Show Safety

The auditorium looked like it hadn’t been lit up in years.

And that was with the lights on.

Look at the picture in this week’s newsletter. That’s the setting that greeted me. Sadly, the picture doesn’t do justice to just how dark the auditorium was.

In desperation, I went to the principal and asked her if there were any additional lights we could turn on. The issue, dear reader, wasn’t for me or my ego. It was for safety.

My stage wasn’t bad. But the problem was my volunteers. I use a LOT of volunteers in my show. With the lack of houselights, I was very concerned about kids coming to and from the stage throughout the show.

The principal explained that most of the lights in the auditorium had burned out and they “hadn’t gotten around to replacing them yet.”

When I expressed my concerns over the bad lighting, she laughed and said it would be fine. I then reminded her of my volunteers and the potential safety hazard of kids walking around in dim lighting conditions.

“Just pick kids near the aisles,” she said with a wink.

I did the show and was nervous the entire time. Everything turned out fine, but I was worried throughout the entire show.

“At least I have a topic for this week’s newsletter,” I thought as I began to break down my equipment.

There are several simple things you can do to stay safe during shows. I’ll list a few I’ve noticed over the years for different kinds of shows. This list will by no means be exhaustive, but if you’re new to professional performing, hopefully it will get you thinking about safety for your gigs.


CORPORATE SHOWS

First, in a general sense, consider pathways when you’re setting up. I’ve lost count of how many times I’m asked to set up my show in a high-traffic area.

If I’m doing a corporate gig, I’m often asked to set up in front of the buffet tables. With a lot of equipment, this can cause several tripping hazards if you’re not careful.

Years ago, I had fairly elaborate setups for corporate gigs. Backdrops, banners, and a two-speaker sound system. With speakers on either side of my performing area, I had a lot of wires running across the performing area. Whole lotta tripping potential.

These days, I use a Bose L1 sound system. As a one-speaker system, I only have to worry about one cord running from my system to the nearest wall outlet. Most of the time, I’m able to park my system within a few feet of the outlet, minimizing any tripping hazards.

My corporate show itself is essentially now just a briefcase on a stick. If I’m performing a full hour show, I might also use a ditch container on a stand to my left that I can toss props into as I finish routines.

That means if I’m performing in front of the buffet table, I can wait until a minute or two before I’m due to start my show and place my briefcase and ditch container in place in just a few seconds.

LIBRARIES

Depending on the library, I might be performing in a conference room or in between the stacks. If I’m between the stacks, I try to set up my show as with corporate gigs – with my stuff set up and off to one side. As the kids gather, I drag everything in place right before show time.

If I’m lucky enough to perform in a conference room, I always situate my PA system as far away from the entrance where the kids will be coming in as possible. Again, I try to avoid tripping hazards as much as possible.

SCHOOLS

In some ways, this is the toughest situation for me. Schools have a variety of performing venues for performers and each has its own challenges.

If I’m performing in a gym, it’s usually easy enough to find an outlet close to where I’m performing. But the biggest issue with performing in gyms is the Phys ed teacher. I always include a note with the invoice about making other arrangements for gym classes during my visit. At least 50% of the time these requests are ignored.

I’m then forced to set up with kids running around. There’s not much I can do other than ask for big bright cones to set up near my stuff to prevent kids from tripping.

Cafeterias are great as they often have a short stage only a foot or two off the ground. So my stuff is away from normal foot traffic. And it’s usually easy to find a wall outlet far enough away from that foot traffic.

Auditoriums are the worst. Most of the time the only way the kids can see the stage is if the techs turn on spotlights, which blinds me and makes me wonder if I’m going to tumble off the stage.

But the biggest problem with an auditorium stage? The stage itself is between four and five feet off the ground. Electrical outlets are usually located in front of the stage. My clients usually tell me to plug my system into one of these outlets.

They’re baffled when I politely refrain from doing so. After all, as kids join me onstage, they have to cross the power cord to my system. It’s a tripping hazard, even if I tape it down with gaffers or duct (duck?) tape.

If I search hard enough, I can almost always find an outlet that’s not located near where kids will be walking toward me onstage.

Regardless of your performing situation, aim to keep everyone (not just your audience) safe from any tripping hazards when setting up your equipment.

What about YOU? What do you do to keep your audiences safe?

Until next time, have a great week.

--Cris

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