CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Joey Ansel has seen it all. As a stagehand, he's watched D-list star Kathy Griffin use a spoon to devour half of a jar of peanut butter before she went on stage. He saw indie singer-songwriter Ryan Adams out behind a theater playing with action figures and firecrackers.

"He was blowing them up. He's a pretty weird guy, but remarkably talented."

The list goes on and on. Over the past decade, working behind the scenes, the 49-year-old Ansel has met hundreds of musicians, dancers and comedians who've come to Charleston to play the Civic Center, the Clay Center and "Mountain Stage." He's a familiar face on the stage, putting down cables, aiming lights and even straightening an uncooperative backdrop.

There are dozens of little jobs that have to be done before a show can go on. Ansel's job is to make sure they get done, so that what happens on stage looks smooth and seamless. His job title, however, is a little vague. With "Mountain Stage," he's their official representative from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Unofficially, he's their jack-of-all-trades.

"And a master of none," Ansel laughed.

Following him around backstage at the Cultural Center on a Sunday afternoon before a "Mountain Stage" show, he scarcely stops. He starts downstairs unpacking and plugging in equipment. Some days there's very little. Other times, it fills the halls.

"Brad Paisley had a lot of stuff," he said. "They even brought a prop that was half a boat. One of his sponsors, I guess." Ansel shook his head. "Nice guy, though."

Every show is different, but the best work weekends for him are when "Mountain Stage's" schedule is full of singer-songwriters. They always travel light.

"One guy and one guitar is a pretty easy day for me."

Every show, big or small, Ansel runs through a kind of mental checklist. After he's through unpacking the first round of gear, including installing the show's soundboard, he heads up the stairs to the stage. He adjusts lights, sets up chairs and climbs ladders to mount small cameras. "Mountain Stage" recording engineer Francis Fisher uses the cameras to view the program in progress from his control room one floor below.

As guest artists arrive by bus, he goes back downstairs to welcome them to the show and answer questions. He helps them with their equipment, then goes back to the stage. The process is repeated several times throughout the day.

"Joey knows what you need before you do," said "Mountain Stage" host Larry Groce. "His approach is exactly right and he makes a pretty good first impression with people."

Fisher agrees. Ansel's job is an important one, he says. To put together a show like "Mountain Stage," which is both live and recorded, it takes a lot of organization and attention to detail.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Joey Ansel has seen it all. As a stagehand, he's watched D-list star Kathy Griffin use a spoon to devour half of a jar of peanut butter before she went on stage. He saw indie singer-songwriter Ryan Adams out behind a theater playing with action figures and firecrackers.

"He was blowing them up. He's a pretty weird guy, but remarkably talented."

The list goes on and on. Over the past decade, working behind the scenes, the 49-year-old Ansel has met hundreds of musicians, dancers and comedians who've come to Charleston to play the Civic Center, the Clay Center and "Mountain Stage." He's a familiar face on the stage, putting down cables, aiming lights and even straightening an uncooperative backdrop.

There are dozens of little jobs that have to be done before a show can go on. Ansel's job is to make sure they get done, so that what happens on stage looks smooth and seamless. His job title, however, is a little vague. With "Mountain Stage," he's their official representative from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Unofficially, he's their jack-of-all-trades.

"And a master of none," Ansel laughed.

Following him around backstage at the Cultural Center on a Sunday afternoon before a "Mountain Stage" show, he scarcely stops. He starts downstairs unpacking and plugging in equipment. Some days there's very little. Other times, it fills the halls.

"Brad Paisley had a lot of stuff," he said. "They even brought a prop that was half a boat. One of his sponsors, I guess." Ansel shook his head. "Nice guy, though."

Every show is different, but the best work weekends for him are when "Mountain Stage's" schedule is full of singer-songwriters. They always travel light.

"One guy and one guitar is a pretty easy day for me."

Every show, big or small, Ansel runs through a kind of mental checklist. After he's through unpacking the first round of gear, including installing the show's soundboard, he heads up the stairs to the stage. He adjusts lights, sets up chairs and climbs ladders to mount small cameras. "Mountain Stage" recording engineer Francis Fisher uses the cameras to view the program in progress from his control room one floor below.

As guest artists arrive by bus, he goes back downstairs to welcome them to the show and answer questions. He helps them with their equipment, then goes back to the stage. The process is repeated several times throughout the day.

"Joey knows what you need before you do," said "Mountain Stage" host Larry Groce. "His approach is exactly right and he makes a pretty good first impression with people."

Fisher agrees. Ansel's job is an important one, he says. To put together a show like "Mountain Stage," which is both live and recorded, it takes a lot of organization and attention to detail.

"After Larry, Joey probably sets the tone for backstage," Fisher said. "He never complains. He's always friendly and helpful. He's tops."

By the time the show is ready to go on, Ansel says, he's mostly done. He can sit back and watch. He always has a pretty good view. Of course, he still has to stick around until everything is packed up and put away.

Ansel didn't start out working as a stagehand. It wasn't a career he'd given much thought to, though he's always loved music. He has an art degree from WVU. He's a wood carver and draws with pen and ink.

"After Sept. 11, I sent a staff I carved to President Bush," he said. "I put a lot of time into it. It was beautiful."

It had an eagle head and was intricately carved in a flag motif. He sent it in support of the president, and the White House sent an appreciative letter, thanking him for this gift. Later, he says, he regretted the decision. The Bush administration's policies went far past what he supported. Ansel says he's been trying for a couple of years now to get the staff back.

Art is a passion, but it's hard to make a living as an artist. For years, Ansel worked as an industrial chemical cleaner. He says he's been inside of every chemical company within miles. He was a bartender. He got into stagecraft through a friend who needed an extra set of hands for an important show at the Charleston Civic Center. 

"Bob Dylan was on his 'Love and Theft' tour," Ansel said. "I helped with the setup and saw the show. I'm a huge Dylan fan. On his way out, Dylan walked past and said hello.

He was hooked.

Stagecraft is taught in colleges, but Ansel says he learned his trade on the job. None of what he does, he says, is extremely complicated.

"It's a lot of little things."

It's important to be organized and able to remain calm. He says it helps to be open to change. Each show has its own set of concerns and issues. He can't rely on everything working the way it's always worked or even people behaving the way they did last time. Beyond that, what he needs to do with "Mountain Stage" at the Cultural Center is not what he does when he's working on a show at the Clay Center or the Charleston Civic Center.

"The main difference is I could be 56 feet above the Civic Center floor, standing on a 6- to 12-inch-wide beam." He laughed. "They haven't had me do that at 'Mountain Stage.'"

Reach Bill Lynch at ly...@wvgazette.com or 348-5195.