Fly crew

A fly crew is a group of people who are in charge of maintaining and operating the fly system during theatre production. A member of a fly crew is also called a flyman. Despite the name, there is no gender restriction in order to work within a fly crew.[1]

Working as a member of the fly crew often requires being able to pay close attention and having physical strength and agility. During the performance, operators of the fly system will often be involved with changing the scenery or other stage effects on stage. Members of the fly crew may spend a lot of time waiting for predefined cues for operating the fly system: as a result, it is very important for the fly crew to pay close attention to signals given. During tech rehearsals, the fly crew is in charge of inspecting the fly system,[2] maintaining the weight balance, and installing the scenery, lighting and other equipment needed for the show.

A UB student operating the fly system

To maintain the balance of the fly system, the fly crew needs to climb up to the loading gallery on top of the stage. Therefore, loaders, members of the fly crew who are in charge of loading and unloading the weight, must be able to work high above the ground.[1] The entire fly crew is usually supervised by the head flyman during the production of the show.[3]

  1. ^ a b Holloway, John (2014). Illustrated theatre production guide (3rd ed.). Burlington: Focal Press. ISBN 978-1-317-97529-8. OCLC 881607702.
  2. ^ Viker, Erik (2003). "COUNTERWEIGHT RIGGING SYSTEM SAFETY INSPECTIONS" (PDF). Theatre Design and Technology. 39 (3): 17–24.
  3. ^ "Performing Arts Safety | UCOP". www.ucop.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-11.