I simply went backstage for a picture or two. Two hours later, I learned more about rigging than I ever wanted to know and gained even a greater appreciation for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's crazy-smart stage crew.
Cirque de la Symphonie is this weekend (and few tickets are left - hurry!), and there's more to this show than meets the eye. When I learned that the aerialist was in the house and that the crew was installing his pulley system, I had to snap a few photos. Here's the Cliffs Notes version to what happened on Wednesday.
3,000 pounds of weight, standing by.
The door has to come off its hinges, so the aerialist and other performers can easily go to and from the stage.
A thick stack of plywood is mounted to the floor and then is weighted down with those 3,000+ pounds of weights (below).
(this was actually a mean game of Tetris)
So, Indianapolis Symphony stagehand Mike Harmeson tells me that you can't put 3,000 lbs. of weight on the Hilbert Circle Theatre stage without support. Next to our spare piano underneath the stage, you'll see we've got some support in place.
Ready for a test by Russian aerial artist Alexander Streltsov.
And poof! All systems a-go!
You don't see these guys when you're sitting in the audience. But this weekend, as you watch these amazing artists perform these daredevil-like feats, remember that it's only possible with a stagecrew team of lighting, sound and engineering experts...right here at the ISO.
Cirque de la Symphonie is this weekend (and few tickets are left - hurry!), and there's more to this show than meets the eye. When I learned that the aerialist was in the house and that the crew was installing his pulley system, I had to snap a few photos. Here's the Cliffs Notes version to what happened on Wednesday.
3,000 pounds of weight, standing by.
The door has to come off its hinges, so the aerialist and other performers can easily go to and from the stage.
A thick stack of plywood is mounted to the floor and then is weighted down with those 3,000+ pounds of weights (below).
(this was actually a mean game of Tetris)
So, Indianapolis Symphony stagehand Mike Harmeson tells me that you can't put 3,000 lbs. of weight on the Hilbert Circle Theatre stage without support. Next to our spare piano underneath the stage, you'll see we've got some support in place.
Ready for a test by Russian aerial artist Alexander Streltsov.
And poof! All systems a-go!
You don't see these guys when you're sitting in the audience. But this weekend, as you watch these amazing artists perform these daredevil-like feats, remember that it's only possible with a stagecrew team of lighting, sound and engineering experts...right here at the ISO.
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