Technical crew

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The Technical crew, often abbreviated to "tech crew" or "techies", are the individuals employed behind the scenes (backstage) who control all the technical aspects of creating a concert, play, musical, opera or other live performance. In a broad terms, the participants in any production can be divided into one of three groups: the audience, the performers and the technical crew. The audience views the performance; the performers create the art; the technical crew is responsible for the design and operation of all the technical requirements of the production.

The role and composition of a tech crew can change significantly depending on the nature of an event, and often evolves as the production does. For example, in a simple theatre production, the technical crew might consist of a single person, operating the lights and controlling the volume of the sounds and music. In a large scale professional theatre productions, the technical crew can consist of dozens of different departments and may run into the hundreds of individuals. Each department has their own specific job that pertains to their area of expertise, but they are all part of the technical crew.

[edit] Job Categories

Main article: List of theatre personnel

The technical crew on a performance fall into many different categories, based on the individuals area of expertise and responsibilities. Some of the most common categories (those encountered on the largest variety of productions) include: lighting, audio, carpentry and rigging. This list is far from comprehensive, and includes may specialities and niche departments.

[edit] Running Crew

Main article: Running crew

A specific "sub-genre" of technical crew members are those individuals responsible for the operation of the technical aspects of a production in front of an audience, referred to as the running crew or deck crew. In a number of medium to larger scale productions, the running crew will not be involved in the initial design and fabrication of a productions technical requirements, and will be responsible only for their proper functioning during the performance. It is also not uncommon for the running crew to leave after the final performance, and not be involved in the disassembly (strike) of a show.