5 Reasons Actors Should Do Stage Crew

Most people don’t realize it, but many actors, such as Wood Harris, have also done stage crew. People always assume that actors don’t do these kinds of jobs and the opposite is actually true. There are quite a few benefits of this and many actors are happy for the experiences they get from this. Keep reading to see 5 reasons why actors should do stage crew at some point in their careers.

Watch and Learn from Other Actors

For starters, actors who do stage crew can watch and learn from other actors. This is especially helpful if the actor is new to the acting world because they’ll be able to see the different styles that people do. They also might be able to learn tips or tricks that the other actors do, which can help them improve their career. One other thing that they can learn from watching other actors is see what styles they like and don’t like. If they can learn this, they’ll be able to put their own personal twist on the style and make it their own.

Pickup Skills

Doing stage crew can also help actors learn skills. The great thing about this is that the skills aren’t always acting related. They can learn some that they’ll be able to use in their everyday lives, such as using power tools. The ones that are related to acting, though, can give them a one up on the competition. If they can do both acting and stage crew, they’ll have more experience than someone who can only do one or the other. Some of the skills they can pick up are: carpentry, assembly, machine operation and construction.

Learn Multiple Jobs

Being part of the stage crew also lets you learn multiple jobs. This is just as important as learning several different skills. While the skills are more of a general benefit, learning jobs is more honed in. There are so many different positions with stage crew and many actors want to learn as many as they can. This is especially helpful if they decide they still want to work in the acting world but want to take a little break from being on the stage. Some of the jobs they can learn are: creating costumes or props, learning how to run things like microphones and lights and moving the scenery without being seen.

More Connections

Being able to be backstage and learn these different jobs means that you’ll also be interacting with more than just the actors. Not only can this help you form lifelong friendships, but you might also be able to make more connections. For instance, some stage crew might be good friends with people who run other theaters that are bigger or more popular. Keep in mind, though, you don’t want to use people just for their connections!

Backstage Manners

Finally, you’ll be able to learn backstage manners. This is important because there are certain things that are expected when working backstage and you really don’t want to do the opposite of them. Some of them are more important than others, such as being quite, but all of them need to be followed to help ensure the performance goes smoothly.

As you can see, all of these things can help round out your career. It can also help you get more work because you’ll know a little bit more than an actor that didn’t do stage crew. It’s definitely something to be proud of and you should always let potential jobs know you have the experience!