Out of chaos rises opportunity. Tyler DeLong, like many other individuals in the entertainment industry found himself suddenly without employment in the spring of 2020 due to Covid-19. Through his searches for the next project, he had the realization that there was a need in the entertainment industry for qualified and experienced rigging experts to inspect rigging systems and advise on best practices. Thus he started A Man, A Jeep, No Real Plan LLC to investigate this niche. Very quickly he realized that this need was larger than what he originally thought and he recruited his father, John DeLong as a partner and DeLong Rigging Solutions was born.
Tyler DeLong
Tyler DeLong is an ETCP Certified Rigger in both Theatrical and Arena Rigging (Certification # 2771) and an ETCP Recognized Trainer. He is also a voting member of the TSP Rigging Workgroup. Tyler has his OSHA 30 as well as being certified in numerous man-lifts and material handlers. He earned a BA in Theatre with a Concentration in Technology from Indiana University (class of 2010). Tyler has spent the majority of his career working as a touring technician, primarily as the Tour Rigger/Automation Tech. He also has spent some time as the Stage Carpenter at the Santa Fe Opera. His most recent touring was as a Production Manager for Feld Entertainment. His work has taken him all over North America, South America, and Asia.
Some prior projects include:
- Cavalia’s Odysseo
- The Adams Family
- Mama Mia
- Bring it On, The Musical
- Blue Man Group
- Finding Neverland
- Disney On Ice
- Jurassic World Live
- Sesame Street
Tyler has also worked freelance with:
- IATSE Local 618
- IATSE Local 49
- IATSE Local 30
- Numerous regional rigging install companies
In his spare time… Tyler is a lapsed rock climber, an all-around outdoor enthusiast, and he keeps an adventure blog with his spouse Caitlyn at www.amanajeepnorealplan.com.
John DeLong
John DeLong started out as a member of and one of the set-up guys for a local Symphony Orchestra and Civic Theater Pit Orchestra in home-town, Kokomo, Indiana. As he pursued his ambitions as a musician and added an Opera Theater Tech major to his college curriculum, he figured out that he was more productive and happy with long hours in the theater rather than long hours in the practice room.
John graduated from the Indiana University School of Music, now the Jacob’s School of Music with a Bachelor of Science in Music and an Outside Field, (Stage Technology). Soon after graduating he took a job offer, from the brother of a class-mate, as a shop supervisor and draftsman to build scenery for a touring band. The band didn’t send the money on time, so the scenery wasn’t done on time and he was hired to go on the road with them to finish the scenery. After the scenery was completed, he stayed on the tour to assemble and operate the scenery in each venue of the tour.
That was the first job that consequently led to the next job, that led to the next job, that led to the next job, etc. During the college years he had acquired knowledge and some experience both as a student and in an apprentice/intern position as a theatrical rigging installer. He quickly migrated to touring as a Rigger. In the rock and roll touring business at that time, rigging paid the best, had the most autonomy and fit his skill set and interests the best.
For the better part of 15 years John worked mostly as a tour rigger. Occasionally working as an electrician, occasionally as a production manager and between touring gigs did a few months on the night gang at the Metropolitan Opera and most of a year in a New York City scenery shop as a carpenter/welder.
Clients during those years included:
- Parliament Funkadelic
- The Isley Brothers
- John Denver
- Some one-offs for regional opera companies
- The Beach Boys
- .38 Special
- Black Sabbath
- Scorpions
- Sammy Hagar
- Van Halen (w/Sammy Hagar)
- Ratt
- Def Leppard – Hysteria & Adrenalize
- Metallica – …and Justice For All
More recently:
- January 1994 – Hired as House-crew, Head Flyman at Indiana University Auditorium
- July 1999 to February 2021 – Stage Manager/Head Carpenter at Indiana University Auditorium
- January 1994 to present – Freelance as local rigger, Lead Rigger and Team Lead on calls for:
- IATSE Local 618
- IATSE Local 49
- IATSE Local 30
- Numerous regional Rigging install companies
- Fall 1994 to present – Adjunct Faculty at Indiana University teaching Theatrical Stage Rigging. Currently offered by the Department of Theater, Drama and Contemporary Dance. Previously offered as curriculum in the Opera Technical Studies program.
