Ahoy there! Let’s talk SAFETY! This is the second in a series of real life court cases involving safety incidents in theatres on cruise ships. (One more coming after this one – in two weeks.) Be sure to read about CASE # 1 at: https://www.cruisetechies.com/cruisetechies-blog/safety-lawsuit-series-case-1 This lawsuit is again about a pit fall, but involves an audience member. When we think about theatre accidents we often think about the performers or crew while the audience sits and looks on. However, cruise ship shows and events often involve a lot of audience participation. I’ll let Monona tell you all about it, then we’ll talk…
0 Comments
Be sure to watch this video from ‘cruisetubers’ Jared and Jordan with JJ Cruise, which viewed in May of 2024 (21:17 minutes). In it they interview and film Cruise Director Lewis, who has been working on cruise ships for 17 years – and still loving it! – and is now on the Celebrity Apex. Join them as they talk about… Ahoy there! Let’s talk SAFETY! As promised, following is a series of real life court cases involving safety incidents in theatres on cruise ships. (Two more coming after this one – one every other week.) It’s always been my mantra – NOTHING happens without safety! Just like in theatres on land, safety in cruise ship theatres is paramount – only even more so, because a theatre on a ship is moving! I’ve sat in a cruise ship theatre before – with my seat rocking up and down - watching an acrobatics show, wondering how they were able to balance on two feet, let alone on top of balls and platforms. And just like theatres on land, accidents do happen, as do lawsuits. Enter stage right – Expert Witnesses. Expert Witnesses are called to provide information in court cases. Expert Witnesses didn’t ‘witness’ the event happen, but they are experts in their field - in this case, theatre safety. I was once contacted about being an Expert Witness for a woman who fell into a pit. I didn’t see it happen, but it was caught on video. After reviewing the video I felt I had to decline, because it was not clear that she wasn’t at fault(!). But I’ve never had to be an Expert Witness for a cruise ship theatre, but I know someone who has – three times. And she’s kindly offered to share the three cases with you in this blog. Please let me introduce Monona Rossol of Arts, Crafts & Theatre Safety (ACTS), a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing health and safety services to the arts. She is also the Health and Safety Director for Local 829 of the United Scenic Artists, IATSE. Monona is a chemist, artist and industrial hygienist, with a background in theatre, art, music, chemistry and math, who has lectured and consulted in the US, Canada, Australia, England, Mexico and Portugal - and the seas in between. Our first case study involves a performer who fell 9 feet into a pit of a theatre in a cruise ship. But let me have her tell you about it in her own words… When you go on your Discovery Cruise you are most welcome to bring along any family and friends that you’d like – may as well make a vacation of it, too! However, please remember that only you will be able to meet with the theatre staff. But, sometimes you need to, or want to, go on your Discovery Cruise on your own. You can if you are over 21. Here’s some things to know about if you are traveling solo… One of the things you may be curious about is what experience do you need on lighting and sound consoles before you can work in a theatre on a cruise ship. I have a friend who used to work on cruise ships who mentioned using a GrandMA, which, if you’re not familiar with it, is a concert-grade light board. Most productions on board ships are musicals, so you may or may not run across that level of console control. Here's what to expect… We’ve been talking a lot about what it’s like to work in a theatre on a cruise ship, but what is it like to actually live on the ship, too? As we saw in a previous blog post, a crew member’s contract can be around 6 months. That’s a long time to be away from home, living in a small – usually shared – space. Let’s look at some insight about crew turnover from Joie and Abby, aboard the Norwegian Bliss… A cruise ship has a LOT of venues. The Norwegian Bliss has the main theatre, and then there’s the Atrium, bars and night clubs, comedy clubs, lounges, poolside entertainment, and an outdoor movie screen. And of course, all of these venues have sound and lighting systems. And someone’s gotta run them. Enter stage right the entertainment technicians. I haven’t said ‘theatre technicians’ because not everyone works in the theatre per se. At the time of this interview there were 14 technicians working on the Bliss. “Jersey Boys” has: 2 audio techs; one front of house and one on deck 1 lighting technician 4 stage techs (props and smaller set pieces) 1 automation technician (as you will recall from previous blog posts, the stage has automated scenery) Then there are: 6 lounge technicians The theatre technicians tend to be specialists in their area – lighting, sound, sets, and they usually have a theatre education and background, and have an understanding of the theatrical process. Whereas the lounge technicians may be more ‘Jackies of all trades’. Lounge technicians need to know how to set up a band, audio and video setups, how to run a basic lighting console and sound console, and understand patching (and when I say “basic”, these days that means digital boards). It's also important to know how to set up a band and make it sound good. That involves a bit more expertise than just knowing how to turn mics on and off. If you are considering being a lounge technician, In this post we’ll be going behind the scenes of “Jersey Boys” on board the Norwegian Bliss, and looking at how a show moves from land to ship. (Photo credit – NCL Image Assets, available to Travel Partners) First, as with any show there are the rehearsal and tech periods. As you can imagine, these cannot possibly take place on the ships – there is nowhere on a ship where there would be enough space and time to rehearse. Nor is there anywhere to build sets and costumes, or the opportunity to hang a new light plot, or set up the sound and a/v systems needed, and so on. So, this is all done ‘shoreside’ ahead of time. In the case of Norwegian Cruise Lines the show is rehearsed and built at their Creative Studios facility in Tampa, Florida. Following is a thumbnail timeline of how a show ends up in a theatre on a ship… |
NO MORE SEARCHING
Your ONE-STOP PORT for information about working in theatres on cruise ships. Here you will find interviews with on board techies, links to cruise techie YouTubers, and useful information about working on cruises. WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WORKING ON A CRUISE SHIP?
Check out a Discovery Cruise! Teachers can go on Discovery Cruises, too! Click here LETS BE SHIP MATES!
Categories
All
Archives
October 2024
COMMENT POLICY
ContactComments will be deleted that are: deemed to be spam, profane, offensive, abusive; promotional; not relevant to post; harassing or disrespectful to contributors; anonymous. I reserve the right to edit or delete any comments without notice. This comment policy is subject to change at any time. Contact Us with questions |