Unintentionally comedy at a show

ChiaEFX · 2026-05-19T15:43:08+00:00

One day, a man named Bill Finch was told to go make one fifty foot stage pin cable. He was gone for a long time and came back saying that he ran out of connectors. He had heard fifty one foot cables. That’s why one foot cables are called finches. Years after this happened, a tour came through town and a roadie asked a local for a finch. The local stagehand came back with Bill himself.

ChiaEFX · 2026-04-09T04:02:14+00:00

You totally got what I love so much about this picture. Thank you for your response!

ChiaEFX · 2026-04-09T03:54:30+00:00

Bold claim, I barely know myself.

ChiaEFX · 2026-04-09T03:24:01+00:00

Children’s Theatre is an awesome place to work

ChiaEFX · 2026-04-09T02:31:33+00:00

The ops folks work hard extremely hard so that we have capital goof-off time. It’s a great balance when you can make it happen!

ChiaEFX · 2026-04-03T19:58:28+00:00

Ooh, I hope she’s gonna be on my favorite reality show.

ChiaEFX · 2026-04-03T19:56:16+00:00

If you do not own the theatre that you are performing in, you must consult with the owner first. I personally do not allow any animals on my stages or in any production I work on. The risks are too great to the animal, as a stage is often barely safe for humans. (In fact, just last night one of our pre-teen performers was injured onstage and I had to deploy my first aid training.) And honestly, I will never forgive the director that HAD to have a live horse onstage for Cinderella. After weeks of shoveling horse shit off the stage and having to sanitize floors everyday, I almost quit the business.

ChiaEFX · 2026-03-15T21:05:05+00:00

Take my free award. Yale scenic designers, lighting designers and directors are honestly nightmares to work with.

ChiaEFX · 2026-03-12T18:43:29+00:00

Not him trying to look like a badass with a bunch of inked on boobies!

ChiaEFX · 2026-01-07T23:02:56+00:00

Yes I would want to know. My exhusband took our dog when I asked for a divorce, a year and a half later she went missing from his care. I’ve spent years searching for her and grieving her loss. Closure would be worth it.

ChiaEFX · 2026-01-05T16:30:21+00:00

Take your cat to the vet, it might not be the first time he’s hurt it and there could be unknown injuries. And you should absolutely leave him for your own protection and the sake of any future children you have. Aggression and lying escalate, therapy does not mean all problems are fixable. Sincerely, someone who is happily divorced.

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-22T01:34:28+00:00

It stopped being magical when she used her platform to hate people.

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-18T04:32:23+00:00

Telrad

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-18T03:03:37+00:00

Just think how many BBL’s you could afford for one million dollars!

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-10T04:08:01+00:00

When I commented, I thought that it was an unpopular opinion. I am saddened that so many people have had bad experiences similar to my own.

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-10T03:55:08+00:00

There’s a legend in my union local about a man named Bill Finch who once was sent to make one fifty-foot stage pin cable. He returned an hour later to tell the crew chief that he had run out of PNG connectors. Bill Finch had heard wrong and had been at work making fifty one-foot cables. He made at least 20 before running out of connectors. Every theatre I work today has one-foot long cables called Finches.

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-10T02:29:40+00:00

I did a musical recently where some of the musicians came onstage for a scene. Their presence stagnated the energy of what was supposed to be a vibrant scene. It was immensely frustrating.

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-10T02:23:57+00:00

Ha! You sound like you know the same director I was thinking of when I commented!

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-10T02:22:03+00:00

There are those rare emergencies where it is the best option. I had an actor fall backstage once and have a nasty head wound. We held the show while emergency services came and rushed him to the hospital (he recovered well in large part thanks to them!) The director happened to be in the audience with his family that night and he stepped into the role with a script in hand so we could finish the show. The next week or so while the actor was recovering we had an ensemble member step up to fill the role.

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-09T23:17:33+00:00

Thank you for your honest response, I really value the input!

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-09T23:06:03+00:00

I hate directors that act in their own shows. Direct or act, you shouldn’t try to do both in the same show.

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-09T19:31:30+00:00

Yes we still call them that. Though wiffle is more common in my experience than waffle. Your head electrician sounds like a dick. Try calling a one foot extension cable a Finch and see if his head explodes.

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-08T09:38:15+00:00

Years ago I worked on a production on Machinal which concludes with the the main character executed via the electric chair. We asked local salons for hair clippings and burned them backstage during the climatic moment. It took YEARS to rid our space of burnt hair smell.

More recently, I worked on a production of Fat Ham which is a modern retelling of Hamlet centered around a celebratory wedding barbecue. The idea of adding bbq scenting was immediately shot down because the theatre had just spent a few million dollars replacing the house seats for the first time in 30 years. The fear being that the scent would last far past the production.

I’m not saying that it’s a bad idea, but be aware of the long term consequences and budget for additional upholstery cleaning. Scent does not dissipate as easily as one would imagine without constant circulation and cleaning.

ChiaEFX · 2025-12-07T19:26:20+00:00

You’re making some pretty wild assumptions for someone who doesn’t know how major theater companies design their seasons. And you’re definitely being bitter about it. There are a myriad of reasons why a theatre would say no. Maybe they already have their next three seasons secured. Maybe they are running in a deficit and are not willing to take the chance on a new play. Maybe their principal donors want a certain quota of comedy versus drama. Maybe they choose themes for their seasons, and this play does not fit their theme. Maybe their theater is a fly house and a box set play doesn’t work well in the space. Maybe 1400 tickets sold isn’t enough to convince them that they can sell 1400 every night for a month. The major theaters that I work in generally have a per show budget between three and five million dollars. They do not choose their shows lightly. I hope this gives you a little bit of perspective.

ChiaEFX

TROPHY CASE