# Beer on the console



## cbenjes (Sep 8, 2009)

Back in college I was running lighting for a January Term production called "Kennedy's Children." The entire show - two 1-hour acts - was a bar scene where a variety of patrons at tables in the bar spoke in soliloquy to the audience about their life in the early 1960's and how JFK's death affected them. Only 4 lighting cues in the whole show (lights up, lights down, lights up, lights down) so life was easy and the show was boring to say the least. 

Attendance for the show on the first of the 2 nights was decent, but by the second act, only a handful of people were still in the audience, most probably the parents of the actors who had yet to speak their part. We probably had over 200 patrons walk out by intermission. Oh, well the show must go on.

For closing night, I invited a friend to stop by and we'd go out barhopping afterward. The lighting console - a Theater Techniques Inc (TTI) 2-scene preset board from 1976 was operated from a table mid-audience, so relative quiet was necessary to avoid distraction from the play. However, to pass the time, my buddy brought a case of Michelob bottles. The first two went down nicely just as the first act began. We were fairly successful to hide the PSSST of the bottle being opened from the packed audience. However, as the show progressed and as the beer was consumed and as people streamed out, we sort of lost our professional demeanor, and each progressive PSSST started to echo as the theater emptied out. Bottles clinked, beer caps rolled, and we got pretty loud. Funny, the audience didn't seem to care, and was probably a little envious and jealous that some people in the theater that night were enjoying themselves.

Finally, the faculty moderator for the theater club sat down next to me at the board and I thought we were going to get expelled. I didn't think he was there that night. I thought we were dead. He looked around the board at all of the empty bottles, looked at the number of people remaining in the audience, leaned in and said, "Is this show really as bad as I think?" I nodded, and was very relieved when he said with a smile, "Got an extra beer?"


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## edmedmoped (Sep 8, 2009)

haha great story


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## Grog12 (Sep 8, 2009)

LoL...I had a Nutcracker expierence similar to this, there was reception for the mucky mucks of the theatre upstairs, my boss looked at me, looked at the stage and said "Call me when your fly cue is over, I'll bring you a beer."


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## KeepOnTruckin (Sep 9, 2009)

by the title of the thread I was expecting to hear about how you spilled a beer on the console.

A friend of mine was running sound and he managed to pour a beer down the sound board. Amazingly, it still worked, except channel 9 didn't work.

Good to hear you found something useful to do during a bad show.


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## Soxred93 (Sep 9, 2009)

KeepOnTruckin said:


> by the title of the thread I was expecting to hear about how you spilled a beer on the console.



You know, I was thinking the exact same thing. I wouldn't have any sympathy in that case, you should never have any liquid near a console.


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## cbenjes (Sep 9, 2009)

Well, in our state of mind, we did spill a little, maybe even a whole one, but we were still coherent enough to keep the beer far enough away from the board. Usually, the bottles were down low on the floor as not to attract undue attention. Clink, clink, pssst, burp. 

Now if my son ever did that around his school's new Ion, he'd be in real trouble.


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## Grog12 (Sep 9, 2009)

For the record, there shouldn't ever be food or drink in a booth...Especially when the drink is booze.

There isn't anything more nerve racking then dealing with a drunk onstage, its just plain unsafe. 

The theatre is a dangerous place and adding booze into the mix makes it even worse.


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## gafftaper (Sep 9, 2009)

Yes this sort of thing does happen from time to time (and the story was funny), however I want to point out it's not the kind of thing anyone with dreams of having a long full career as a professional technician should consider. Drinking on the job is automatic firing most places. You drink, you loose your edge, you make mistakes, mistakes easily lead to the creation of dangerous situations for the cast, crew, or audience. It might be funny once, but if you keep doing it, eventually something bad will happen and you will be out of work. Finding someone willing to hire you after you get fired for drinking on the job is going to be REALLY hard. 

(Remember I work in a college) two years ago we had a couple cast members drinking in the dressing room. This lead to a fist fight between lead actors over a girl. We came very close to having the show shut down by the school administration. It reflects badly on the cast, the crew, the director, the T.D., and The department as a whole. 

Don't drink in the theater. 

...and coming from someone who had a friend killed by a drunk driver. Make sure you have a designated driver after the cast party too!


