Loading out in progress at the August Wilson

Has anyone heard anything? Some photos have surfaces of an apparent loading out happening right now at the August Wilson Theatre

https://i.imgur.com/IEDcZMw.jpg

Updated On: 8/30/20 at 04:15 PM

LOL that's not loading out.

There would be more stuff to load out from Love Letters. Mean Girls must have really cut back on their production. LOL

Updated On: 8/30/20 at 04:24 PM

Relax, folks. They’re refurbishing the dressing rooms so it’s just cast’s contents in boxes. They’re being loaded into a standard van to put in storage then brought back once they’re done with the dressing rooms. The show isn’t “loading out.”

Playbill_Trash said: "Seeing as their entire set can be saved in a thumb drive, there’s no reason to think this is not an actual load out. "

That’s one of the craziest things I’ve read on here. They do use projections, you’re right. But there are actual sets too. Seeing as it was small storage boxes etc your point holds no water

I don't think Playbill_Trash was actually implying that the set could literally be loaded out in those little boxes. I think they were just being snarky about the use of projections, and everyone is taking the statement literally.

Speaking as someone who hated the use of LED screens, I found Playbill_Trash's comment funny

Playbill_Trash said: "Seeing as their entire set can be saved in a thumb drive, there’s no reason to think this is not an actual load out."

Perfect commentary on the sad state of set design these days.

broadwayguy2 said: "Also, a snarky remark about how the entire set can be saved on a thumb drive is *really* *REALLY* insulting and offensive to the HUNDREDS of people who designed, built, installed, and operate the set and props for that and are currently unemployed through no fault of their own, no fault of their production, and no fault of their audience.
I appreciate some good snark, TRUST ME people know that, but this time and this subject... that is beyond tacky."



I see what you're saying, but I think the target of the joke isn't the building crew, prop masters, or even necessarily the designers. The targets of the joke are the producers and/or Casey Nicholaw; the people who decided to tell this story relying so much on the LED screens. Playbill_Trash was probably making fun of the storytelling demands, not the people hired to fulfill the storytelling demands.

In the same way: If you ridicule the food at McDonald's, it isn't at the expense of the people who work hard to prepare and serve the food, it's making fun of the corporation for giving them so little to work with.

I'm currently sitting at home collecting a depressingly pitiful unemployment check because most of my theatre gigs hire under a 1099 and we won't be working until next year. Many, many friends are in the same boat. And yes, it was a joke. It wasn't a funny one.

Also, the comments show a complete lack of knowledge of what it takes in the way of labor, skills, and SPACE to have an LED wall like that, so no. I won't.

I am going to sit here and wish that I was back at work and sip a cocktail while I continue to apply for 'survival jobs'.

broadwayguy2 said: "Also, a snarky remark about how the entire set can be saved on a thumb drive is *really* *REALLY* insulting and offensive to the HUNDREDS of people who designed, built, installed, and operate the set and props for that and are currently unemployed through no fault of their own, no fault of their production, and no fault of their audience.
I appreciate some good snark, TRUST ME people know that, but this time and this subject... that is beyond tacky."

Covid aside - if those sets were conventional sets and not an LED wall, chances are the IA crew would be much larger. How many carps are replaced with one or two video operators? So really they already lost out...to a thumb drive.