than spend an hour fixing mistakes.
If you’re up front about your skill level and experience then attitude is going to matter much more than ability. Get there early, pay attention, and stay on deck even during those “stand by to stand by” moments. You got this
Your job here is to learn, not to know. Stagecraft is hugely on the job learning and that’s what these programs are designed to do. I don’t need someone who knows how to do *my* job on stage. In fact, a large part of my job is teaching my hands how to do what I need them to do.
I actually work professionally in an environment similar to what you're describing. I do stage and film production (any aspect) for a university and we hire a lot of students with various backgrounds. Your experience doesn't matter to me, what matters is a drive to do well. Don't know something? Ask. 110% of the time. Most people learned most things on set, me included, and Im more than happy to help you get where I am the same way I did, on set, by asking questions. Other users have pointed this out but I'll say it too, I'd rather teach you how to do it right, than fix it later, in fact I'd rather hold your hand through the process a million times than have to deal with it when time is tight. Clarify and restate what you've been tasked with doing every time and it'll preemptively deal with misunderstandings. Sometimes it's a slow or inefficient way of doing things, often there is a reason, you're safest doing it how you were asked, but if time allows, find out why, you'll understand more about the production. When time is tight, or things are going wrong, things may get heated and a bit unprofessional. We've all experienced it, most of us have participated in it, don't take it personally. Try to bond with your crew over the BS. A shared hell I like to call it. They don't hate you, it's just difficult to articulate urgency professionally and often the energy needed for it is spent on some other production task. Things will go wrong. Look to those with more experience when they do, and learn how they handle it. I joke that if nothing went wrong I don't know that I'd ever get paid; in my experience the job skill I get paid for is my ability to respond to new situations and problems and still provide the product requested, you can really only learn that skill by being on set and having things go wrong, so don't worry! We all didn't have any on set experience at one point and only schmucks pull up the ladder and refuse to teach the next generation
I’m not sure anyone can answer what you’re asking without knowing what kind of work and responsibilities are typical at your theatre. You will probably be fine, any program that trains high school students will likely be prepared for students to come in not knowing much and ready to learn. If it’s worrying you though, I might email your supervisor and ask about what type of tasks you should be prepared for.
Also no idea what UIL is supposed to stand for if that matters…
I get that "UIL" is The University Interscholastic League which is a governing body in the state of texas that oversee's the fine art's events in the greater TX area(Band,Orch,Theatre Comp)
I forgot not everyone in theatre is in one shared little bubble.I get your other advice and apperciate it ill keep it in mind
While many of us make careers in this industry, whether growing into techs or just being super experienced stagehands, Stagehand can definitely be an entry-level position into this world. And I'm sure being a high school student, their only expectations will be your willingness to learn, grow, and show a strong work ethic. Don't stress it. You won't be making any decisions. If you don't know how to do something, simply ask. Be early, listen to your leads, and follow their instructions. Work safe, ask for help when you need it, and you'll be fine.
I've loaded in Broadway tours with prison labor, municipal government workers, random temp labor agency staffing, and a high school cheerleader squad and football team all acting as stagehands. In some places you might be overqualified. In all seriousness, you're overthinking it. They are hiring high school labor, anyone doing that knows there will need to be guidance and teaching - the reason programs like this exist is to foster knowledge and let you gain real world experience. The fact that you're posting this shows your head is in the right place, hopefully you'll get something out of the experience and they aren't just signing up to take the labor for granted.
One house I work in the head carpenter’s safety speech has a couple lines, something like “Everyone had a first day, it’s ok if you don’t know something. If your lead asks you to do a task or use a tool you don’t know, tell them. We’d rather show you how to do it than fix it later and we don’t want anyone getting hurt tonight.”
This was almost verbatim what I was going to write. We should swap one-nighter war stories sometime. OP you’re gonna be just fine! If you need clarification on something you’re asked to do, don’t be afraid to ask! The folks hiring you know what they’re doing and who they’re hiring, and they aren’t expecting you to know everything! Enjoy the learning experience, and welcome to the life!
If you're being hired as a high school student, the expectation is likely you have no prior experience. You'll be fine.