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## museav (Sep 9, 2009)

In today's world I can just see the parents of one of the actors suing the school when their child doesn't get a job after graduating and using this episode as an example of the education and support provided by the college ("How could anyone expect them to be successful when you knowingly surrounded them with a bunch of drunks!"). Not to mention the potential implications if there had been an accident or emergency regardless of the cause or outcome. It's sad, but you sometimes have to think that way. 

I also agree that on most of my projects the workplaces are required to be drug and alcohol free. Violations are cause for termination and a supervisor knowing of a violation but taking no action could be cause for terminating the employer's contract and invoking their Performance Bond.

Not to mention that it is poor etiquette to have not brought enough for everyone!


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## chris325 (Sep 9, 2009)

KeepOnTruckin said:


> by the title of the thread I was expecting to hear about how you spilled a beer on the console.
> 
> A friend of mine was running sound and he managed to pour a beer down the sound board. Amazingly, it still worked, except channel 9 didn't work.
> 
> Good to hear you found something useful to do during a bad show.



Something tells me that a drunk sound board would have more than just channel 9 not working.

Just a thought...


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## KeepOnTruckin (Sep 9, 2009)

chris325 said:


> Something tells me that a drunk sound board would have more than just channel 9 not working.
> 
> Just a thought...



you would think so, but I tell you the truth only one channel broke. Well acutally the console smelled like beer for a while too, if that counts as broken


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## FatherMurphy (Sep 11, 2009)

chris325 said:


> Something tells me that a drunk sound board would have more than just channel 9 not working.
> 
> Just a thought...



You must not have done very many bar band gigs in your life... the old analog touring boards could sometimes take a direct hit from a full pitcher, and after 20 minutes with a hair dryer, be back in business (Granted, these were the consoles that made Peaveys sound high class, and you wouldn't get away with it on one of today's digital desks). For boards that would go from a -20 F station wagon to a humid bar and back on a nightly basis, a little beer wouldn't do much more than make the faders a bit stickier.

Still, fluids and electricity aren't the best of combinations. Chances were equally good that something crucial would release its magic smoke, and you would be done for the night.


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## ReiRei (Sep 12, 2009)

You should have been expelled. In my opinion there is nothing funny about drinking on the job, even if you're just working the board. And though the show was horrible is is no excuse to be drinking. Not only can it put everyone in danger because you now lack the ability to think clearly but it's _so_ unprofessional. 

I had to deal with two girls coming into a day of tech week drunk and I was livid. One of them was supposed to help me focus lights off our second catwalk but it ended up being only me since she was drunk. I told them that if they ever came in like that again I would notify our supervisor, the police (as they were both very underage), and then I sent them both home.

I have absolutely no tolerance for that kind of behavior in the workplace. Especially when you're doing dangerous work that requires your full and sober attention. I hope to never come across that sort of situation again.


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## MillburyAuditorium (Sep 13, 2009)

Soxred93 said:


> You know, I was thinking the exact same thing. I wouldn't have any sympathy in that case, you should never have any liquid near a console.



Funny story btw xD

lol Soxred,
Well, I put my drinks on the floor next to me, I am at the like edge of the seats in the back of the house with the light board, so someone from the play sneaks into the house, because his script was to run down the aisle, so he like, slides into my can of soda xD I made him get paper towels xD Good thing he didn't miss his cue.
Note to self, bring bottles, not cans, and put them on the inside part, not outside.


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## shiben (Sep 15, 2009)

Yeah, I think what went wrong here is that you decided to drink on the job... My theory is that no matter how boring the show, and no matter how little work you have to do, it is kinda your job to be bored s***less and deal with it. The big issue for me is if you had a situation crop up, what would you have done? I was working on a show once, during tech, and could have been smashed. Until the swing on the set broke, and me and the TD had to fix it during intermission. Have fun up a 20' ladder after drinking a few beers. And that probably wouldnt happen, but it could. Its just a straight up bad idea, and could result in a lot of unnecessary risk. Drink your beer at home, or in a bar, always use a DD, and dont do it underage. Once thats met, have fun!


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## Grommet (Dec 28, 2009)

In highschool a few actors came to rehearsal drunk. And they were the kind that were ditzy and gullible sober.

