About IATSE Local 2

Local 2 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada (IATSE), represents the stagehands, technicians, and theatrical craft professionals who power Chicago's entertainment industry.

Founded on March 3rd, 1887, as the Theatrical Protective Union of Chicago, Local 2 was built on the values of economic security, the eight-hour day, and protection from workplace hazards. For more than a century, the union has continued to evolve alongside the industry, mastering new technologies while upholding the highest standards of skill, safety, and professionalism.

As entertainment technology advanced, Local 2 adapted with it. The rise of film production in the 1910s created demand for projectionists and studio mechanics. After World War II, the emergence of television opened new opportunities, with more than 100 Local 2 stagehands employed at Chicago's new TV stations—many of them returning veterans. Before the advent of videotape in 1957, live broadcasts required large, highly skilled crews.

The postwar revival of Broadway also brought increasingly ambitious productions, including South Pacific and West Side Story, which relied on more sophisticated scenery and lighting than ever before. In 1954, Chicago stagehands raised the curtain on Lyric Opera of Chicago's inaugural season, helping launch what would become one of the world's premier opera companies.

The rock-and-roll era ushered in the age of the arena event, bringing major concerts to venues such as the Amphitheatre, the Coliseum Theatre, and Chicago Stadium. Local 2 members worked behind the scenes on landmark performances, from Elvis Presley's 1957 appearance at the Amphitheatre to large-scale productions at Soldier Field and Comiskey Park in the 1970s. These events introduced new technical demands, including massive temporary structures and increasingly complex sound and lighting systems. Local 2 members met those challenges with the expertise needed to make productions safer, stronger, and more efficient.

Chicago's theatrical digital era arrived in January 1978 with A Chorus Line at the Shubert Theatre, the first large-scale production in the city to use a microprocessor-controlled lighting board. By the 1990s, digital systems had expanded into advanced theatrical automation on productions such as Miss Saigon and The Phantom of the Opera, operated by Local 2 stagehands. Today, as technology continues to transform live entertainment, Local 2 remains at the forefront of the craft.

Local 2's mission is to provide economic security and a safe work environment for its members and their families. Today, our members are among the best trained, safest, and most efficient stagehands in the nation. The Craig P. Carlson Hall and Training Center reflects that commitment, building on the Journeyman/Apprentice Training Fund launched in 2007 to prepare members for a rapidly evolving industry.

We build, rig, light, and run the productions that bring Chicago's stages, arenas, and events to life. We are Chicago's stagehands. We are IATSE Local 2.