Is the crew of a show (live theatre) every featured in the curtain call...or just the actors?

Answer 1

The crew should never take a bow -- this is because they are not performers!
Besides the cast -- the only others to bow might be the director or the conductor.
The cast typically gestures to the orchestra in the pit and sometimes to the booth.

I'd never want to take a bow, I'd feel foolish indeed.

And to the answer above me -- IATSE has no wish to bow either or ever.

Answer 2

Typically no...However, often times, the director does take time during the last show (if its community theatre) to recognize the crew on stage...As for bows during the curtain call, you tend to not see the crew taking bows. What tends to happen is one of the leads (the last individual bow) will acknowledge the crew by hand gestures towards the tech booth and spotlight booths, and if musical theatre, the pit.

Answer 3

I have worked on a couple shows where the director did want the crew, or specific part of the crew to take a bow.

It happened on shows where we were flying people or other highly technical effects. And yes, the crew were less than excited about it.

It's rare, but it happens.

Earliest memory is in college for 'Garden of Delights' by Fernando Arabal. Full of tricks- guillotine, floating bodies, trap doors and such. College is probably the most likely place it will happen.

The other, more recent, crew bow experience was for Wagner's, The Ring Cycle, for the crew who flew the Rhinemaidens for Seattle Opera.

Two ends of the 'live theatre' spectrum, both having crew take a bow. It's rare, but it happens...

Answer 4

I've been in theater most of my life, both on and off stage. It's inappropriate to acknowledge publically those people who actually made the show possible. That may be an unpopular feeling in IATSE? but most CREW would rather remain ANON.

Steven Wolf