The drama teacher and student director had a hay day with those two.
It was great amusement for the rest of us.
_"can you do that scene again"_


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## photoatdv (Dec 28, 2009)

I was local crew on a show that the touring crew were downing quite a few during the second act. Then they did strike !


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## mstaylor (Dec 28, 2009)

We used to do a ragae festival every year and the road manager would sit on a road box smoking wacky tabaky and call the pack. Luckily he was smart enough to watch and not help.


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## dcollins (Dec 28, 2009)

I have coffee in the booth all the time.

Now, I've heard stories of a show, and I think this is the same show that I always here the 'awful director' horror stories about, a few years back, where water bottles were actually painted black and filled with various sorts of alcohol so the crew could carry them on stage. Apparently the show was just that awful. This was a few years ago, and apparently they managed to not break anything or anyone, luckily. I'm fairly certain that wouldn't happen again, due to the disastrous amount of destruction that we unleashed last show, sober no less, and the ensuing safety concerns for our next show. Still, the idea of a drunk flyman is more than a little bit scary.


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## eternalfire1244 (Dec 28, 2009)

mstaylor said:


> We used to do a ragae festival every year and the road manager would sit on a road box smoking wacky tabaky and call the pack. Luckily he was smart enough to watch and not help.



The very worst is when the crew is plastered during setup. There was a show that came through called "Margaritaville"that the entire crew were drinking (heavily) during setup and tear down and was the worst professional conduct I had yet seen. 
It isn't safe nor sane to drink on the job. Things happen and if you are not prepared to deal with the situation because you are drinking it will for sure look bad on you.


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## MSLD (Dec 29, 2009)

i was at the West Virginia Interstate Fair this past summer and we just finished a Luke Bryan and had to strike the PA, Lights, and Roof. The moment the the trailer door went up on the bands gear we all heard a PSSST of beer bottles from the local crew. I looked at them and said "Ya'll still have 2 more trucks to load" i kid you not they looked at me and said F*** YOU!!! needless to say me and 2 other guys tore down all of that stuff by ourselves. We didnt hurry though and mad sure it was all safe and took our time but i mean really, the local crew should have known better.


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## kiwitechgirl (Dec 29, 2009)

We had a very funny episode a few years back when one of the Russian ballet companies was in town. The show was just about to come down on final night, crew all waiting in the dock to start the load-out, when the Russian head mechanist appeared and said to the local crew chief "Big problem." Local crew chief of course asked what the problem was, and got the response "the Wodka is in Kolya." Kolya was the Russian second mech who, unknown to anyone else, had spent the last act in a quiet corner with a bottle of vodka. He was also the truck driver and the one who called the pack...there was much laughter, luckily the pack wasn't a difficult one and I believe Kolya had sobered up enough to drive by the time the truck was scheduled to leave the next morning!


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## Thefoxygranpa (Dec 29, 2009)

Had a DDA monitor console go in the shop recently for a liquid problem, very pricey fix.

It actually turned out to be Coke despite all the bets going around that it was beer...


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## Anonymous067 (Dec 29, 2009)

Thefoxygranpa said:


> It actually turned out to be Coke despite all the bets going around that it was beer...



How could they tell? Smell...?


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## zuixro (Dec 30, 2009)

We have 4 Saturday work calls every semester. Every time, the day before, our TD comes in and says "I don't care if you go out and get drunk tonight, but don't come in tomorrow whining about your hangovers." Still, everyone (except me and one or two others) go out and get plastered Friday night, then come in late Saturday morning, hungover. Between that and smoke breaks every 15 minutes, we don't get much done before lunch. 

On another note:
The company I used to work for had a policy against drinking while on the job. They always talked about having a beer at the festivals and stuff, but the only time I ever saw one of the drink was when it was one guy's birthday. We went to a Mexican restaurant after load-in, and he got his one "birthday beer" on the company tab.


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## mstaylor (Dec 30, 2009)

My hands learned quickly not to let know they were hungover. First, I have never had a hangover. Second, they knew they had to work so I have no sympathy. If I know they are hungover they get every bad job there is, feeder, truck whatever I can find.


