How to become a Professional Las Vegas Stagehand.

If you have ever thought of working in the entertainment industry and didn't really want to be in the spotlight. Then maybe becoming a professional stagehand would be more of more interest.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• General Stage Knowledge
• Willing to learn
• Various tools for stage

1. Depending on how involved you really want to be as a stagehand will dictate the level of skill needed. For example, maybe you just want to volunteer at you local theatre or maybe you want to work with a professional theatre company or arena as a stagehand for touring shows and concerts. Either way you should go to your local library and search out any books on theatre, stage, and theatrical technicians.
2. For the sake of this article lets say you are interesting in becoming a professional stagehand. In most big cities there is usually a couple of opportunities for employment as a stagehand. Check into all of the professional theatres, arenas, convention centers and even stagehand companies that basically loan stagehands to various events.
   
   You will begin to see that there are a variety of stage hands. This will be where you become more specialized in your search and your focus of education. You can become a lighting stagehand, Audio/ Visual stagehand, Rigging stagehand, Carpenter stagehand, Props stagehand, Costume stagehand and even a few specialized categories exist depending on the production. The larger the company the more departmentalized the stage hands. For example, working for a small local theatre you will probably do it all with the help of maybe one or two other people. If you work for some one like Cirque Du Soliel in Las Vegas then you will be placed in a specific department which then has specific responsibilities within the production.
3. Alright lets say you want to go big time and work for a big production. You can choose to work an in house production or tour with a production. Typically either way you will need to start at the bottom of the totem pole or no someone that can get you into a specific department of your interest. Take Las Vegas for instance, if you want to work one of the many shows out there, it would be a good idea to get to know as many people in the business as possible. Knowing people in the business will get you information, like when a production is about to post a new position. Chances are with little or no experience you might get a position as an "on call stagehand", this is when you would be called to fill in when one of the regulars are out for any reason. This gets your foot in the door. And the best you can do once you land an on call position is never turn down work. There are also independent stagehand companies that will hire more easily than the big productions and this will get you in the business where you can learn on the job much faster.
4. Once you have either landed a spot on the on call board with a show and you're being kept busy with an independent doing conventions and concerts you are now racking up experience. New productions start up all the time and they are always looking for people to work the install (construction of a new show).
5. Alright now your bored with Las Vegas and making killer money with just one show. By now you will have found out where you can make some extra cash doing sideline gigs for maybe Thomas & Mack Arena, MGM Arena or Hard Rock and you are meeting people that are touring with shows. Talk to the road crew of these shows they will tip you off to any spots open on the road. Remember, the more laid back you are and easy to get along with the better chance you have a nailing a road gig.
6. The road gigs pay really well and if your smart you can save most of your cash. Now your travelling the world with some big name band and your still meeting people along the way. Keep in mind that while your travelling you might find the perfect place you eventually want to settle and maybe you can hook up with the arena that is in that town, so never burn bridges in this business.
7. To recap, read as much as you can on your particular interest ( mine was stage & concert rigging), take classes if you can, get a job in the business even if it is just a low man on the totem pole, move to an area that has more opportunity (Vegas, *New York, *L.A.), get on call position, do an install, land a full time crew position, hit the road if your interested, be cool and don't piss people off and you will go far.

Tips & Warnings

• New York and L.A. are heavy union (IATSE) and you are not getting a job unless you are union. It works for some people to join the union and others it doesn't. Las Vegas is half and half, I started in the union then left for better work opportunity.
• Talk to as many people in the business as possible.
• People that complain about working hard should not be in this business. There are hundreds just waiting to take your job, so work hard and have fun.
• Try not to get caught up in the drug scene out on the road it will rob you blind.