#propblr

[IMAGE ID: tumblr user 5-to-places: You know what I want? I want a show in the Style of The Office, only it follows a production team at a theatre. Have like, an SM, some designers, front of house, an electrician, board ops, a Michael Scott-esque director who has all these big ideas, and actors that would cycle through every half season or at the end of the season. Idk just an idea. END IMAGE ID]

I'm kinda thinking of making it, but in an audio format, maybe framing it in the way of a Stage Manager who records production meetings, mixed in with phone calls and things like that.

This is what I'm thinking:

[IMAGE ID: Discord user Kestrel (They/He): So what I'm thinking is a podcast that follows a Tech crew at a theatre company, and I want it to have sort of SF (Stellar Firma) vibes but it'll be scripted. It'd mostly focus on tech crew, but there will obviously be a director, a few actors, etc. And the director has sort of Michael Scott vibes in the way of big ideas and no realistic way to achieve them, And the actors of varying degrees of coolness ranging from 'neat actor who helps out sometimes and generally gets along with tech' to Actor™️ (trademark emoji).

In terms of Tech characters I for sure want a design team (Scenic, Costume, Lighting, and Sound), a Props Master bc of course, a Tech Director, and maybe some scenic carpenters, stitches, and electricians. And a Stage Manager. END IMAGE ID]

Genuine question from a design theatre undergrad, is there not membership in the big US theatre unions for props artisans? Assuming you’re working stateside that is

The answer here is somewhat complicated and boils down to “kind of.”  For context, I’ve been in the industry about 10 years, mostly as a freelancer in New York, entirely in theater.  NYC is it’s own little ecosystem where most of us are freelancers.  I can tell you that summerstocks are mostly if not entirely non-union; some of the bigger regional theaters have staff or seasonal props positions but it varies by house whether or not that’s unionized. 

In the city, you have a couple union options: IATSE Locals 1, 52, 829, and ACT.  I am not a member of any of these so take this with a researched grain of salt.

Local 1 covers all the Broadway stagehands as well as film and television, essentially a labor union.  It is time consuming and expensive to join. (If anyone is interested in more on this, let me know - I have met with reps about both joining and the process of unionizing a house.)   If you want to be a stagehand, it is 100% worth it.  They are a VERY strong union and you’ll be very well taken care of.  That said, Local 1 contracts are with houses, not with people.  This means that if you, a union member, work in a non-union space you do not earn union wages or benefits.  (Also I believe you’re supposed to notify the union that you’re doing that but don’t quote me on this.)  For a variety of reasons, only Broadway and a few of the larger off Broadway houses are covered by 1, but they also do a ton of film and tv work.  For props, this mostly means that you’re running shows unless you land a sweet TV gig like SNL. There are a few production props supervisors who are union but they tend not to be artisans. There are a couple non-profit companies like Manhattan Theater Club which have unionized Broadway houses and hire artisans but to be honest it’s fairly rare. (There’s also Local 4 which covers Brooklyn and Queens - you can still work in any IATSE house and it’s slightly easier to join.)

Local 52 does cover all the props subdivisions but is exclusively film and television.  This is pretty much all I know about it.

Local 829, also known as United Scenic Artists, broadly covers designers.  This is essentially an artists’ union.  I know a few props people in this union, but most of them tend to also do scenic design.  Despite the name, they cover all New York designers with, of course, the exception of props designers.  They’re a weaker union than Local 1 but it’s also a union that you take with you rather than being specific to a house.  While they don’t currently have a props category, this is something that the community has been gently buzzing about although it’s a ways off. 

ACT - Allied Crafts and Trades, a subset of IATSE - is the union most props people are in if they’re in one at all.  Most of the regular Broadway prop masters are covered as are touring props people.  It’s significantly easier to get in.  You still have to pay but unlike Local 1 you get in by being sponsored by someone.  This can be a union member in good standing who knows your work, a production company, or a show.  Non-union prop masters who work in union houses are generally on “pink contracts” which is basically an agreement with Local 1.  It’s kind of like being temporarily union but also very much not like that.  I’m happy to go into what I know about this if anyone’s curious but my last pink contract was about seven years ago so my memory is a little vague.  ACT I believe also only covers you in houses that already deal with IATSE. 

