You Speak Funny

So, I was Stage Managing a show and we were in the middle of tech week.  I was talking to my Assistant Stage Manager.  We were having a discussion about a set piece's position on stage.  It needed to be placed in an Up and Down stage direction.  She referred to this as "Vertical" and I referred to it as "Perpendicular".  Technically, I used the correct terminology, but in the lexicon of theatre, she was also 100% correct.  Regardless, a musician overheard the conversation and said, "You talk funny.  Perpendicular?".  Never mind that that person didn't know "perpendicular" was a real word.  That simple statement sparked a post in my mind...

The Show Must Go On!

We do speak strangely.  There's a funny meme to describe this but it barely scratches the surface...

In is down, down is front
Out is up, up is back
Off is out, on is in
And of course –
Left is right and right is left
A drop shouldn’t and a
Block and fall does neither
A prop doesn’t and
A cove has no water
Tripping is OK
A running crew rarely gets anywhere
A purchase line buys you nothing
A trap will not catch anything
A gridiron has nothing to do with football
Strike is work (In fact a lot of work)
And a green room, thank god, usually isn’t
Now that you’re fully versed in Theatrical terms,
Break a leg.
But not really.

It's a second language to me and I am very fluent.  Hell, at home I speak theatre and so does my family:

Son:  Can I have a snack?
Me:  Stand by.
Son:  Standing by...

Yes.  It happens.  Cleaning up the house involves striking the mess.

You get the picture.

We have strange phrases too, but I find them useful everywhere.

My 3 favorites are:

The Show Must Go On

Regardless of what life hands you, you have to press forward.

Good, Fast, And Cheap.  You Can Only Pick 2

This one applies to every business but it's particularly true in my line of work.

A Lack Of Planning On Your Part Does Not Constitute An Emergency On Mine

So many times, people with less life skills than they should have think that it is my job to solve their poor planning.  It's not.  This is my favorite phrase of the 3.  I used it with Amazon just today when they emailed me to tell me an item with a guaranteed delivery date wouldn't arrive on time.

There are so many ways in which we speak funny in theatre and I love every syllable of it.

Stand by to enjoy your day!

Enjoy your day...

GO!