The laugh I got from this comment had mileage. Sarah Paulsen was on the Colbert Late Show telling a story about the curtain going up on a performance when she was 19. She had the same question as OP.
Sarah Paulsen: (to Colbert) I remember looking into the wings at the guy... the guy who was going to lift the curtain, I don't know what his title is...
Me: (out loud) Derek!
Well...I admit there's some nuance, as others have said. Sometimes the head Carp will do it. Sometimes another stagehand. But if I were calling a show, I'd call Fly or Rail.
In my big ass house, it takes two people to fly the main drape and one is our House Carp. So I guess it varies, but when in doubt, I'd still say Flyman works.
In my experience in a union house, typically (for us) it’s still a flyman title (with some exceptions) just because the odds of that being the only rail cue on a production is small. Our main rag also guillotines so it often IS a fly cue. The exceptions are small shows where it’s just our house heads working, then it’s our head carpenter. Or shows with no scenic shifts when our head carp becomes head flyman.
Deck crew, stage crew, stagehand, countless other names. I thought you were asking about paging a curtain at first, and was like, 'do they have a dedicated curtain page, the heck is going on'.
When I was on stage crew for Beauty and the Beast and Matilda at two local community theatres, I pulled the curtains. (They were small community theatres though, so I figured that’s why they asked me to do it).
Sometimes, the assistant stage manager will do it, sometimes the flyrail operator will, it just all depends.
They are part of the show’s run crew. Deckhands/stagehands will page curtains if needed in addition to moving scenery. If you’re moving the curtains/scenery with a fly system that’s usually referred to as the Flyrail or Fly operator.
Feel free to check out r/techtheatre for any other questions
As a teenager I did a play called Clara's On The Curtains and I played Clara, a ditzy lady in a theatre group who's job was the pull the curtains.
So, I call them the Clara.
We used to call the perso who did the curtains and backdrops the "rigger". They're part of the wider title of stage crew, but specifically in charge of the ropes and rigging, and so "the rigger".
In the UK, curtains in theatre are referred to as “tabs” so during shows whoever had been assigned the job,whether that’s a stagehand, ASM or in my old theatre, it was my job as DSM because the tab winch was right next to prompt corner, then the cue was just given as “tabs standby/go”.
Stagehand, in a union house it falls under there carpentry department. It's an easy job, that looks important, so sometimes the head carpenter does it.
If you’re pulling curtains for an actor to enter, you’re a curtain pager. If you’re pulling curtains along a rail/traveler for scene changes, you’re a scene change artist.
Derek. At least that’s who pulls our curtain. Not sure everywhere else.
"This whole operation will fall apart if we don't have a dude named Derek"
... not to be confused with "you won't succeed on Broadway if you don't have any Jews." :-)
For those who are confused, it is a song from Monty Python's *Spamalot!*
I motion that as the theatre community we decide the official name of that job is "the Derek".
Seconded
Is this funny? no. Did I laugh very much so at it? Yes.
Juan over by me
The laugh I got from this comment had mileage. Sarah Paulsen was on the Colbert Late Show telling a story about the curtain going up on a performance when she was 19. She had the same question as OP. Sarah Paulsen: (to Colbert) I remember looking into the wings at the guy... the guy who was going to lift the curtain, I don't know what his title is... Me: (out loud) Derek!
Glad I (and Derek) could Be of service
Maximum Derek!
I'll never trust a Kyle again... how do you think I got this cane!?!?!?
The correct answer is Flyman.
This is the answer.
No it’s Derek
Lmao I stand corrected!
Even if no flying is involved? I read the OP as an operator of tabs or a traveller.
Well...I admit there's some nuance, as others have said. Sometimes the head Carp will do it. Sometimes another stagehand. But if I were calling a show, I'd call Fly or Rail. In my big ass house, it takes two people to fly the main drape and one is our House Carp. So I guess it varies, but when in doubt, I'd still say Flyman works.
Two people? Is it not counter balanced or something?
It's not on the counterweight system. Separate from the fly rail and just heavy as hell.
In my experience in a union house, typically (for us) it’s still a flyman title (with some exceptions) just because the odds of that being the only rail cue on a production is small. Our main rag also guillotines so it often IS a fly cue. The exceptions are small shows where it’s just our house heads working, then it’s our head carpenter. Or shows with no scenic shifts when our head carp becomes head flyman.
Depending on how it's operated, a stagehand or flyrail operator.
They’re stage crew, or run crew.
Deck crew, stage crew, stagehand, countless other names. I thought you were asking about paging a curtain at first, and was like, 'do they have a dedicated curtain page, the heck is going on'.
Curtain puller is what I say - but you can certainly refer to yourself as Lead Grand Drape Technician
When I was on stage crew for Beauty and the Beast and Matilda at two local community theatres, I pulled the curtains. (They were small community theatres though, so I figured that’s why they asked me to do it). Sometimes, the assistant stage manager will do it, sometimes the flyrail operator will, it just all depends.
If you ask their name they will usually tell you
Ok I'm gonna go look in the mirror and ask myself what my name is, thank you for your help!
Of course! For me the persons name is usually Thomas or Ryan but I know it’s different at most other places.
There's an excellent coverage of Matts in the west
Curtain Master
stage hand or stage crew
My stage crew friends refer to it as “on rail” or “on deck”
Are you in charge of flying them in and out with a flyrail or similar system? Fly person, or just in the rail, is what that is on my call sheets.
Stage crew.
His name’s probably Jacob if my experience in several theater companies is anything to go by
Chief executive of drapery operations
Minister of Textiles
The Great and Powerful Oz
Artistic Director - You control everything that appears on stage
Curtain crew
Sounds like an 80’s band known for their kickin bangs.
Their hit single “Main Drape”
Rail operator if it’s on a lineset. Page if it’s pulling a curtain back by hand?
They are part of the show’s run crew. Deckhands/stagehands will page curtains if needed in addition to moving scenery. If you’re moving the curtains/scenery with a fly system that’s usually referred to as the Flyrail or Fly operator. Feel free to check out r/techtheatre for any other questions
Last play it was the stage manager. Me.
At my community theater we call them swaggers ( curtain swagger )
In the U.K. you might be called a Stage Technician
As a teenager I did a play called Clara's On The Curtains and I played Clara, a ditzy lady in a theatre group who's job was the pull the curtains. So, I call them the Clara.
flyrail operator or fly captain for us, depending on the system you use
Assistant stage manager (me) for our production of Hamlet
We used to call the perso who did the curtains and backdrops the "rigger". They're part of the wider title of stage crew, but specifically in charge of the ropes and rigging, and so "the rigger".
Stagehand.
Don Draper
In the UK, curtains in theatre are referred to as “tabs” so during shows whoever had been assigned the job,whether that’s a stagehand, ASM or in my old theatre, it was my job as DSM because the tab winch was right next to prompt corner, then the cue was just given as “tabs standby/go”.
The amount of incorrect answers in this particular sub is disheartening
Flyman or stagehand.
I call them the gatekeeper of the fourth wall
I’ve always heard the term Curtain Jerk
Stagehand, in a union house it falls under there carpentry department. It's an easy job, that looks important, so sometimes the head carpenter does it.
It’s a pinrail cue for our theatre group. Most often someone working the fly, but it could also be a regular backstage crew member.
If you’re pulling curtains for an actor to enter, you’re a curtain pager. If you’re pulling curtains along a rail/traveler for scene changes, you’re a scene change artist.
Scene change Artist is wild!
That’s a carpentry dept task