Battens, Electrics, Support Beams, Catwalks
“Don’t fall.”
Some simple vocabulary to start with:
| Batten | A metal bar hung in the flyspace/ceiling that lighting instruments are hung on |
| Electric | A Batten that is above the stage (rather than above the audience) |
| Support Beams, Ceiling Pipes, Fake Battens | Metal bars in the ceiling of a building that are used to keep the building standing; an extra batten if you try hard enough (just don’t let the fire marshal catch you…) |
| Fly Space | The area above the stage where battens and scenery can be flown in if you have a fly system; could also be above the audience if you have a lighting fly system |
| Fly System | A system in which things (i.e. scenery, battens) can be hoisted up and taken down via pulleys; something that would make our lives at the StageLight Theatre much easier |
| Fixed Grid System | A lighting system in which battens are permanently fixed; you need a ladder or lift to reach them; what we have at the StageLight Theatre |
| Catwalk | A metal encasing in the ceiling of a theatre where lights can be hung, things can be stored, and/or props can throw things to the stage |
| Booth | A small room in the back of theatre (often a higher level than the audience) where the lighting board, sound board, and other equipment is kept and used during shows |
The following information is based on The StageLight Theatre in Memphis, TN. It will not apply to you if you are working in a different theatre.
The StageLight Theatre has two line battens (a short one for long-throw instruments in the back of house, and a long one for short-throw instruments right in front of the stage), two C-battens (one on House Left and one on House Right, next to circuits 11 and 12), two electrics, and a few sturdy ceiling pipes. In order to reach the back of house batten, the C-battens, and the two electrics, you’ll need to use the shorter ladder named Rickety (Though, my hope is that, one day, someone will read this and only know Rickety as a legend. In that case you should have a ~10 foot ladder.) To access the front batten and the ceiling pipes, you’ll need to use the taller ladder named Bertha. Bertha is kept in the train carts outside, and is a pain to move around, so you should plan to do all of your front batten and ceiling pipe hanging/focusing in one day. Rickety, though he makes you fear for your life, is lightweight and handy for quick fixes.
You’ll typically use the back of house batten, C-battens, and fake battens for front (of the stage) and side lighting. The front batten is for areas on the back half of the stage. The electrics are for specials, backlighting, etc.
Lighting Instruments and some tools/parts are stored in the catwalk. Some tools (including your handy dandy gloves and crescent wrench) and parts (i.e. gobos) are stored in the booth. The bucket of lighting gels should be stored in the catwalk during shows and in between shows, but can be kept in the booth during hanging/focusing. The booth should be kept as clean as possible. It is a small room, and fitting four people in it for shows is not fun, especially if you leave lighting instruments, gel buckets, extension cords, mic stands, etc. lying around. Nothing liquid or sticky should be thrown in the trash can, and you and your fellow booth techies are responsible for taking out the trash and cleaning up the booth. For more info on the machines in the booth see “Practical: Enlighten” and “Why the Soundboard Looks Cooler”.
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