# King/Queen of the Booth Complex



## Footer (Oct 19, 2008)

(Let it be known that [user]dvsDave[/user] is the King of Controlbooth.com, and is unrelated to this discussion.)

A person who has the attitude of being the all-encompassing ruler of all things technical theatre, usually found in the High School, and occasionally the College, environment. He/She tends to believe that he is the only person who can correctly perform most tasks. He/She also has a complex for collecting keys, and likes to display them on his belt, as a symbol of his "power."

In reality, Kings/Queens of the Booth can be detrimental to everyone and every show involved. In a misguided sense of self-preservation, they tend not to teach what they have learned to others, therefore they dry up the knowledge base in a theatre. 

In the world of professional entertainment, Kings/Queens of the Booth will most often find themselves without a Booth in which to reign.


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## icewolf08 (Oct 20, 2008)

This is also known as "big fish in a small pond" syndrome. Just because you are at the top of the food chain where you happen to be does not mean that you are better than everyone.


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## gafftaper (Oct 20, 2008)

Listen to Footer my young friends. He speaks the truth. When I was a student teacher there were these two students who called themselves "lighting gods". It turns out the reason they thought they were so "amazing" was they knew the secret of how to record a submaster on an old EDI two scene preset board. They wouldn't tell anyone how to record a sub (hold the record button and press the bump button under the sub you want to use). They were obnoxious. They didn't really know anything. But boy could they talk and intimidate other technicians. The first thing I did was take half a dozen other students in and show them how to do it to. Then I changed the softpatch and the "lighting gods" suddenly had no idea how to do anything and had to come ask me for help. 

If you are in high school and you find yourself thinking "I know more about tech than everyone else". STOP! That attitude is guaranteed to bring you to failure later. You pull that type of attitude once in a professional theater setting and you might never get a job again. Pro's will not accept that attitude. 

I had the privilege of spending an hour with one of the most respected rigging experts in the world the other day (Jay Glerum). He's the guy who literally wrote THE BOOK on rigging. The man travels all over the world certifying that theater's rigging systems are safe for use. If anyone has a right to be conceited about being the best he does. Instead he's a kind generous man who loves to share a good story, to teach, and inspire others to do better. Or take our own CB member Steve Terry, the man is a Vice President at ETC and an industry legend. Why does he spend his time here sharing information with an obnoxious 18 year old from Melbourne, Australia? Isn't he "too important" to hang out with a bunch of students, community theater, church techs, and teachers like us? Of course he is! However, he does it anyway because it's important to him to pass on the knowledge he has to the next generation of theater technicians coming up. What about Ship? Icewolf? Footer? Derek? Van? Me?... Why did dvsDave start this website in the first place? I could go on a long time with a list of people who hang out here who have careers. Sure we learn things from each other, but we get nothing out of the hours we spend helping young technicians here. The truth is by sharing with you we might someday be out of a job. So why do it? 

Truly great technicians lead by example. They inspire by their work ethic. They are calm under under pressure. They take the worst jobs that are dumped on them, eat them for breakfast and can be found sweeping the shop a few minutes later because it needs to be done. Most importantly truly great technicians understand that tech theater is a team sport. When one person learns more and get's better at their job, it makes everyone else on the crew better at their job. Great technicians have no secrets they wouldn't share with someone just coming along trying to learn their job.

So go ahead and be King/Queen of the Booth if it makes you feel special. But trust me it won't lead to anything special in the end. If you want to be a great technician, cut your attitude, and learn to teach and help others.


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## Van (Oct 20, 2008)

Footer said:


> .....He/She also has a complex for collecting keys, and likes to display them on his belt, as a symbol of his "power."
> ......


 
Ah the "Self Important Key Jingler" complex, I've seen it many a time. 


These are good words children Listen well.


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## elite1trek (Oct 21, 2008)

> A person who has the attitude of being the all-encompassing ruler of all things technical theatre, usually found in the High School, and occasionally the College, environment. He/She tends to believe that he is the only person who can correctly perform most tasks. He/She also has a complex for collecting keys, and likes to display them on his belt, as a symbol of his "power."
> 
> In reality, Kings/Queens of the Booth can be detrimental to everyone and every show involved. In a misguided sense of self-preservation, they tend not to teach what they have learned to others, therefore they dry up the knowledge base in a theatre



I have worked with people like that, and they are not fun. I try not to be like that, although I do like my keys. 

And Gafftaper put it quite well!


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## philhaney (Oct 21, 2008)

Here's something I heard on the radio this morning:


> _Everyone _you meet today will be better than you at _something_.



Sorta helps to put things in perspective...


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## philhaney (Oct 21, 2008)

gafftaper said:


> If you ... find yourself thinking "I know more about tech than everyone else". STOP! That attitude is guaranteed to bring you to failure later. You pull that type of attitude once in a professional theater setting and you might never get a job again. Pro's will not accept that attitude.



My roommate is fond of saying, "It's a small world. There are only 40 people in theatre and we keep running into each other."

