All who have worked tech will appreciate this....
The Techie Gospel
We hold this truth to be self evident:
That all TECHIES are created superior.
Genesis
In the beginning there was the Stage, and the Stage was without lights or
sets, and darkness was on the faces of the actors. And the Technical
Director (hereinafter referred to as the TD) said, "Let there be Lights!"
and the TECHIES worked and wired, and there were lights. Spotlights and
specials, areas and backlighting - yea, lights of all shapes, sizes and
hues. And the TD saw the lights, that they were well aimed and focused,
gelled according to the scene, and no more was there darkness on the faces
of the actors. And it was good. And the evening and the morning were the
First Day.
And the TD looked upon the actors and saw that although they walked in
light, they did walk upon a bare stage, and had no place to be, and the TD
was moved to pity. And the TD said, "Let there be a Set!": and the TECHIES
scrambled and worked, and there was a set, with platforms, wagons, stairs,
and furniture of various types and sized, each according to the need. And
the actors did walk within the set, and did have a place to be. And the TD
saw the set, that it was good, and the evening and the morning were the
Second Day.
And the TD saw the actors, that although they did have a place to be, they
did look like fools, for they waved their hands, clutched at open air, and
struck each other with nothing. And in his heart, the TD was moved to pity.
And the TD said, "Let there be Props!": and the TECHIES worked feverishly
and did buy and build, and there were props. And they were good, and the
evening and the morning were the Third Day.
And the Costumer looked upon the actors, and saw that they did go forth in
blue jeans and the Costumer knew that this would not due. And the Costumer
said, "Let there be Costumes!": and the TECHIES did cut and sew and shape,
and there were costumes, each sized to the actor, according to the play,
and keeping in with the role. And no more did the actors go forth in blue
jeans, and the Costumer saw the costumes, that they were good, and the
evening and the morning were the Fourth Day.
And the TD watched the play, and saw that the actors did wait in silence,
and was moved to pity. And the TD said, "Let there be Sound!": and the
TECHIES worked and taped, and there were sounds, each according to its
place and cue, all at the proper levels. And the TD heard the sounds, that
they were good, and the evening and the morning were the Fifth Day.
And lo, all these works were completed in five days, showing that if God
had used sufficient TECHIES in the first place, He would have finished sooner.
Proverb
Behold, my son here is wisdom. Pay heed to these words, and in the days of
thy play, in the hours of thy performing, thou shalt not be caught short.
For truly, it is said, pay heed to the errors of others and you shall not
make them yourself, and again, as we have been told from on old, to thine
own self be true.
The 15 Commandments
1.Give not unto the actor his props before his time, for as surely as the
sun does rise in the East and set in the West, he will lose or
break them.
2. When told the placement of props by the Director, write not these
things in ink upon thy script for as surely as the winds blow, so
shall he change his mind.
3. Speak not in large words to actors, for they are slow of thought and
are easily confused.
4. Speak not in the language of the TECHIE to actors, for they are
uninitiated, and will not perceive thy meaning.
5. Tap not the head of a nail to drive it, but strike it firmly with thy
strength.
6. Keep holy the first performance, for afterwards you shall party.
7. Keep holy the last performance, for afterwards you shall party.
8. Remember always that the TD is never wrong. If appears that he is, then
you obviously misunderstood him the first time.
9. Leave not the area of the stage during the play to go and talk with the
actors, for as surely as you do, you will be in danger of missing
your cue and being summarily executed or worse.
10. Beware of the actors during scene changes, for they are not like unto
you and are blind in the dark.
11. Beware of actors when flying in walls, for they will stand and watch
and get crushed.
12. Take not thy cues before their time, but wait for the proper moment to
do so.
13. Take pity on the actors, for in their roles they are as children, and
must be led with gentle kindness. Thus, endeavor to speak softly
and not in anger.
14. Listen carefully to the instructions of the Director as to how he
wants things done - then do it the right way. In the days of thy
work, he will see thy wisdom, give himself the credit, and
rejoice.
15. And above all, get carried away not with the glow-tape, or thy stage
will be likened unto an airport.
Exodus
And lo, as the year begins, so is the Gaffa Tape delivered unto the
TECHIES, who do revere and worship the Gaffa. And, soon, does the Gaffa
Tape leave the store, to be used by the TECHIES in pursuit of excellence in
their techie activities, and also in various activites with fair TECHIE
maidens. And, the head TECHIES do soon become worried at the amount of
Gaffa used, for while much use of Gaffa does surely lead to a higher plane
of TECHIE existence, the year must be split in two: 6 months of plenty,
following the delivery of Gaffa unto the TECHIES, and 6 months of famine,
when the Gaffa must surely run out.
Words to the Techies
Remember always that thou art a TECHIE, born to walk the dark places of the
stage, and know the secret ways of thy equipment. To your hands it is given
to mold the dreams and thoughts of they that watch, and to make the Stage a
separate place and time. Seek not, as do the actors, to go forth in light
upon the stage, for though they strut and talk and put on airs, their craft
does truly depend on you, to shape the dreams that they would show.
Remember also that although they depend on you, you exist only to aid them.
Remember that thou art a team, for thou shalt party together. My friends
be not deceived by deluded actors masquerading as TECHIES. Remember always
the signs by which thou shalt recognize a true TECHIE: they move softly
during scene changes, not stumbling or falling; they are silent backstage
and are aware of what is happening; they can speak with knowledge of Tools;
they respect another's job and aid where they can; they do not just stand
and watch.
Amen.
The Gospel according to Luke
Our amps are switched off
The Cans are not patched into the PA
The Masters are down.
The loudspeakers are disconnected
THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU!
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