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## shiben (Dec 30, 2009)

I dont mind if hands are hung over, not whole lot you can do about that if your the drinking type, i just dont want to hear about it. As long as your hangover is not so severe that you are unable to safely do the work, no problems, just dont whine about it because it annoys me. I get them sometmimes (mstaylor, you are a lucky man. Either you have never drank, or your body loves you more than mine does. I can get hung over after only having the recomended maximum daily alotment if im not careful and dont drink enough water...) but I dont let others know about them, so neither should anyone else.


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## mstaylor (Dec 30, 2009)

Luckily I inherited that from my Dad. I assure you I have taken my shot at getting a hangover, I just don't. My Mom on the hand got them bigtime. Dad would get up wit the four of us when we were little and tell us we had to be quiet because Mom had gotten tired the night before. It got to be the running joke as we got older.


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## ChrisPistols (Dec 30, 2009)

I think the story is a great one, but no matter how bad the show you should maintain a certain level of professionalism while operating a show regardless of how bad the show is. All it takes is one screw up involving alcohol and you're DONE!!! Also NO LIQUIDS BY THE CONSOLE *EVER!!*


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## zuixro (Dec 31, 2009)

ChrisPistols said:


> Also NO LIQUIDS BY THE CONSOLE *EVER!!*



Bottles are usually ok, if you keep the cap on. For open cups/cans, keep them below the plane of the board at all times!

Cup holders on the desk might not be such a bad idea. The drink will be less likely to get knocked over that way.


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## bull (Dec 31, 2009)

I often have food and drink in the booth because on most days I am in there working for the most of my day, but it always stays on the empty desk in the back of the booth. Far away from anything that will get damaged by liquid. People hate me for it, but I have thrown away many many drinks that people have decided to bring up there, usually actors hiding in there. I threw away 9 cokes a couple days ago, sitting right in between the computer and the lighting desk. Seeing as I am the Lighting Designer, Lighting Programmer, Board Operator, Projection Designer, Sound Desk Op. etc. etc. and work by myself 80% of the time. I dont care who you are, don't put drinks near the boards, I will kill you. Ha. While the story was funny, don't drink while you are working in theatre, that is a completely immature, unprofessional, and unsafe situation.


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## MrsFooter (Dec 31, 2009)

I would like to make it very clear, so that no one jumps down my throat, that I do not advocate drinking alcohol at work. I have never done so, and I don't plan to ever do so. I have enough trouble doing my job when sober. So remember, I don't think you should be drinking alcohol behind the board.

However. It happens more than you think. And I don't mean by the community theatre board opp. I mean by real life professionals with some pretty big name tours. And to be frankly honest, alcohol is the least of some of their evils. All I'm saying is if one of the road guys is real twitchy on the in and finds everything funny on the out, it wasn't the booze he was hitting.

What I'm really trying to say is that while these guys may have been a little dumb, cut them a little slack. It was a laid back show. And while it's clear that the number of beers consumed is larger than one or two, I still have yet to meet a guy that was rendered useless by 3 or 4 beers. As long as they weren't planning to toss weight or rehang the plot, I don't think they seriously endangered anyone. Just my 2c.


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## Anvilx (Dec 31, 2009)

ChrisPistols said:


> I think the story is a great one, but no matter how bad the show you should maintain a certain level of professionalism while operating a show regardless of how bad the show is. All it takes is one screw up involving alcohol and you're DONE!!! Also NO LIQUIDS BY THE CONSOLE *EVER!!*



Calm down! You think liquid by the console is bad. A few months ago I found a couple of cokes backstage on the pagoda distro box, the choir had left them their. As you can imagine I had a talk with all the cast and choir after the rehearsal.


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## gcpsoundlight (Jan 1, 2010)

Even though I am underage, I can still tell when it is too much. Another tech who I was working with got plastered inbetween shows on a saturday, and came close to screwing up the scenes he was in, not to mention the verbal abuse me and others copped 'cause he was plastered.,


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## shiben (Jan 2, 2010)

gcpsoundlight said:


> Even though I am underage, I can still tell when it is too much. Another tech who I was working with got plastered inbetween shows on a saturday, and came close to screwing up the scenes he was in, not to mention the verbal abuse me and others copped 'cause he was plastered.,



Thats when you have a person who is too far gone and should be booted. Especially if they are an angry/annoying drunk, you really dont want to deal with them in an already stressful situation. MrsFooter, I have seen the same, and I guess i dont understand it. We have had some really big groups come in and on one of them, their sound guy, lighting guy, and monitory guy were all drinking during the show. Mind you, this is on an alchohol free campus. After the show, instead of helping the rental shop people and house crew with the out, they got together with the band and had such a good time in the parking lot with some groupies that security had to escort the entire group off campus... I feel that crossed several major lines on their part. 

