Working in the stage production can be a very hazardous occupation. Any time heavy lighting, sound, projection, and rigging equipment are hung above the performers' and audiences' heads, an accident could be waiting to happen. It is our responsibility to be diligent and to keep these accidents as rare as possible. Theatrical accident rates dramatically rise when one or more of these preventable issues are present. These include inadequately trained personnel, substandard equipment, poor communication, and unreasonable expectations.
There is a reason why we work with well-trained professionals who are experts in their field. It is crucial that everyone who is working on a production has sufficient training, and in many cases, certification to work. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen people not certified as pyro-technicians actually setting off explosives in the theater. This is frightening! However, it is no less disturbing and dangerous to see unqualified technicians who are not certified in theatrical rigging, electrical, and automated systems designing and supervising the work on your production. You know that you are only as safe as your weakest link, and I don't like putting my safety, or the safety of the performers and audience at risk.
It is also important that the creative team of directors and designers respect the expert opinions of the technicians. I have worked with directors who love to push the envelope when it comes to safety issues. This is irresponsible behavior, especially from the director. A good Equity union stage manager should be able to take control and stop any unsafe practices. It is in fact the stage manager's responsibility to insure that the performers are not risking their health or lives.
I have seen and heard many “crazy ideas” from directors and designers alike. My favorite ones seem to involve swinging from trusses, or climbing set pieces with no fall restraint systems. For some reason directors look at the set design and their first question usually is “Can an actor climb or swing on it?” At least those directors ask. I have worked with others who just ignore the technical director and instruct the actors to swing on the set in rehearsal.
Another one of my favorite crazy ideas usually has to do with water. I have heard too many directors request that we flood the stage with water (like that's an original idea?), or they have a bathtub on stage and the actors splashes water up onto the lighting fixtures on the truss. I guess they never heard of water and electricity being a bad combination.
Speaking of water, for a production of Nine, the set designer designed a giant pool on stage and bullied his way through the technical director to make it happen. At first, when the pool was installed and filled with water, nothing seemed amiss. However, once the actors were splashing around in the pool that night, water leaked through the bottom and flooded the computer room under the theatre. Thousands of dollars of computers were destroyed.
We may have difficulty controlling “out of control” directors and designers, but we can certainly make our lives safer through better communication. If the stage manager sees that the director is having the actor do things beyond the design of the set, then it's the stage manager's responsibility to advise the director to stop. They should report any unsafe practices to the production manager. The technical director and designers should also be notified as they can help assess if the stage can support this activity.
We could also help raise the safety level by communicating with each other regarding stage and truss design and loads. Whether the production is mounted in a standard theatre or in the middle of a field, load considerations and calculations are crucial in deciding if a safe design is feasible. I was designing as show that had a 30 foot high by 60 foot wide semi-circular wall that flew in and out over a double turntable. The technical director specified that the wall be built out of aluminum. For some reason the scene shop never got the message and built it out of steel. When we arrived to tech the show, the technical director informed us of this problem, and they had to find a structural engineer to inspect the grid to see if it could indeed support the added weight of the steel. This is a great example of how bad communication can cause a safety hazard, and set the production weeks behind schedule.
Changes in production design occur all the time. That is the nature of theatre. This is why a constant line of communication must be kept throughout the production. Any change in the design can have a ripple effect that affects the entire production. This not only can this have negative affects on the aesthetic of the production, but also on the safety of the entire rig. I have seen issues arise when heavier speaker arrays were delivered than what was originally specified, or the designer swapped heavier moving lights without notifying the chief rigger. These are surprises that could create dangerous conditions. If the designers made it known that these changes may have to be made, the rigger and technical director could make sure that the rigging can hold the extra weight and be properly secured.
How do you improve communication? A competent production manager, technical director, and stage manager is a good start. These people must be aware of any changes in the technical process. Regular production meetings are a must. When writing emails, make sure that anyone who could be affected by the discussion is copied. This includes the people above along with the master electrician, sound tech, video tech, prop master, assistant designers, and certainly all the designers. I always err on the side of caution and copy the director. When you see a problem arising, don't wait until it occurs… Act now! Being proactive is not only a good approach in the design process, it also leads to good safety practice.
Theatre is by nature a temporary art form. Scenery and rigging are designed to be put up quickly and efficiently, stand and function through the run, and then be quickly struck. Nothing has been built to last hundreds of years. So realistic expectations about what a set and the rigging can support must be communicated to the artistic team and the performers. It's important to accept that no one should expect the set and the rig to support what it was not designed to do. So when an actor or director asks if its OK to exceed the design limits, then it is your responsibility to say “No”. Otherwise you could be placing yourself and your colleagues into a very dangerous situation.
