[Deano]

Is there anybody on the board that is or has worked for Carowinds before? The reason I'm asking is that I'm applying for a StageHand position and was wondering what it was like. I know what the job is, I just want an opinion of the company.

Dean

[CoasterChris]

My brother was a stage hand for 2 years and he loved it. Of course that was back when the had good staff running the dept.

His final 3 years he was over the entire Paladium & Theatre so you move up quickly if they like you.

Alot of people (12) left last season because of the new guy over that Dept. His name it pete and he's not one alot of people get along with cause he really knows nothing about the dept. This is a guy who always worked with lifeguards his entire career and they threw him into the Entertainment posistion this year.

Alot of good people are still there who you will just love. Jenn & Joy are the best and you will have no problem getting along with them.

If you do get the job good luck with that guy but besides that it is a really fun job and i think you'll love it.

[Deano]

Well I guess it good and bad to know that alot of people left last year. Yeah I was into Theatre (especially the tech part) in high school. 4 years of Theatre plus, a year of technical theatre. Good to hear about some decent people left in the dept. I talked to one guy last year and he event told me the pay was decent ($10/hr), could you confirm this?

Dean

PS: Do you know how many shows a year they run?

[CoasterChris]

I think the pay is still around that. I do know when CF took over they dropped everyone's pay. It might still be at 10 or maybe $.75 less.

The theatre will run 4-5 Ice shows 6 days a week and the Paladium holds 20 or so events every year but that mainly is band, choir & Cheerleading stuff.

They usually have about 2-5 concerts a year.

[RollerBee]

I was a ride operator at Drop Zone, Hurler, Goldrusher, and Upper Nick. Stagehand for Carowinds or Paladium?

[CoasterChris]

Stagehands are the people who basically put the stage and alot of other things together for shows and concerts.

[theonewhoknows]

I worked in Maintenance for the 2003-2004 seasons.. good pay terrible hours and had to work all the major holidays..

[RollerBee]

Did that include Thanksgiving and Christmas? Up until I started driving a bus, I worked all major holidays except Christmas.

[CoasterChris]

He did say ALL Major Holidays.

[Deano]

Yes, but I know for a fact that the park isnt open on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Chris do you know how many hours a week your brother worked normally?

[theonewhoknows]

I stand corrected...

[CoasterChris]

He worked about 40-50 and durring the Nick parade & Scarowinds he worked around 60-65. The parade is gone now so that rules out a good month or to of 65 hour weeks. Like i said you should get 40-50 but they will work you like crazy for Scarowinds. Not a bad thing though.

[Deano]

Didn't realize it was that much. I actually already have a full-time job and hoping the carowinds thing would be part time. Unforntunely when i went in for my pre-screen, i had to re-apply as they didnt have my online application i filled out . Did the pre-screen then they gave me a sheet to write why I was best for the postion.I did note they there were 6 stagehand positions they needed to fill.

[CoasterChris]

Oh. Well if your just going part-time then the hours would be alot less then that. You could work that many if you wanted to being PT but you would only be asked to work around 20-25 hours a week.

You also have a certin # of hours you can work in a season. You can't work more than 1,820 hours. In 2005 durring Winterfest my brother had already reached 1820 about a week before Winterfest and he could not work so that was the end of his season.

Also stagehands start work in early Feb. I was just talking to my friend Jenn and she said she started back yesterday.

[Deano]

I'm surprised that the stagehands have already started back. One lady said the chior/band concerts would start in April, so they'd be doing interviews soon. I wonder what kind of work they could be doing in Febuary.