Also, liquids by the console can be managed, especially if they are in screw top bottles. I have found those to be useful, and with a long christmas or easter concert (read: every group in the school performing a few songs in a static wash), a lifesaver for not going to sleep while on the board.


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## gcpsoundlight (Jan 2, 2010)

Unfortunately, this being a volunteer based crew, and this was only my second show with them, that is not possible, although I noticed that he wasn't on the crew list this year - he was there, but he was working on FOH, and I changed departments anyway.


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## TheLightmaster (Jan 30, 2010)

I was programming cues for my community theatre's production of _Beauty & The Beast _and the LD spilled his coke on the stage manager's script. Thank goodness it didn't fall on our ETC Express 48/96.


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## Tex (Feb 19, 2010)

MrsFooter said:


> It happens more than you think. And I don't mean by the community theatre board opp. I mean by real life professionals with some pretty big name tours. And to be frankly honest, alcohol is the least of some of their evils. All I'm saying is if one of the road guys is real twitchy on the in and finds everything funny on the out, it wasn't the booze he was hitting.


It's not just technicians, either. I was working at a melodrama theatre in my youth and was upstage of another actor in the first scene of the show. He turned upstage as part of his blocking. Out of view of the audience, he stuck out his tounge so I could see. On it was a hit of blotter acid. The rest of the show was different, but he held it together.
Kids, don't try this at home...


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## shiben (Feb 21, 2010)

Tex said:


> It's not just technicians, either. I was working at a melodrama theatre in my youth and was upstage of another actor in the first scene of the show. He turned upstage as part of his blocking. Out of view of the audience, he stuck out his tounge so I could see. On it was a hit of blotter acid. The rest of the show was different, but he held it together.
> Kids, don't try this at home...



Dont do this ever. One of the guys in my company is really screwed up by this type of stuff. If you feel the need to alter your mental state, do it legally and safely. My preferred method is Lucid Dreaming. Its a kick, and its side effects are you get well rested, completely drug free (although you can try and fly out a window if you wake up and think your still dreaming, always check the clock twice before you do anything stupid).


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## Anvilx (Feb 21, 2010)

shiben said:


> Dont do this ever. One of the guys in my company is really screwed up by this type of stuff. If you feel the need to alter your mental state, do it legally and safely. My preferred method is Lucid Dreaming. Its a kick, and its side effects are you get well rested, completely drug free (although you can try and fly out a window if you wake up and think your still dreaming, always check the clock twice before you do anything stupid).



+1 for Shiben!


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## punktech (Apr 26, 2010)

if this is such a no-no, then why does every touring lighting designer/director i've ever known or seen usually have a beer glued to his/her hand by the beginning of the second set?


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## shiben (Apr 26, 2010)

punktech said:


> if this is such a no-no, then why does every touring lighting designer/director i've ever known or seen usually have a beer glued to his/her hand by the beginning of the second set?



Because touring LDs for bands can do what they want. They tend to have a fairly solid gig, and seeing as more than a few bands go on fairly well lubricated, I suppose they figure one or ten isnt a problem. Not something I would ever do, accuracy of motor skills goes down too fast... Possibly your local crews are irksome?


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## punktech (Apr 26, 2010)

haha, i was being facetious, i know touring LDs do what they want, it's why i wanna be one! as for irksome crews, idk about the ones i wasn't on, but i like to think that i reduce the irking factor of the crews i am on. i'm typically the one that does stuff that the roadies ask for even when it distinctly is not in my job description (one time a crew i worked with needed ice and a cooler for a some sodas, and had asked at the beginning of load-in, no one got any ice, not even the catering staff. at the end of load-in, i grabbed a cooler, asked if they still wanted someone to get ice, they did, i filled it with ice, one of them came back from their bus with a case of coca-cola and and i helped her fit all the cans into the cooler and ice. all of them loved me from that point forward.)


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