Routledge · 2026

Backstage
Essentials

Skills for Stagehand Technicians in Live Event Production. Under contract with Routledge, scheduled for 2026. It covers load-in and load-out, audio, lighting, video, crew responsibilities, and safety.

“
Production managers consistently rank attitude and reliability above raw talent. The purpose of this book is to give you the skills for the raw talent, and this chapter explores the professional traits needed to be a successful stagehand technician.
Backstage Essentials · Routledge, 2026
Front-of-house production desk at a live event: lighting console, monitors, laptop and headset on a road case. Coming 2026
BackstageEssentials

Skills for Stagehand Technicians in Live Event Production

Bill Larsen

Routledge · 2026

Cover art · final cover design pending

The Book

Backstage Essentials

Manuscript Delivered · Routledge 2026

A guide for new stagehand technicians in live event production. Load-in and load-out, audio, lighting, video, crew responsibilities, and safety.

Not a theory text and not a history text. It is a how-to guide for doing the job.

Backstage Essentials: Skills for Stagehand Technicians in Live Event Production is under contract with Routledge, an imprint of Taylor and Francis Group, and scheduled for publication in 2026. Routledge and Taylor and Francis Group are registered trademarks of Informa UK Limited.
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Readers

Who it is for

If you have never worked a call, this is the book. It assumes nothing.

This is not a stagecraft book. It is for the person who wants the job and has not worked a call yet.

This book is for
  • → New stagehands
  • → Student production crews
  • → Technical theatre students
  • → Community theatre volunteers
  • → Live event technicians
  • → CTE programs
Contents

What the book covers

01
How to act professionally
What production managers expect from crew, on and off the clock
02
How to communicate across departments
Headset protocol, crew language, and working with other departments
03
Cabling for lighting, audio, and video
The right cable for the right job, and how to handle it properly
04
How to troubleshoot through the whole event
Load-in, show call, and strike: what goes wrong and how to fix it
05
How to take care of yourself
Physical demands, safety habits, and sustaining a career in this industry
Contact

Get in touch

Questions about the book, review copies, or course adoption.

Send an email
✉
bill@backstageessentials.com
in
linkedin.com/in/backstage-essentials
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ORCID: 0009-0002-7157-8582
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IMDb: nm4307380
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Cottage Grove, Minnesota