The Seattle Times: Cole Guinn, the assistant carpenter with Pacific Northwest Ballet, was setting up for a show in March 2020 when the announcement came — all gatherings of more than 50 people were banned under coronavirus pandemic-related restrictions.
“We’re done. Everyone’s going home,” the technical director announced. That was the last time many of the crew in that room would work for the next year.
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The topic in this article really hits home with me. Crew was everything I looked forward to in my day, and even if I wasn’t feeling great, I know that a night on the floor or a night in a venue would improve my mood. Pre-pandemic, if my mental health was dipping, or if I was approaching a time of year that comes with sour memories and sad anniversaries, I would take on more crew hours, ask to be put on the floor more, or work an extra shift or two at my job. Manual labour is what I love to do and it helps me forget my worries and stress. When the pandemic hit and all of that came to an abrupt stop, it hurt, and it was a change that my friends and roommates noticed. With the fall semester I thought that maybe it would be good enough to just fill my time with more school work to keep me busy - maybe being busy would be enough to keep my mind away from bad thoughts. This was not the case, and it took a lot of therapy and professional help to keep me in a stable place. This semester, finally being able to be on campus and doing both crew for Carnegie Scenic and props crew for work study, has improved my mood and mental health significantly. My roommates always notice that I am in a good mood just before I leave and just as I return from a call. I too worry that the future doesn’t hold as much opportunity for that in-person, nonstop work by choice opportunities, and that myself, and those who thrive in constant work will struggle finding something new.
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