Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2011 - 43

Miller, whose uncle worked in the industry making training films during World War II,
founded Angel Aerial in 1996. "My life will never
be the same," he commented, echoing so many
others. When asked if he would do it again, he
I am a member of Local 52 [Stagehands] and Local 600
answered, "In a heartbeat. This is my country.
[Cinematographers]. I was on site Sept. 12, 13 and 14 all day and after
There is no other choice."
dark. I volunteered at the Pile, working the police side [Church St. side].
n Besides Ground Zero, the surroundThe Fire Dept. side on West St., I recollect, only had uniformed firemen
ing streets, the Javits Center, and Shea, there
working "their" pile. I did not help with lighting, but I remember that
was a growing list of sites needing power. LoMUSCO Lighting Co. was there every night I was there.
cal hospitals and the FDNY setup triage and first
I didn't volunteer thru my Locals. I was a resident volunteer. I
aid stations around the WTC site. The electrical
have HAZMAT gear, and I [just] walked in and started in the "bucket
blackout created by the destruction of the WTC
brigade." The 13th, after working many hours, I felt I couldn't continue.
meant that all of the light needed to keep the
I passed a Panavision truck with 52 and 1 members; they were wearing
area safe and secure had to be supplied by the
union hats and jackets and running cables. I kept on heading home. I
equipment, staff, and generators provided by the
was sensitive and "gallows humor" was in the air everywhere. I think
entertainment industry. The Red Cross needed
Sam Bender (Local 52) was present. I was spent and went to a first
power, as did the Transit Authority, Port Authoraid station for eye wash and water, then headed home. I worked for
ity, and the CIA, FBI, DEA, and FEMA command
one more day (14th) and left around sundown. I didn't feel we'd find
centers. Local restaurants were opened to supanyone, so I was done. Then, and months later, I would see water trucks
ply food for the workers. Schulman and his
from Angel Aerial. To this day, I am surprised how nightmares still
crew found generators and cable to power the
occur...Thanks for never forgetting.
kitchens, where performers, including Sarah
Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, served
the workers dinner.
n From the start, the Emergency Management staff, and later the Mayor's Office, executed their response
plans for people injured in a major disaster. A key component of this
plan was the creation of the triage and emergency medical facilities
in unconventional spaces close to the site of the disaster. Herrick
Goldman was uniquely qualified to help. He is a lighting professional
(his cell phone number spells out WRENCH) as well as a trained
Emergency Medical Technician. In a story he told to Entertainment Design (Nov. 2001), on 9/11, he and about fifty FDNY staff
were directed to create an emergency medical facility in a darkened
soundstage. Finding the lighting inadequate, he returned to the location where he had been working that morning and borrowed lights,
cable, and gear from the Law and Order lighting package. Within
twelve hours, he had helped create a working medical facility with
hundreds of doctors and staff using dozens of surgical bays. "It was
incredible," he said, "to see all the volunteers coming out of the
woodwork, willing to pitch in and do anything necessary."
Early in the response, the Mayor's Office set up the NYC Family
Assistance Center. They had initially planned to use the Lexington
Avenue Armory but needing more space, moved it to the much larger
UnConvention Center at Pier 94. "They asked us to help in the construction of the Family Assistance Center," Ken Longert of KL Productions told Entertainment Design (Nov. 2001). "We set up lighting
and staging, we ran a lot of power drops all over the space." His staff
also helped light the plywwood wall at the entrance to the center
where flyers and photos of missing persons were posted.
n Broadway theatres reported a massive reduction in attendance in the days following the attacks. By September 23, the Broadway unions agreed to a 25 percent across the board pay cut to help Courtesy the IATSE Official Bulletin.

mike barrow

summer 2011

theatre design

& technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2011