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Intheatre, themaster electrician (orchief electrician in the UK) is responsible for implementing the lighting design for a production drawn up by thelighting designer. This involves overseeing the preparation, hanging, connection and focusing ofstage lighting fixtures.^[1]

This can be done on a show-by-show basis, or as a resident position of a specific theatre. The tool of the trade of the theatrical master electrician is theadjustable spanner or crescent wrench, used to securestage lighting instruments from lighting positions in the theatre. This wrench is typically attached to the belt or wrist with alanyard, which is important because the master electrician tends to work at great height, fromladders,lift tables,catwalks, or lightingtrusses, where a falling wrench may hurt people or damage property below.

The master electrician supervises and is responsible for all other electricians working on any construction or installation project. Only the master electrician can pull the permits with the electrical authority, and they can only be registered with one electrical contracting company at any one time.^[2]Other electrical duties performed by any electrician include:

• Inventory andrepair and maintenance of all lighting fixtures, cables, effects, power distribution,dimmers, networking andlighting control consoles.
• Organisation and purchasing of all consumables includingcolor gel,gobos,Sharpies, andgaffer tape.
• Planning and implementing of the cabling (circuiting) of lights andelectric power distribution.
• Documenting and tracking of all circuiting, addressing, and system configuration in cooperation with the Lighting Designer.
• Patching assignments of the control console based on the paperwork generated by the lighting designer and the planned circuiting.
• Occupational safety and health of workers and operational decisions as the head of the electrics department.

Master electricians go through extensive on-site and classroom training, with work in more formal settings such as schools or colleges. The designation "master" is only given to electricians who can display extensive job knowledge and are tested to have an extensive understanding of the electrical safety code.^{[citation needed]}

There are no formal certifications of the "theatrical title, master electrician", as there are in some of the more mainstream trades, but in March 2003^[3]ESTA developed a certification process. Those who pass this rigorous test will become ETCP Certified Entertainment Electricians - and will be recognized as the industry's best.^[4] Thestagehands union,IATSE, come close in that they offerapprentice andjourneyman levels of certification. In the future, IATSE, or some of the larger local affiliations may form a more formal method of certification, which may include the title of master electrician. In the meantime, almost every production, from high school shows toBroadway uses the term to describe their primary electrician, regardless of their skill level or experience.

• Stage lighting
• Theatrical occupations
• Television terminology
• Broadcasting occupations

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