Players Theatre Company
by Chris Peterson
A reader recently emailed me about something that’s probably happened in more theatres than any of us would like to admit.
The show ends. Everyone gathers onstage for a group photo. A lovely little memory of the production you all worked so hard to put together.
Except some of the people who worked on it aren’t there.
In this reader’s case, they’d spent years as a light board operator, bringing up the lights for those photos, only for everyone to start snapping away without waiting for them. Recently, as a technical director, they watched it happen to their team. Only two crew members made it into the picture. The others hadn’t even been told it was happening.
Nobody noticed.
I’ve seen this firsthand. Once in college, the photo was taken without most of the running crew, who were still closing down the show. Another time, thankfully, the stage manager called a hold on photos until everyone was onstage. I was glad they did, although I wish someone hadn’t needed to say it.
Because how do you ask somebody to turn on the lights for a group photo and then forget to give them time to walk down?
I get how it happens. But the person standing in the booth gets to watch everybody celebrate a show they helped make possible, knowing there won’t be any evidence they were part of that moment.
That would hurt my feelings, too. And I don’t think someone should have to apologize for admitting it.
Tell people ahead of time that there will be a company photo. Give them a chance to finish whatever needs doing. Ask the stage manager or department leads whether anyone is missing. And if you’ve asked someone to bring up lights, move scenery, or fly something in for your picture, wait for them.
You can take cast photos, too. Nobody’s trying to ban those. But when you call for everyone, mean EVERYONE (Like the Players Theatre Company did in the photo above).