Local 1 walked out Saturday without much notice, shutting down 27 plays and musicals and causing confusion on the busiest theatergoing day of the week.

The union includes more than just the men and women who move the scenery and props; it also represents a show's electricians, carpenters and sound people. Stagehands work for individual theaters but do not get paid when there is no show running.

The existing contract requires theaters to use at least three stagehands for each production: a carpenter, a property master and an electrician. On occasion, a fourth stagehand called a fly man is needed. This is the person in charge of scenery, props and other things that move up or down, or from offstage — for example, the "bubble" that transports Glinda in the musical "Wicked."

Adding more stagehands depends on "what's moving around," said Bruce Cohen, a union spokesman. "You could conceivably do a show with three or four people. It depends on what else the show requires. The more action you have on a stage, the more people you have to have."

The contract dispute has focused on how many stagehands are required to open a show and keep it running. That means moving scenery, lights, sound systems and props into the theater; installing the set and making sure it works; and keeping everything functioning well for the life of the production.

Theater owners and producers want to be able to hire only the number of stagehands they think they'll need for an individual show. For example, a play with one set might not require as many stagehands as a large-scale musical with many scene changes or special effects. The union wants to maintain its rules on how many stagehands are hired, how they work and for how long; it also wants a specific number hired for each show.

Eight Broadway shows that have separate contracts with the union remained open and were doing strong business. Among the attractions still running are "Young Frankenstein," "Mary Poppins," "Xanadu" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," as well as four shows — "Pygmalion," "The Ritz," "Mauritius" and "Cymbeline" — playing at nonprofit theaters.

Meanwhile, the league has put together a Web site, www.ILoveNYTheater.com, which will be updated daily with new information about how to exchange tickets or get refunds for canceled shows.

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