Again this is all fairly New York specific but I believe IATSE locals (other than ACT) do tend to cover specific houses rather than freelance artisans like myself.  (Someone correct me if I’m wrong.)

tldr: there are unions props gigs but they are almost entirely centered around Broadway, film, and tv.  For someone who chooses to work mostly in non-profit theater, mostly as an artisan (as I do), there currently is no good union.  Because we fall at the intersection of labor and artistry none of the unions are quite sure what to do with us. 

I haven't met anyone who hasn't faced burnout in their career in the arts, and it's ok. It's hard and it's not fun, but you can get past it. You just need to find ways through. These are some things that help me:

Have a hobby/ do things that aren't related to theatre (or, at times, even anything artistic). I'll paint or crochet, watch crashcourse videos, go to karaoke, or watch my friend's wrestling matches; Something that isn't related to theatre. Don't even listen to a musical soundtrack. Jam to Fleetwood Mac, Lizzo, or Chance the Rapper, but any OBC is off limits.

If you can, take a break. Theatre is a fun job, but it's still a JOB, and you need time off to recoup. I got a job at a bookstore and didn't work any theatre jobs for 3 months. For some people it's their source of income or if you stop accepting jobs you lose your credibility in town (which is a whole other beast), but if you can find a way to take a week off between shows and go visit your sister out of town or road trip to an Airbnb by a lake, or even if you can spend a week vegging out in your apartment and playing board games with friends, do. Sometimes the best cure for burnout is space

Along similar lines, your time off the clock is off the clock. If it isn't crunch time before a show, have time every night set aside for not theatre thoughts. Unless it's tech week or my director tells me they'll need me early or late on an off-day, I will take time off outside of rehearsal times. I won't be available after 10:00pm or an hour after rehearsal, whichever comes later (if rehearsal gets out at 9:30, I'll be available until 10:30), and I won't let myself work on the show after 11:30 pm or before 9:00 am. Boundaries are good, even if they're hard to set.

Get on a regular sleep schedule. A long night of rest isn't a privilege everyone has, but even if you can't sleep long or often, try to fall asleep at the same time. It's proven to not only help you sleep better and feel more rested, but it also helps with cognition, mood regulation, physical health, stress reaction, and a whole bunch of other things

If you can afford it, get a therapist. I'm a firm believer that everyone should have a therapist, regardless of mental health. For realsies, get a therapist. It's life changing.

Once again @thoughts-of-a-stagemanager is not on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. 

Nor do I have ‘Personal’ account I would use to contact you. 

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Any blog that contacts you or replies to you other than this one or @sm-admin-side-blog is not me!

Thank for coming to my Ted Talk. 

As you were.

A follow-up piece to the open letter from a LX Programmer. "The concerns were initially raised by the Association of Lighting Designers, with chair Johanna Town stating that an “expectation to work under intense pressure for periods of 15 to 18 hours per day, six days per week” is standard... “The intensity of the work is causing burnout and serious mental health issues, and programmers are finding themselves physically unable to function after weeks of tech, which is so wrong on every level.”...

“A mix of being committed to the production, more being expected from staff and workers, and low wages are meaning that some job categories are working lots of overtime to boost their wage to a reasonable rate to be able to live on,”... ‘Buyouts’, under which workers are paid a set fee for anticipated overtime, were also contributing to the problem, because “a person ends up working all hours demanded for a fixed cost with no ability to say ‘Enough is enough’”...

Association of Sound Designers chair Dominic Bilkey said that while some workers in the sector enjoyed a sensible work-life balance, many worked 60 hours or more a week. He added: “[Re-assessing] the way in which shows are produced and the mentality that drives some working practices would enable a better work-life balance and enable our members to have sustainable careers while looking after themselves. Initiatives such as job sharing, supporting return-to-work parents and considering different production models could all be used to enact this.”