New stagehands are only as good as the person instructing them. First of all, they provide muscle. First thing I have them do is carry the trusses and lay them out in their proper place, only once. Then I look around for the smallest crew members to bolt the truss together. Anyone can do that, but not everyone can stack dimmer racks and lug heavy cables. Use the larger crew members for that. Early into the load-in, you can usually pick out one person with a good, strong mind. Show them how to lay the cable looms on the truss and attach the multi connections. Show another person how to attach the spansets to the truss and have them connect every pickup point. Take 20 seconds to show one guy how to run up a chain motor with a pickle and have them repeat the process until they’re all done. Don’t be afraid to teach and then trust someone to do it right.
– From Nook Schoenfeld’s LD-at-Large column in the April issue of PLSN
