Tradeshow Talk (USITT edition): A field guide to CueSpiders

 

Spider or CueSpider? This video, presented at the USITT conference this week, teaches students to spot CueSystem CueSpiders in the wild.

Most spiders catch flies, but can they cue flys? Whether spinning webs in the catwalks or lying in wait above the door to the scene shop (*shudder*), spiders are a natural part of the backstage ecosystem. They’re great for a scare during a late-night changeover…but not very useful for running your show. Unless, of course, they’re CueSystem CueSpiders.

For USITT‘s traditional “Brag and Swag” showcase event (during which manufactures present – and toss swag – to a crowd of conference-going technical theater students and educators), ETC made a short video to guide the budding backstage naturalist through theatrical arachnid taxonomy. Can you use your backstage spiders to cue a show? Watch the video below to find out:

 

Following the video, product manager Chris Patton pelted the audience with squishy swag spiders, eliciting what we assume were screams of joy.

USITT-goers: big fans of flying spiders, apparently

(If you’re in North America, you can can learn more about GDS by ETC CueSystem products here. If you’re elsewhere in the world, they are manufactured and sold by our friends over at GDS.)

Did you snag a spider at USITT? Tag your photos with #CueSpider to share your little arachnid’s adventures.

More from the show floor

There has been plenty of action at ETC’s USITT booth so far this week. Check out the gallery below for some highlights, and be sure to visit us at booth 114 if you’re attending this weekend!

 

Behind the Scenes of Camp CUE

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Kate Foster
Kate joined ETC in 2012 after several years spent creating sets, props, and the occasional hack lighting design in the basement theaters of New York City. In addition to writing for ETC, she has worked on numerous in-house design projects, including tradeshow booths and the New York office’s Art Deco lobby. In her free time, Kate practices figure drawing, explores obscure corners of NYC, and pines for mountains.