Anyone Else Feel More Comfortable Behind The Stage Than On It?

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 3:16am

Because when I'm acting, I feel like such an asshole.

[Over_the_Moon]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 11:07am

Many people enjoy tech and crew work. And we love them. :)

[broadway_baby_17]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 11:22am

i help out with the shows i dont make i work spotlight thats a lot of fun and it helps you become a better actor too i also helped build a set and dont ever volunteer to do that because that is horrible

[Jess1483]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 11:41am

When I was younger, I loved acting. I had fun with it, I always enjoyed being on stage, and I always wanted to be in the spotlight. Although I still act from time to time, if I do, I'd much rather be in the ensemble. I still love the feel of being in a show and bonding with a cast. I just finished an absolutely amazing production of Into The Woods where I played the stepmother, so it was perfect. The thing I realized though was that I dreaded my scenes, I just liked the group numbers.
I have been involved with tech work since I was 12 or 13, and I've done everything from direct to stage manage to lighting. I love tech work. I hate it when people don't realize how much techies do. I'm always the first to congratulate the stage manager and board ops at the shows at my college.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 12:51pm

I don't personally enjoy tech work... I have tried it and just don't like it. But I have immense respect and admiration for those who do. They get so little recognition, and without techies, there would be no show. I get so angry at people who don't think about tech. I'm like, "If something happens to a techie, you're performing in the dark." People don't get it.

[Over_the_Moon]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 1:24pm

I really dislike the mentality that techies are those who don't have enough talent to be onstage.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 1:41pm

Wow. Did I actually post this? I'm sorry guys about all of these endless whining posts. I'm going through a bit of an existential crisis involving my relationship with theatre right now and I apologize for dumping all of it on you.

[dramatothemax]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 3:15pm

I did tech work for community service hours once at my school. I was horrible at it. I obviously appreciate everything they do. But for my schools theatre II showcase (since I'm their student tutor) I had to be involved with the show somehow, my teacher put me as stage manager. I was like uhh what do I do? Luckily the sophomores didnt really need my help. hahah

I'll stick to acting

[SarahBeth]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 3:31pm

I've done my share of tech. I've been volunteering at set construction days painting and building various sets for about 5 years now, and had a blast doing it. While I prefer being on stage I have deep respect for anyone who does do the backstage work because its not easy.
I've done orchestra once and I plan on doing it again this year. Except this time I probably won't be in the cast as well. Talk about hectic.

[Masayous]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 4:24pm

There was never anybody at my school who knew how to do the lighting for the shows, so whenever i wasn't performing in shows, talent events, outside productions, band orchestrations, etc. I was always found in the lighting box working all those dials.

Loved it. Not as much as acting on the stage, but it was a fun job. Also did some stage manager work. But that gets really annoying when you're working with junior high school kids who have no idea of the "shut the hell up backstage" concept.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 6:23pm

When I'm not acting (ie. getting ready for a performance or just about to walk onstage...), I feel so incredibly "dirty". I feel like a whore and I feel like an utterly pretentious asshole for "stealing the precious two hours of these people." But that does seem to fade when I am actually performing, because when I'm in character it's almost as if nothing else matters. I actually have trouble actually remembering what happened to me when I was actually in performance because I wasn't myself at all.

I dunno.

[Marlene]

Posted: 7/9/06 at 10:20pm

That's an interesting analogy Cruel.

I adore both aspects. I love being on stage, but if there's a backdrop that needs to be painted, I'm totally there. I'm actually doing design right now for community service, and it's pretty much hell because we're sculpting out of really dense foam...so it requires minimal artistic aesthetic, and lots of manual labor, which I loathe. I have total respect for techies though.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 3:20pm

It's always good to know tech-work, however, because that is where the money is.

[JemimaPearl]

Posted: 7/10/06 at 6:49pm

I actually love both, but I know what you mean. That's why I love that I've discovered playwrighting and directing in my HS theater class.

Posted: 7/20/06 at 3:07pm

Well all I've ever done is do the spotlight for my highschool's musicals. I'm wwwayy too shy to audition. I mean I'd love to, but I'm scared that I would make a fool of myself at the audition and well, I don't really know how good of a singer I am. Maybe one day!

[EmieMarie]

Posted: 7/21/06 at 1:14am

I do both tech and acting
For our production club you MUST be in an aspect of technical work to even be on stage
I LOVE working w/ power tools! power drill, staple gun mider saw, chop saw, jigsaw!!! its so fun, all actors should try construction, its a blast!
Just goes to show you, you can always help technically and in the performance

now what i really want to try is directing....

Posted: 7/21/06 at 10:02am

ha ha, well im a tech and i cant sing so of course! i love being behind the stage!

[dancnqn5]

Posted: 7/22/06 at 2:40pm

At my school, we're required to tech one show a semester, so we learn all aspects of theatre. And that's not including the techincal theatre classes we have to take to graduate. While I enjoy some technical aspects more than others, it's really refreshing to know that I am have the tools I need to have a career in theatre, whether it be onstage or off. I have a built in "fall-back" career that still involves theatre. I personally cannot wait to take my stage management class this semester; I got a chance to watch my stage manager friends in action and feel like it is something that I could do pretty well, and would enjoy doing.

As an actor (and as an audience member), doing tech really helps me appreciate all aspects of the performance. I can respect shows for more than just the acting and it makes me feel more informed. And it keeps me grounded as a performer, because I know that there are so many other aspects to a show (most of which don't even involve me). I'm part of a much bigger experience. That's why, to me, techies are some of the greatest people and I'm glad to have friends in tech.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:11am

i'm definitely more of a writer than a performer

[Katie3]

Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:26am

I always get so much more nervous when I'm doing tech stuff then when I am actually on stage. I think it's because I'm in character on stage, but when I'm doing tech I'm actually thinking about everything happening more logically.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:30am

heh. i understand, katie. i'm not very good at manual labor and usually end up screwing things up when i do have to operate machinery.

case in point, driving. i have, perhaps, the worst sense of direction of all time. i once got lost on the way from a movie theater to a restaurant that was a block away. the sad part? this was two months ago.

[Katie3]

Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:42am

I kind of went the wrong way down a one way street once. Not my best moment.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:43am

Well, perhaps you were merely trying to re-enact a pivotal moment from the classic film PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES.

We art students aren't exactly the best with...you know...logic and stuff.

[Katie3]

Posted: 7/23/06 at 2:49am

Try telling that to my dad who was driving with me. Makes sense to me, though :)

[BrunetteBombshell]

Posted: 7/23/06 at 3:07am

On the last play that I did I felt more comfortable being backstage. When I went on as a last minute replacement, I felt really out of place because I was the only one who didn't have the part I was playing memorized. It made for a very awkward performance.