Enrichment · Arts & Creativity

Every cue called.
Every crew member ready.

A show’s technical crew is often its least visible and most trusted team: the stage manager calling cues, the board operators, the rail and the deck. List each position and who holds it, mark who is trained and on headset, and work through the safety steps before the first technical rehearsal.

Add a productionWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Arts & Creativity collection, $69 for 23 items.

Your productions

The worked example is made up: a spring musical ten days from tech with an untrained fly rail crew and no deck crew yet, and a one-act festival ready to go. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · Arts & Creativity$5

What you finish with
A record per production: the show, first tech and opening dates, cue count, each crew position with initials, training and headset, and nine safety and readiness steps. Counts crew and trained crew and days to tech and opening; flags core positions unfilled, untrained people on the rail, spots, boards or in the shop, rigging not inspected and running crew without headsets.
Who it is for
Theater teachers, technical directors and student stage managers at schools and community theaters.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved record per production. Prints one production’s crew sheet, every production in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Arts & Creativity collection ($69) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add the show with tech and opening dates.
  2. List every position and who holds it.
  3. Mark who is trained and who is on headset.
  4. Work through the safety steps before tech.
  5. Print the crew sheet for the call board.

Add a production

Three kinds of crew

Who calls, who runs, who buildsCalls the showStage manager: everycue, on headsetAssistant: backstage,the actors’ entrancesRuns the showLight and sound boardsFly rail and deck crewFollow spots, props,wardrobeBuilds beforeScene shop and paintHang and focus lightsSound check and mic tapeWho calls, who runs, who buildsCalls the showStage manager: every cue, on headsetAssistant: backstage, the actors’ entrancesRuns the showLight and sound boardsFly rail and deck crewFollow spots, props, wardrobeBuilds beforeScene shop and paintHang and focus lightsSound check and mic tape
During a run the stage manager’s “stand by” and “go” are the only commands; a clear stop word lets anyone halt the action for safety.

The fly rail

A counterweight fly system can drop hundreds of pounds if loaded wrong. Rigging should be inspected by a qualified person, and only trained crew, supervised by an adult, should load arbors or run lines.

Headsets and cue lights

Anyone who moves scenery, flies a piece or runs a spot needs to hear “stand by” and “go.” Where headsets run short, a cue light is the classic backup.

Sources

  1. Educational Theatre Association. Theatre safety resources and Safety guidelines for school theatre (schooltheatre.org).
  2. United States Institute for Theatre Technology. Recommended practices and safety resources (usitt.org).
  3. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Ladder safety and aerial lifts fact sheets (osha.gov).
  4. Gillette, J. M., and McNamara, M. (2019). Theatrical Design and Production (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

The worked examples are made up. Safety steps here are general; your venue’s rules and a qualified technician govern rigging and lifts. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.