_Nothing gets around faster in the theatre industry than your reputation._


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## garyvp (Oct 22, 2008)

I designed and built our booth, and love it, but I do not nest there. We have nine shows and the director, sound and lighting technician are given the booth when they are in production. At best, it is queen for a day. While they are in prod, I encourage them to own the CB an take care of it. I delight in explaining the metering system ...........boy, do they get bored. I wrote the lighting control board manual and still refuse to set up subs and cues; they have to own it.

I think the point of the original post is germane to a lot technical environments, not just theater - certainly exists in IT. The idea that knowledge is power is BS and for second raters. It is also destructive to the group process. I try to give it away all the time, and that is where the satisfaction is, and that is why I have been successful.


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## len (Oct 22, 2008)

Van said:


> Ah the "Self Important Key Jingler" complex, I've seen it many a time.



Also known as the Schneider complex.


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## Footer (Oct 22, 2008)

garyvp said:


> I think the point of the original post is germane to a lot technical environments, not just theater - certainly exists in IT.



San Francisco's 'rogue' sysadmin still being paid while in jail ? The Register

Even though I know where this guy is coming from. Also, he was gone for 3 weeks and his network stayed up without being touched, so that does say something.


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## Kelite (Oct 22, 2008)

Footer said:


> San Francisco's 'rogue' sysadmin still being paid while in jail ? The Register
> 
> Even though I know where this guy is coming from. Also, he was gone for 3 weeks and his network stayed up without being touched, so that does say something.





In the follow-up article that tells of the 'rogue sysadmin' named Childs coughing up the passwords, the boss had this to say-


Newsom said Childs was very good at what he did but had recently "become a bit maniacal".

*"become a bit maniacal". *HA!


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## mbandgeek (Oct 24, 2008)

Yeah, I come from the environment where i was king of the booth. I tried my hardest not to be the things mentioned in this thread. When i started out, there was just me and one other kid. After 6 months it was just me. And it stayed that way for 2 years, not because i was trying to hog the power, but there was simply no one that was interested in working tech. I left my high school with 5-6 technicians that i had helped train. Its a really great feeling seeing someone operate the lighting console (granted its an old teatronics 2 scene preset) after i told them how to.

I see some of the big fish in the small pond syndrome here. There are a few guys that should shut their mouths and open their ears. They haven't grasped the concept that this isn't high school anymore, and that all of us in the class were the best at our high schools. High school is over, this is the real world. I'm waiting for them to get the reality check.
[/minor_rant]


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## stevefox (Oct 24, 2008)

I'm kind of like this, unfortunately. But I try to explain how things work to everyone as we go, but 80% of them don't care and just want to get out of a few classes throughought the year, and 10% of them think they know everything about anything and then forget to do stupid stuff (turn on phantom power, ect.). The other 10% is me and the asst. TD.


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## ReiRei (Oct 27, 2008)

I suppose I am one of the three booth rulers at my high school. It's only because I'm reliable, dedicated, and know what I'm doing though. However, I don't jingle keys and I teach my classmates the things that I know. Especially after my first year of tech and we had to call back techs that had graduated to teach us how to use stuff.

However, I don't go around saying, "what can I teach you guys today?" If someone wants to learn something they need to come to me and ask first. Truthfully I'm always busy when I'm at the theatre and I can't just drop what I'm doing. But if somebody comes to me wanting to learn how to operate something or how to hang something I usually make time for them. 

The whole key jingling thing is slowly beginning to die for the show at my high school. I was working an outside gig and I had to unlock the "backstage" doors of our black box theatre. So I walked into the mainstage and went up to the stage manager quietly during rehearsal for Company of Wayward Saints and I asked for the keys. Flat out told me no; needless to say I eventually got the keys after staring him down. Had a long talk with him about it the next day. It won't happen again.

Best way to get rid of the "Key jingler", confront him/her about it. They'll get defensive and mad about it first, but eventually they'll get it. Or they won't and a TD will put him/her back in their place. 

Oh my poor grammar hurts even me... but I'm too lazy to correct myself.


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## deadlygopher (Oct 27, 2008)

I've been battling this issue for the past year.

Last year (my Junior year in High School) the head tech was a bit of an interesting character. He'd stolen some keys in middle school and used those keys to borrow/duplicate more keys. He's been in possession of a district grandmaster since his sophomore year. Unfortunately he came in during his freshman year as the only non-senior tech. During his sophomore year he was the only student tech left. Since he's not the most academically-inclined person he literally dedicated every waking hour to the theater. 

I came in during the end of his Junior year (my sophomore). I'd been doing sound for my band and a few friends' bands for years, and I'd been doing various carpentry projects with my dad and uncle for my whole life. I wanted to come in and actually do something. That year I was stage crew on one show.

The next year I came back ready to actually work. I worked a ton on set construction, and our teacher decided that I should run lights for a show. Unfortunately this other student didn't like that I would be running a show he designed. I was eager to learn at this point and took all the direction I could from him and others. I also asked a lot of questions and did a lot of research. 

