Paul Wyse

We have an academic and historic understanding that the collective term of “the crew”—for example, the backstage crew, the stage crew, or the lighting crew—all have specific places to be used; these terms explain and explore the collection of people working within that discipline or in that particular physical area. But what is our linguistic understanding of the difference between the backstage titles of crew and technician? The historical use of terms such as machinist, engineer, and crew, and the reasoning behind their continued use shed some light. An exploration of potential abuse due to the embedded stigma in the term crew and the role crews play in theatre bears exploration as well. Interestingly, surveys of and discussions with professionals and students reveal continued use of these terms despite some stigma about singling out those working in on-stage disciplines, including scenery shifters, fly system operators, and the like. In a small sample survey, perceptions associated with “crew” do not extend to those working within the areas of lighting, sound, and audiovisual because they tend to be viewed as technicians. It’s time for a broader discussion about referring to a lower-skilled position, working under the technician, as “crew.”