What is a live load in rigging terms?

• A. A load that is currently supported by the rigging system and may change during operation.
• B. The static weight of rigging hardware, battens, and scenery when not in motion.
• C. A load that is only used during load-in.
• D. The maximum permitted load for the line set.

Answer: (A)

Live load in rigging terms means the load that is currently being supported by the rigging system and can change during operation. It covers scenery, equipment, and people that are attached to or carried by the system as the show runs, and its weight or position can vary as moves happen, scenes change, or motors and pulleys operate. This is different from the static weight of hardware and scenery when everything is at rest, which is the dead load. It’s also not about the maximum allowed weight for a line set—that’s the working load limit or rated capacity, a safety specification, not the live load itself. So the best description is a load that is actively supported and may change during operation.