Many believe that in the early days of theatre it was mostly sailors who functioned as stagehands and riggers. While they were on shore leave, or once they were retired. The legends go that in London, for example, there were even underground passages leading directly from the docks to the big theatre venues in town. The sailors ran from the ship to there, did their duties in the theatre, got drunk after, and went back to their ships in the early morning.
We learn so many things from the people in our lives. Perhaps even without realizing it until the universe seems fit to bash you in the head with it repeatedly until you actually decide to acknowledge it. So this is the insight I have gained in my many musings from a recent universe smack down.
Circus has been Vladimir Antosik’s life. He has been a steady presence in the business for forty years – since 1980. His work and passion was only once interrupted – just recently, by the closing of shows due to Covid19. Afterwards, his show life is bound to continue. During our chat, Vladimir remembers how it all began…
2018 has been an exciting year from TheatreArtLife! We now have 120 contributors, all live entertainment and theatre professionals working around the globe who write articles for us each month who share their journey, advice, wisdom, and experiences from the industry. We are so grateful for our staff of volunteers who run our website and […]
Authors Note: In 2016, I met Barry Brazell while working on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship “Ovation of the Seas”. He and I were working together installing state-of-the-art rigging in two multi-million dollar theaters aboard the ship. Barry is always climbing everything in sight like Spiderman, which I later found out was one of his many stunt jobs. Barry is a man that has lived many lives. He has worked in nearly every facet of the entertainment industry from performing to rigging, to stunt work. Before all of that though, he joined the circus. This is his story, in his own words.
Authors note: I met Eddy Ventura in late 2007. I was a newly hired rigger at the Cirque du Soleil show Mystere in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is not common for the rigger with the most experience to also be the humblest, but that was Eddy. He would be the first to volunteer for a rigging project. He was always eager to pass along his rigging skills to younger less experienced riggers, like myself. He was also an encyclopedia on the subject of the circus which I found out was a part of his life since he was a teenager. Now in his late 60’s, he told me in great detail of his time in the circus. This is his story… in his own words.
