Striking, or set deconstruction, involves the removal of props and soft goods in order build up for the next scene. Complete deconstruction and removal from the stage of sets, props, costumes, lighting fixtures, and sound equipment occurs when the show ends its current run at the venue. The deconstruction of shows in a production house often involves the recycling and reusing of as much material as possible. The strike is chaotic, loud, and, to the untrained, confusing. Ensuring the safety of the stagehands during the strike should always start with a plan.
Design a Plan
The strike plan will address the “who”, “what”, “when”, “how”, and the safety of the entire process. Since there are costs associated with deconstruction, the strike plan should be developed at the design stage of the production so the costs of the strike may be included in the production’s initial budget.
The strike plan should also take the campus or venue’s sustainability plan into consideration when determining what will be salvaged for recycling, what is reusable, and what will be sent to the landfill. This decision is made in the production’s nascent period because there are often additional costs associated with recycling that will impact the budget. Checklists in writing for use during the actual strike will also help facilitate efficient operations, ensuring nothing is overlooked.
What and How
The strike plan includes details regarding what areas will be deconstructed, such as:
The strike plan should indicate what order in which the deconstruction will occur. This will often depend on the number of crews who can safely complete their work synchronously. Steps of a strike may include:
1. Removal of portable auditorium seating
2. Installation of guardrails or chains and warning signs at the edge of elevated stages
3. Removal of props
4. Removal of electrical fixtures
5. Removal of sound equipment
6. Removal of chairs and music stands from the pit or orchestra area
7. Removal of soft goods, such as stage curtains, screens, shims, fabrics, masking, etc.
8. Dismantling of the sets/scenery
9. Removal of lighting booms
10. Removal of battens
11. Repainting the stage deck
The plan should also define how deconstructed items will be handled; what will be retained for reuse, what will be recycled through a formal recycling program or vendor, and what will go into the dumpster for landfill disposal. It is also important to identify where to obtain the proper storage containers for items you intend to retain for reuse, and where they will be stored once the strike is completed. Identify what arrangements will be made to provide containers going into formal recycling, and what arrangements need to be made to schedule proper disposal.
Check back next week for Safety Series – Designing a Strike Plan for Set Deconstruction pt.2!