- ETCP Dual Certification # 691 Rigging – Arena/Theatre
In his copious spare time… John enjoys travel with his wife Rebecca, backpacking, mountain biking, darts and chasing some stupid little white ball around the golf course (would be a dis-service to the game to claim that he plays golf).
Bob Brown
Robert Brown is an enthusiastic and energetic member of the DRS team. Originally from the Chicago area having grown up in Evanston, IL. His interests in all things’ theatre began in high school and quickly became his career choice while seeking a degree from Indiana University Bloomington. While attending university Bob started the friendships and foundations that would nearly 10 years later become his new career choice with DRS.
Along the way Bob picked up a few hobbies and skills which have contributed significantly to his life and abilities. In his college days he began learning the skills and tools to become an accomplished hobby machinist, hand turning and milling parts for several working scale steam engines. This hobby continues today in his home shop where he frequently makes parts for friends and work. He also took on several freelance projects creating scenery for IU university players, Union Board and later an off off-Broadway production.
Bob also has a great love for the outdoors and nature, he has been backpacking through Kenya, Hawaii, and many parts of the continental US, ranging from the Sierras to Maine. His love for nature always brings him home with a sense of gratitude and peace that seems to recharge and invigorate him. Since settling down and starting a family he now has opportunities to share new outdoor adventures with his wife and kids who frequently walk the nearby trails.
In recent years Bob has become a collector of projects ranging from machinery repair to rebuilding motorcycles. He has a profound sense for anything mechanical and most things electrical. His hobbies have provided a wealth of knowledge that transfers seamlessly into automated scenery and mechanical systems found within our work.
In his professional career Bob has worked with companies small and large before landing on DRS. Some of his credits include:
Center Stage of Baltimore – Baltimore, MD
Barrington Stage Co. – Pittsfield, MA
Shakespeare & Co. – Lennox, MA
The Egg – Albany, NY
Steppenwolf Theatre Company – Chicago, IL
Indiana University Musical Arts Center – Bloomington, IN
Through his work history Bob has a strong background in technical direction, automated scenery, drafting, construction, and electrical. After leaving IU Bob quickly found himself working for DRS and the rest is history!
Christopher Berg
Christopher Berg began his backstage career when his parents told him to get involved in something, anything, in high school. He found stage crew and the rest they say is history. An excuse to stay out late past curfew on a Friday and Saturday night what could go wrong. Thinking that he wanted to be a lighting designer he enrolled in the local community college’s architecture program. Drafting was essential. After receiving his Associates degree in Architecture from Illinois Central College, he transferred to Western Illinois University where he received his bachelor’s degree in theatre. From there, he moved on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in scenic design from Indiana University.
Chris’ early career includes stints in regional theatre, exhibit design and construction, scenery carpentry, and as a farm hand on his brother’s farm. A majority of his career was spent in academia teaching strong scenery construction techniques for Indiana University, Department of Theatre and Dance. Chris’ interest was always rigging and flown scenery.
As an I.A.T.S.E. member he quickly gained rigging knowledge under the mentorship of John Delong. Without John’s knowledge and ability to train, Chris would not be the rigger he is today. Also, for more than a decade he raced beach catamarans which lead to his research into reintroducing modern sailing rigging components back into theatrical uses.
Brief Work History
- October 1991-Joined IATSE
- August 1997 to June 2019-Assistant Technical Director, Indiana University, Department of Theatre and Dance.
- July 2019 to December 2022-Production Technical Director, Indiana University, Department of Theatre and Dance
- August 1997 to present-Freelance as a local rigger on calls for:
- IATSE Local 618
- IATSE 49
- IATSE 30
Outside of theatre, Chris can be found training for his next 5k or dreaming up another adventure in the high Sierra’s or walking the local trails with his wife, Dana.