Running crew, run crew or stage crew, is a collective term used in the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

to describe the members of the technical crew who supervise and operate ("run") the various technical aspects of the production during a

performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...

. While the "technical crew" includes all persons other than performers involved with the production, such as those who build and take down the sets and place the lighting, the term "running crew" is generally limited to those who work during an actual performance. The term is typically not applied to crew or department heads, although there are exceptions. The running crew may include performers if they also function in technical capacities while offstage.

Crew positions

A typical running crew will include any or all of the following positions, depending on the nature and size of the production, and the complexity of the technical requirements. Each position is organized by the most common title; depending on the country, type of production, and producing organization, different titles may be used for the same position.

Stage management

* Assistant stage manager: Assists the

stage manager Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal p ...

in their duties. Generally, one assistant stage manager is in charge of running backstage operations during a show. *

Props A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

: responsible for maintenance and placement of hand props before scenes as well as their subsequent retrieval after the scene. * Call boy: responsible for alerting actors and actresses of their entrances in time for them to appear on stage, on cue.

Lighting

* Light board operator: operates the

lighting control system A lighting control system is an intelligent network based lighting control solution that incorporates communication between various system inputs and outputs related to lighting control with the use of one or more central computing devices. Light ...

Sometimes this is integrated with the

show control Show control is the use of automation technology to link together and operate multiple entertainment control systems in a coordinated manner. It is distinguished from an entertainment control system, which is specific to a single theatrical depart ...

system. * Deck Electrician: responsible for placing, connecting, and/or operating stage lighting units, such as stage lights. Sometimes, they are necessary to have during scene changes, in the case of moving set pieces with lighting equipment inside. Typically, more than one will be backstage. * Master Electrician: responsible for the maintenance and operation of dimming & power distribution systems during a performance, including "hot" or "live" patching. Occasionally, some of these duties could also be delegated to the run crew's deck electricians. * Spotlight Operator (or follow spot operator/dome operator): operates a type of lighting instrument called a

follow spot {{Unreferenced, date=October 2007 A spotlight (or followspot) is a powerful stage lighting instrument which projects a bright beam of light onto a performance space. Spotlights are controlled by a spotlight operator who tracks actors around the ...

, which allows a performer to be lit evenly no matter where on stage they may go. It can typically be found in the lighting booth, along with the light board op. Also, some theaters have followed spots located above a false ceiling, on the

catwalk A fashion show (French ''défilé de mode'') is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase their upcoming line of clothing and/or accessories during a fashion week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fal ...

Sound

* Sound operator (A1): operates the sound board and/or audio control system specified by the

sound designer In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

, computerized or otherwise. Sometimes this is integrated with the

system. There can be multiple soundboard ops. * Mic wrangler (A2): manages microphones and maintains headsets as a show runs. Usually, there are several mic wranglers located backstage, in the

wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...

, with the running crew.

Stage

* Flymen (or fly crew/rail crew): operate the

fly system A fly system, or theatrical rigging system, is a system of rope lines, blocks (pulleys), counterweights and related devices within a theater (structure), theater that enables a stage crew to fly (hoist) quickly, quietly and safely components suc ...

, a system of ropes or wires, pulleys, and counterweights by means of which

scenery Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a theatrical production. Scenery may be just about anything, from a single chair to an elaborately re-created street, no matter how large or how small, whether the item was custom-made or ...

is "flown" in and out (down and up, respectively) during scene changes. *

Stagehand A stagehand is a person who works backstage or behind the scenes in theatres, film, television, or location performance. Their work include setting up the scenery, lights, sound, props, rigging, and special effects for a production. General S ...

: A

technician A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Specialisation The term technician covers many different speciali ...

responsible for moving scenery at the stage level, by manually carrying or rolling set pieces (e.g.,

scenery wagon A scenery wagon, also known as a ''stage wagon'', is a mobile platform that is used to support and transport movable, three-dimensional theatrical scenery on a theater stage. In most cases, the scenery is constructed on top of the wagon such tha ...

s) between the stage and the wings. This can include carrying on and off furniture, props, or scenery.

Costumes

Wardrobe A wardrobe or armoire or almirah is a standing closet used for storing clothes. The earliest wardrobe was a chest, and it was not until some degree of luxury was attained in regal palaces and the castles of powerful nobles that separate accommo ...

: A costume designer is responsible for creating, purchasing, and the placement of

costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people. The term also was tradition ...

s. They have assistants who help with fittings and quick changes (when an actor needs to change costume very quickly, often backstage). *

Makeup The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...

: responsible for applying or assisting in the application of

face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

and body paints, wigs and hairpieces, etc.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Running Crew Stage crew Stagecraft Theatrical occupations