Carpentry Department

ABT’s Carpentry team holds an essential part in the production crew and traveling from city to city.  Not only are they responsible for ensuring the highest safety standards for the scenery but they are also responsible for all of the sets, backdrops, stage floors and loading in and out all the supplies ABT needs for every performance.

For domestic tours, ABT travels with 2-7 (depending on the ballet) 53’ trailers; transporting all of the scenery, props, electrics equipment, wardrobe, wigs and makeup, and many other essentials for performing, including physical therapy equipment and ballet bars. For international tours, these supplies are packed on ocean containers or air freight.

At ABT’s warehouse, the carpenters will repair and maintain all of the sets and scenery.  They are disassembled and stored before being prepped and packed to bring to the theater.  Once at the theater, the carpentry team rebuilds the sets and adjusts them as necessary to fit each stage.  Much like other forms of carpentry, they rely on drafting, renderings, & blue prints to map out placements of sets in different theaters and to bring sets to life. During the performance, carpenters are responsible for moving the sets for each scene. This can take up to 14 carpenters.

In addition to the carpenters moving the sets on stage, there is a team of flymen up on the stage fly rail.  A flyman is a carpenter that specializes in all of the “flying” in theatrical performances; they are responsible for bringing in and out anything that hangs above the stage or moves vertically.  This can include hard scenery, drapery, curtains, light fixtures, props and sometimes even dancers!  They are often stationed 30-40 feet above the stage!