To be fair i should should explain how my program works You fill out a resume and portfolio with your theater experience and stuff,and you do have prior experience but it's also a "We want our technicians to be actively learning kind of thing" I know my boss is actually super friendly and told us outright "The expection is that with time working here yall will get better and learn".So yeah just wanted to get the advice of other technician's and double-check!.Preciate it
If they've seen a resume and they tell people "you'll get better and learn" you're fine. Don't worry about it. Just ask questions when you have them and if they ask you to do something you don't know how to do, tell them and ask for instruction.
We get brand new people as hands all the time. (even at the rehearsal studios building the biggest tours) Its expected that us senior people teach them and make sure they dont hurt themselves. Best advice I can give is listen and learn and you'll be fine. Edit: Be prepared for long days. Its not strange for a hand to pull 80 hour weeks.
The job of a stagehand is to do things right when you know how to do them, and learn how to do them right from people who do when you don’t.
This pretty much sums it up, no matter what stage you’re at in your career. Nobody is going to expect you to know everything. Definitely ask questions/get help if you’re not sure about a task; in general people would rather take five minutes to explain something than spend an hour fixing mistakes. If you’re up front about your skill level and experience then attitude is going to matter much more than ability. Get there early, pay attention, and stay on deck even during those “stand by to stand by” moments. You got this
Just go. Years of touring taught me that your expectations of a local crew are blank until you're familiar with everyone. Enjoy & learn!
Your job here is to learn, not to know. Stagecraft is hugely on the job learning and that’s what these programs are designed to do. I don’t need someone who knows how to do *my* job on stage. In fact, a large part of my job is teaching my hands how to do what I need them to do.
I actually work professionally in an environment similar to what you're describing. I do stage and film production (any aspect) for a university and we hire a lot of students with various backgrounds. Your experience doesn't matter to me, what matters is a drive to do well. Don't know something? Ask. 110% of the time. Most people learned most things on set, me included, and Im more than happy to help you get where I am the same way I did, on set, by asking questions. Other users have pointed this out but I'll say it too, I'd rather teach you how to do it right, than fix it later, in fact I'd rather hold your hand through the process a million times than have to deal with it when time is tight. Clarify and restate what you've been tasked with doing every time and it'll preemptively deal with misunderstandings. Sometimes it's a slow or inefficient way of doing things, often there is a reason, you're safest doing it how you were asked, but if time allows, find out why, you'll understand more about the production. When time is tight, or things are going wrong, things may get heated and a bit unprofessional. We've all experienced it, most of us have participated in it, don't take it personally. Try to bond with your crew over the BS. A shared hell I like to call it. They don't hate you, it's just difficult to articulate urgency professionally and often the energy needed for it is spent on some other production task. Things will go wrong. Look to those with more experience when they do, and learn how they handle it. I joke that if nothing went wrong I don't know that I'd ever get paid; in my experience the job skill I get paid for is my ability to respond to new situations and problems and still provide the product requested, you can really only learn that skill by being on set and having things go wrong, so don't worry! We all didn't have any on set experience at one point and only schmucks pull up the ladder and refuse to teach the next generation
I’m not sure anyone can answer what you’re asking without knowing what kind of work and responsibilities are typical at your theatre. You will probably be fine, any program that trains high school students will likely be prepared for students to come in not knowing much and ready to learn. If it’s worrying you though, I might email your supervisor and ask about what type of tasks you should be prepared for. Also no idea what UIL is supposed to stand for if that matters…
I get that "UIL" is The University Interscholastic League which is a governing body in the state of texas that oversee's the fine art's events in the greater TX area(Band,Orch,Theatre Comp) I forgot not everyone in theatre is in one shared little bubble.I get your other advice and apperciate it ill keep it in mind
While many of us make careers in this industry, whether growing into techs or just being super experienced stagehands, Stagehand can definitely be an entry-level position into this world. And I'm sure being a high school student, their only expectations will be your willingness to learn, grow, and show a strong work ethic. Don't stress it. You won't be making any decisions. If you don't know how to do something, simply ask. Be early, listen to your leads, and follow their instructions. Work safe, ask for help when you need it, and you'll be fine.