# How do you "West Coast"



## WooferHound (Oct 21, 2010)

I have heard the term "West Coast" many times but it seems to mean many things. When I originally heard the term they explained that the show would be playing on the East Coast and the next load-in was going to be on the West Coast so there was very little time, and you wanted to load the road case any way possible to minimize the time so the truck could be rolling to the West Coast as soon as possible.

But it seems that when you West Coast a drop, it is a special way that you gather stagehands under the drop and lower it in, it gathers up in the stagehands arms, then usually gets wrapped in a protective covering and tied it along it's length before putting it in the roadcase.

Tonight whlie loading-out Yo Gabba Gabba we were West Coasting drops using the fastest possible method to get it on the truck.

What does "West Coast" mean to you ?


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## Footer (Oct 21, 2010)

West coasting is when you gather a drop and tie it off to the batten alternating ties. Usually used to either store a drop in a short fly house or to quickly bounce between drops during a show if you are short on linesets. 

The term "west coasting" cases does not really pan out. Its not like packing cases hap hazard is really going to save you any time. If it saves you 30 minutes on the out, its going to add 2 hours to the next in. The case thing I always thought related to tours that ended on the west coast, packed by west coast stagehands, and shipped back to NYC. I always thought it was a term that NY stagehands developed to throw their western brothers under the bus.


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## wolf825 (Oct 21, 2010)

To me, a "West Coast" is what you do to Scrims, some nets, Leno fills, kabuki-drop lightweight fabrics, some scrim cycs or scrim star drops, and other stretchy softgoods that when unfolded & weighted with bottom pipe will stretch and won't hold the wrinkles and do not need 'folding' for best transport. For example I would never west-coast a Velour or similar heavy or lined curtain (roll them), or a Muslin drop or painted & sized backdrop--again those you fold. Painted drops can crack or tear if they get 'bunched' and it ruins the art and velours can get crushed and then you will never get rid of the marks.. Every tour that comes thru always westcoasts their soft scrims and folds their drops...

To do a West Coast means you gather 5-7 stagehands under a drop--and everyone extends their arms to 'catch' the fabric and the scrim or fabric is lowered in as it piles on their arms, then everyone stands there (or folks can grab the top tie in front of them or to their left) and someone comes along and ties with the top tie lines every few feet. Then its put in a soft bag or circled into a hamper or road box. They go up fast and come down fast and do not need a ton of stage space to put in and take out, where a painted drop or curtain that has to be layed out and folded or rolled will take up the entire stage sometimes and sometimes need more people. So in a nutshell--tie the scrim to itself and stuff it in a bag and move on.. 

If you like terms--Ever hear of "mid-westing" a drop? 



-w


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## Van (Oct 21, 2010)

wolf825 said:


> ....If you like terms--Ever hear of "mid-westing" a drop? -w



Is that where you invite the drop over for a nice pot-luck dinner before you pack it in a crate ? 


Wolf, I agree, West coasting is most often done with scrims, and fabrics which don't wrinkle. I can't imagine actually west coasting a muslin drop. I use the term to refer to both tying a scrim up to a batten using every 5 - 6 th tie, to store it in the air, or to tie it into a snake like bundle which is then, usually coiled neatly into a hamper.


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## len (Oct 21, 2010)

First time I heard it, it was used as in "west coast this crap any way to get it on the truck. Tour's done and all this crap is going back to the shop where the idiot shop techs will deal with it." I assume it meant that the tour ended up on the west coast, and the only thing left was to get home. Bear in mind I don't have much theatrical experience, all my knowledge comes from music or corporate events.


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## Grog12 (Oct 21, 2010)

wolf825 said:


> To do a West Coast means you gather 5-7 stagehands under a drop--and everyone extends their arms to 'catch' the fabric and the scrim or fabric is lowered in as it piles on their arms, then everyone stands there (or folks can grab the top tie in front of them or to their left) and someone comes along and ties with the top tie lines every few feet. Then its put in a soft bag or circled into a hamper or road box. They go up fast and come down fast and do not need a ton of stage space to put in and take out, where a painted drop or curtain that has to be layed out and folded or rolled will take up the entire stage sometimes and sometimes need more people. So in a nutshell--tie the scrim to itself and stuff it in a bag and move on..


 
This is what I've always known "West Coasting" to mean.


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## Van (Oct 21, 2010)

len said:


> First time I heard it, it was used as in "west coast this crap any way to get it on the truck. Tour's done and all this crap is going back to the shop where the idiot shop techs will deal with it." ....


 
Personally I'd smack anybody that said that.


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## WooferHound (Oct 21, 2010)

I have heard the West Coast term used many times referring to packing wire into roadcases, even when loading a show out 2 days ago. I'm pretty sure it means that they don't care how you pack it in there?


