KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kristina Banton can usually be found behind the scenes at live entertainment venues around Kansas City, Missouri. But since the COVID-19 pandemic began, her industry has been nearly non-existent.
"It’s good for us when we're doing our jobs, but it's bad now because people don't realize how many skilled members it takes to put on a show," said Banton, a journeyman with International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 31.
With those shows canceled because of the pandemic, hundreds of stagehands are struggling.
"We’ve been around for 125 years, and this is our first year that I can imagine that we aren't working," Tyler Miller, call steward with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 31, said.
Because of those struggles, a national coalition called We Make Events formed and created a campaign in which buildings throughout the country will be lit up in red to raise awareness. On Tuesday, Kansas City took part, with the following buildings involved:
- Hy-Vee Arena
- Folly Theatre
- Kansas City Ballet
- The Pylons at the Kansas City Convention Center
- The Kansas City Repertory Theatre
- Starlight Theatre
- The Unicorn
Before COVID-19, Miller would dispatch stagehands to roughly 100 calls per day. Now, that's down to about three calls a day.
"That paycheck that goes to us is just a small reflection of what that audience pays to be here in this great city, so the politicians know what they should be doing," Miller said. "They should be going off and supporting us, because we paid our dues and we're ready to come back and pay our dues forward."
Local stagehands are joining We Make Events' movement to light more than 1,000 buildings in red. Members of the organization hope elected officials will pass The RESTART Act that is currently making its way through Congress.
"We were the first to lose our jobs, and we're going to be the last back," Banton said.
The live events industry employs more than 12 million people around the country.
