Green room

A private room near the stage for performers and speakers to prepare and wait.

How it works in practice

The green room is a performer’s workplace for the evening: where they change, warm up, store gear and wait for their cue. Needs differ by act. A speaker wants a quiet chair, a power outlet and a monitor showing the stage. A band needs space for cases and a place to eat. An aerialist needs floor space to warm up. An illusionist needs a room nobody else walks into, because props and methods are their livelihood.

Distance matters most. A room that is a three-minute walk through a busy kitchen means late entrances and missed cues. Within about 60 seconds of the stage, by a route guests do not use, is the standard most riders ask for.

How to handle it

1. Read every tech rider and list the green-room needs together: lockable door, mirror, lighting, water, food, power, number of people.
2. Ask the venue which rooms are free that night and whether there is a rental charge. Get it on the BEO if there is.
3. Walk the route from green room to stage during the site visit and time it.
4. If several acts share one room, schedule arrivals so the next act is not changing while the last is packing.
5. Arrange meals and drinks as the riders specify, and decide when they are served so nobody performs on a full plate.
6. Put the green room location and contact on the run of show, and give performers a clear call time for load-in.

In Ontario and the GTA

Accessibility applies backstage too. If a speaker or performer has a disability, the route from accessible parking or transit to the green room and from there to the stage must be step-free, with an accessible washroom nearby. A quiet space is on the AODA practical checklist for guests; the green room often doubles as one for a nervous speaker.

Questions to ask

• Who holds the key, and can performers lock valuables in?
• Is there a washroom guests will not be using?
• Can the room be used from load-in until the last act leaves, not only during the program?

Related tools

Gather requirements with the performer tech rider template, and stock the room from the day-of emergency kit list: tape, safety pins, batteries, a steamer and painkillers.