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## len (Oct 22, 2010)

Van said:


> Personally I'd smack anybody that said that.


 
Not that they don't deserve it, but the attitude is pretty common, I found. And the locals don't really care. It's their job to follow the road crew's instructions, regardless of how stupid they may be. As a former shop tech, I've been on both sides of the street, and it sucks either way. A bad tour with crap food, no sleep, no laundry service, no showers, etc. or a shop tech who has to clean every inch of every fixture, case, and cable because there's 10 different kinds of residue on it.


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## jstandfast (Oct 22, 2010)

WooferHound said:


> I have heard the West Coast term used many times referring to packing wire into roadcases, even when loading a show out 2 days ago. I'm pretty sure it means that they don't care how you pack it in there?


 With respect to cable; I believe the key issue as regards "west coasting" is that cables are not tied in coils and loaded in boxes, but coiled directly into boxes with the notional
male end first, and left loose in the box. The female end(s) on top being available the next day to run directly out on the pipe, truss or whatever.


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## BrianWolfe (Oct 22, 2010)

I too have heard the term for loosley tying a drop to a pipe. I have worked in several theatres with fly systems but almost no flyspace.( I will rant later about architects who save money on fly space). I have loosely bundled and tied all sorts of drops including painted muslin. It is hard on the drops but sometimes you have no choice. We also have rigged the west coast on a dead hund pipe with a rope through loops. The rope is pulled and the drop slips down into position. It has to be done on ladders or genie lifts which is awkward to say the least but it works well for a fast scene change when you have no other choice.


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## Footer (Oct 22, 2010)

BrianWolfe said:


> I too have heard the term for loosley tying a drop to a pipe. I have worked in several theatres with fly systems but almost no flyspace.( I will rant later about architects who save money on fly space). I have loosely bundled and tied all sorts of drops including painted muslin. It is hard on the drops but sometimes you have no choice. We also have rigged the west coast on a dead hund pipe with a rope through loops. The rope is pulled and the drop slips down into position. It has to be done on ladders or genie lifts which is awkward to say the least but it works well for a fast scene change when you have no other choice.


 
Done that numerous times in the ballet world even in venues with full fly space. If you have show (Nutcracker) that has multiple drops that all have to happen upstage it is sometimes your only choice. I will hang two drops on a batten and start the show with the DS one tied up. At intermission, you bring the pipe in, untie the DS drop, and fly the whole thing out. Everything stays in weight and you get twice the drops with half the pipes.


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## wolf825 (Oct 23, 2010)

Van said:


> Is that where you invite the drop over for a nice pot-luck dinner before you pack it in a crate ?




That would probably be "Mae West-ing"...   Now I picture a lot of folks wondering "mae west??? who???" and suddenly I feel old. Of course I could have said Jane Mansfield-ing--and the description probably would be better suited. 

Mid-westing is just another term I have heard used for using another fly pipe & tricking a drop...to which I wonder who knows what tricking or tripping a drop means...geez all these terms--it just keeps going.... 


> Wolf, I agree, West coasting is most often done with scrims, and fabrics which don't wrinkle. I can't imagine actually west coasting a muslin drop. I use the term to refer to both tying a scrim up to a batten using every 5 - 6 th tie, to store it in the air, or to tie it into a snake like bundle which is then, usually coiled neatly into a hamper.


 
100% with ya on both...


-w


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## len (Oct 23, 2010)

wolf825 said:


> That would probably be "Mae West-ing"...   Now I picture a lot of folks wondering "mae west??? who???" and suddenly I feel old. Of course I could have said Jane Mansfield-ing--and the description probably would be better suited.
> 
> Mid-westing is just another term I have heard used for using another fly pipe & tricking a drop...to which I wonder who knows what tricking or tripping a drop means...geez all these terms--it just keeps going....
> 
> ...


 
That's Jayne Mansfield, and I could think of a couple sick jokes relating back to the original topic for those who know how she died, but I'll refrain. 

BTW, did you know Jayne Mansfield's daughter is Mariska Hargitay, of Law and Order: SVU fame? Her dad was quite an athelete. 

And now that the thread has completely derailed ...

Most drops I've seen that get bundled back into hampers are just crumpled back in. As long as the top and the ties are accessible, the road crew doesn't seem to care how crumpled they are going into the hamper. The only thing they seem to care about is tears and stains/spots.


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## Van (Oct 25, 2010)

len said:


> ....BTW, did you know Jayne Mansfield's daughter is Mariska Hargitay, of Law and Order: SVU fame? ... .



I did not know that. It does explain a couple of things, though......


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