Behind the Scenes: A Conversation with IATSE Local 363

Published January 16, 2026

Behind the Scenes: A Conversation with IATSE Local 363

When an audience sits down in a theater, their experience should ideally feel seamless... the lights fade up, the music swells, and the scenery suddenly appears – all as if by magic. The goal in live productions is for patrons to become entirely immersed in the event unfolding onstage, and what they don’t notice (by design!) is an entire skilled workforce backstage who put in hours of labor behind the scenes before, during, and after any live event. The Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts and our producing partners could not achieve the magic of live events on our historic stage without this essential group of professionals: the stagehands. The deck carpenters, spotlight operators, flymen, wardrobe runners, electricians, sound technicians, and many more who work off stage at the Pioneer Center are members of a specialized union called The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE for short. This national labor union is comprised of localized chapters in cities across the US and Canada to better serve members and venues.

Filer image element — The local Reno/Tahoe chapter of the International
Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees

The original, IATSE Local One, was formed in New York City in 1893 by a group of backstage laborers who were unhappy with their working conditions. They sought better wages, safer conditions, and a collective voice. The Reno/Tahoe chapter, IATSE Local 363, was first established in 1914 to represent people working in live opera before almost exclusively shifting to represent movie theater projectionists for the bulk of the century. Then in 1978, the biggest show in the world opened at the brand-new MGM Grand (now the Grand Sierra Resort). Donn Arden’s Hello, Hollywood, Hello!, with 150+ performers on stage, required that the local union chapter refocus its efforts on the 100+ stagehands it suddenly represented off stage. Today, 113 years since its founding, IATSE Local 363 represents close to 300 members, all of whom are theater professionals who live in our community and work at venues across Reno/Tahoe, including the Pioneer Center.

To bring their great work out from behind the curtain and into the spotlight, our team sat down with representatives from IATSE Local 363 for an informative conversation. John Olszewski, President of IATSE Local 363, and Adam Mack, Business Agent, shared more about what their union does and why it matters to the entire community.

Pioneer Center: Thank you both for joining us. Please tell our readers a little more about you.

John Olszewski: “As the current President of IATSE Local 363, I’m responsible for what goes on within the union. I try to set the tone and the temperature of the organization, and I oversee the boards and their day-to-day responsibilities. I also hold a full-time union position of my own as the Super Lead Technician (essentially a Technical Director) at the Grand Sierra Resort.”

Adam Mack: “I’m the Business Agent for Local 363, an elected position. My job is to oversee the day-to-day business operations — dispatching people for work, filling calls, accepting new work, and interfacing with our clients. I manage the stewards on job sites and stay closely connected with everything happening across the region. I’m kind of on call all the time, but it’s rewarding. It lets me stay really plugged into the community and see what’s coming up.”

Pioneer Center: Where might our readers have experienced the work of Local 363 in our community?

Adam: “We represent full-time audio-visual and theater employees at places like the Grand Sierra Resort and Bally’s Lake Tahoe. Through our hiring hall, we also provide on-call physical and technical labor for nearly every large-scale event in the region. That includes the Pioneer Center, which is kind of our home venue. Broadway tours, the Reno Phil, dance performances — if you’re seeing a show there, that’s our labor behind it.”

John: “If you’ve been to a concert at the GSR’s Grand Theater, an outdoor event at J Resort, or a show at Lawlor or the Reno/Tahoe Convention Center, you’ve seen our work, even if you didn’t realize it.”

Adam: “Sports too. We install and remove the basketball court at Lawlor Events Center. If you went to Home for the Holidays at Greater Nevada Field, we helped build that.”

John: “Our members also worked on the nationally televised NHL outdoor games at Lake Tahoe a few years ago. Ice maintenance, staging — that was us.”]

Pioneer Center: Theatre students often ask us about backstage work during our Behind the Curtain education workshops with Broadway touring shows. What does a career path look like for someone wishing to join the union and embark down this path?

Adam: “There really isn’t one typical path, and that’s what’s cool about it. Some people come in with years of experience. Some come in with a great attitude, basic skills, and a willingness to learn on the job. Young people will find that every day you’re going to do something new, talk to someone more experienced, and learn why things are done a certain way. You never know where it’s going to take you.”

John: “I always say you don’t choose this career — this career chooses you. And it keeps evolving. Our knowledge grows with the changing technology. Touring shows bring the latest lighting, audio, and video gear through Reno. We get to learn about and put our hands on new, cutting-edge equipment all the time.”

Pioneer Center: Loading a show in and out is an extensive process, involves heavy lifting, and requires specific training. Safety is a big part of this industry. How does the union support that for their members?

Adam: “Everyone needs an OSHA 10 certification before they can sign up to join the union. That’s not just for their own safety, but for the people working around them. The union also negotiates fair working conditions into contracts. There’s mandatory time off between shifts, meal breaks, minimum calls, and guaranteed pay.”

John: “If you incentivize people to rush or cut corners, that creates unsafe environments. We want people working smart and going home healthy.”

Adam: “We value efficiency, and you shouldn’t be punished for being efficient.”

Pioneer Center: We certainly appreciate that and realize the value that comes with investing in the skilled workforce of Local 363. What do you wish the public better understood about union labor?

John: “There’s this perception that union workers are lazy, and I completely disagree with that. Come watch a load-in sometime. This is long, physical, demanding work. Yes, it can be fun — but it’s also a sacrifice. Long hours, holidays, time away from family. We take safety and professionalism very seriously.”

Adam: “I want people to strip away the political rhetoric and see this for what it is: a group of local workers pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into bringing arts and culture to the community. It’s a labor of love — but our job as a union is to make sure people can do what they love and still live a respectable life.”
Pioneer Center: Thank you, John Olszewski and Adam Mack, for sharing your insight with us and our readers. We are proud of our long-standing partnership with you and your members. Thank you for the work all of you do to support arts and culture events across the Reno/Tahoe landscape.

The show must go on – but not without IATSE Local 363! While the performers at centerstage often get all the credit and applause at the end of a show, none of it would be possible without the tireless efforts of highly skilled union stagehands bringing the performance to life from behind the scenes.

The next time you are with us at the Pioneer Center for a show, we hope you will have an added appreciation for the many people whose work you will experience but whose faces you may never see. When you applaud the performers, add a few extra cheers for the stagehands!

Dennyse Sewell is the CEO of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in Reno, Nevada

Behind the Scenes: A Conversation with IATSE Local 363

Published January 16, 2026