The next show rolled around, and I was selected to do light design. This was a student-directed show, and I happened to be good friends with the director. I designed my plot and hung almost all of it myself. After rehearsal the day before tech, the head tech came in. He was furious that I was getting credit for light design. I had left a few fresnels in the same place as the house plot because that was the only logical way to light an area of the stage. He yelled and screamed for almost ten minutes and threatened to steal the light board. I just sat there and waited for him to stop. When he did, I reminded him that we'd locked the light board to the table and that the teacher had the only set of keys (basically the only key the head tech didn't have). He ran up to the booth, unplugged the board and took the power cable. Being one of those nerdy kids I always carry an edison-IEC cable around in my backpack because I nearly always need one for something. I plugged it in and continued my focus session.

The next show rolled around. I was doing sound design, and had to come up with a surround sound system. I designed it, ran it by the teacher and installed it. This wonderfully friendly head tech (TD on this show) came in that night and disassembled it. After this point he basically was never around. I ended up running most of the construction process (except when he occasionally returned and made us disassemble things and redo them.) He wasn't there for the tech rehearsal or any dress rehearsals. He never even watched the show. He never really did his job as TD. He yelled at me when I didn't do his job, and he yelled at me when I did. 

Now he's gone and I'm the head tech. I think I've learned something from this whole experience. Although I had a rather painful year full of shouting matches and anger, I've gotten a better perspective on theater politics. As head tech, I have a great example of what not to be. Hopefully I'm doing better.


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## TimMiller (Oct 28, 2008)

Uh, i am the head tech at our shop, maybe because i am part owner, BUT I HATE CARRYING KEYS. IT TAKES ME 5 FRIGGIN MINUTES TO DIG THROUGH ALL OF THEM TO UNLOCK MY HOUSE.

Any who.........


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## GreyWyvern (Oct 28, 2008)

I can relate to all of this. I was the "king of the booth" at my high school years ago, but not because I wanted to be. I was just the only one that was interested and knew anything about how any of it worked. And that was only because I taught myself about it all. I was a freshman and the new theatre/choir director at the school asked me if I knew anything about the equipment and how to run it. I said I think so and went to the booth to see what was there. I did my research and spent as much time as i could just playing with it and learning how it worked. I was determined to not let anybody down, so even though I knew pretty much nothing, I said yes. However, I should have said no. Like others have said many times, if you aren't totally sure about something, ask for help. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. It is much better to ask for help than to act like you're the king and then do something stupid, wrong, or even dangerous.

Although it was what I did, I would not recommend telling anyone you know more than you do. I got lucky because no one was there to prove me wrong. If you say you know how to do something you don't, you will likely be asked to do it at some point. Then when you mess something up and/or it comes out that you really don't know, you have proven yourself to be not trustworthy. Then you likely won't be asked any at all other than maybe to hold the door open. However, if when asked, you say that you don't know or aren't sure and ask to be shown, you are immediately putting yourself in a better position. Honesty and a proven eagerness to learn will go a very long way.

I was eventually able to train one other person to help me out. I always had the problem of there not being enough interest in the techie stuff. [size=-2]There was never a shortage of divas though![/size] If anyone ever even looks like they might be slightly interested, offer to get them involved and teach them what you can. It never hurts to try.


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## EHubbard92 (Oct 29, 2008)

We have that here. The problem is he's one of our coordinators. It's insane. We lost both of our tech coordinators at the end of last year so we had an election and since I wasn't running for the spot it was only X, Y, Z and A. Out of those four the people that deserved it most were X and Y (the only problem was both of them only knew sound) Y was only in theatre for about two months before the election and he didn't know lights or sound, just construction and only sort of. A knew sound but not lights. 

[on a side note, this is also part of the major problem here; only two people know lights and I'm the one who knows them best and I still don't really know everything I should]

Y and A won and since then Y has gotten very arrogant and he gets to where he won't let anyone touch the light or sound boards (especially aggravating when you're trying to teach a brand new light crew) and if someone (even X) tried to start a new construction project he would freak out and say we didn't know what we were doing. 

Very irritating.


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## cdub260 (Oct 29, 2008)

Even in the professional theatre world we have our "key jinglers" with the king/queen of the booth complex. We have one down in Pageantland. His view of job security was to make sure that no one else knew how to do his job. He no longer works in the Production Department, having been booted to Operations shortly before I was hired. Now he does facilities maintenance instead of working on the show.


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## Hughesie (Oct 29, 2008)

TimMiller said:


> Uh, i am the head tech at our shop, maybe because i am part owner, BUT I HATE CARRYING KEYS. IT TAKES ME 5 FRIGGIN MINUTES TO DIG THROUGH ALL OF THEM TO UNLOCK MY HOUSE.
> 
> Any who.........


Tim, your sounding a bit disgruntled there, don't go "roadie" on us.

_Roadie, the entertainment industry's version of postal_


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## elite1trek (Oct 30, 2008)

TimMiller said:


> Uh, i am the head tech at our shop, maybe because i am part owner, BUT I HATE CARRYING KEYS. IT TAKES ME 5 FRIGGIN MINUTES TO DIG THROUGH ALL OF THEM TO UNLOCK MY HOUSE.



I carry theatre keys and personal keys. When I'm at the theatre I lock up my personal keys, and when I am anywhere else, I lock up the theatre keys in my car.

I only carry about 4 personal keys.


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