What is a Techie?

949 Words2 Pages

The ones most often working the hardest and ensuring the show comes off to the audience as a success. Techie is defined by Urban Dictionary as the person that runs the technical aspect of the show, such as sound, lights or backstage (Techie). There is more to being a techie than the final performance. Techies are the ones who do a majority of the work, in and outside of rehearsal, but they receive the least of the credit. Skill, work ethic, and quick thinking are what define a techie. Without the techies of a performance the show would not run.
Techies are many things, but they are not everyone in the crew. A techie is not a regular stage crewmember. Stage crewmembers arrive when the cast does and leave soon after the cast does. A techie is there long before the cast and does not leave the stage until they absolutely must to make sure everything runs smooth the next day. Techies are not people who know how the backstage runs but the people who run it and make it part of their life. Anyone can pull a rope for the fly but not everyone is willing to load a twenty-pound weight on to the rope high above the stage. There are many aspects of a production but knowing one does not make a person a techie. A techie knows many duties of the technical crew. Crew consists of sound, lights, stage crew, fly, costume, props, set build, and management. Knowing costumes does not make them a techie because a techie must have a well-rounded knowledge of the stage.
With a major production on the line, much is expected of a techie. Time commitment is one of the major things needed, because being a techie takes numerous hours of the week. Productions and rehearsals can range from a few months to many years, and they must be available for most rehearsa...

... middle of paper ...

...rything. Techies are usually up for a challenge—except the week before opening night. They are the ones who the director comes to when something needs to be done. A techie needs to be able to think quick on their feet in case something does not go as planned.
Techies are what make the show run. They must have great skill in their jobs as well as great work ethic but the one thing that all techies need is to be able to think quickly. With these characteristics, a techie can excel in the theater. Actors prefer to be seen and heard but without the techies, this would be near impossible. Without the hard work of a techie, the show would not be a success.

Works Cited
"Stagehand." The Free Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
"Techie." Urban Dictionary. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014.
"Techie Sayings." Ramblings of a Techie. N.p., 16 Nov. 2009. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.

Open Document