h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Theater Technicians
Called "techies", these creatures dwell within the darkness of theaters. Sometimes mistaken as goths with their tendency to wear all black, or airport runways when they get a little too carried away with the glo-tape, theater technicians are the unseen work force of the theater. They have a love of caffeine, due to the late nights they are forced to work. A good way to make friends with a techie is to bring caffinated drinks to a crew when they enter the phase a few days before the opening of a show, known as "Hell Week". Do not replace their coffee with decaf, because they have a large assortment of power tools, and are used to moving quietly and invisibly in the dark. Technicians are dedicated, loyal to their kind, and very protective of their gaffer tape. They are the ones who build the set, run the lights, sound, fly system, and work with costumes and props. Anything an actor doesn't do, they do. The lighting crew gels the lights, focuses them, and deals with trying to get them to stay working. Also, they run the lighting board, and deal with anything that may arise with it. The sound crew runs the microphones and sound effects, setting up speakers and dealing with a large number of cables that are constantly tripped over. They run the sound board, and are also in control of music. Other tasks of tech include building the sets, painting them, creating and storing props and costumes, changing sets during a performance, hunting down actors during a performance, dealing with the director, and keeping constant communication between all other members of the crew.
New techies in educational theater will find themselves with tedious jobs like coiling cable and sweeping the stage, along with suffering through inititaion rites. The head of the techies is the Technical Director. The Stage Manager is an important job that typically involves knowledge of all the aspects of tech, because the Stage Manager is the one who has to hold things together. Other powerful positions include the Set Designer, Director, and One Who Has the Keys to the Storage Closet. Techies have a dislike for actors, due to the fact that actors seem only to serve to get in the way of techie work, and tend to whine to techies over trivial matters. This can sometimes lead to actors being put under lights that are a disgusting shade of green. Despite this,actors and techies must work together, otherwise both are out of work.
Theater technicians are defensive of their craft, and stay in the theater much of the time, working. Their primary source of nutrition is fast food, Power Bars, and the occasional accidental sip of paint.

Two minor points, this entry is in "peer review" therefore if you click on the pear review label at the top of the page you will find a whole new message area. Also instead of putting your message in a reply like this you should submit it as an entry ( on your "my space " page you will see an "add guide entry" option, after that you can go back and keep editing the entry itself. Of course you will want to put this in your own words first, H2G2 does not approve of coppying. good luck