NEW YORK, NY November 10, 2007 —Broadway stagehands went on strike Saturday, shutting down more than two dozen plays and musicals on what is the most popular theatergoing day of the week.

The League of American Theatres and Producers and Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees have been in negotiations for more than three months, wrangling over work rules and staffing requirements, particularly guidelines governing the expensive process of setting up a show. Stagehands have been working without a contract since the end of July.

Eight Broadway shows will not be affected by the strike, as they are playing in theaters with separate Local One contracts. Among those are "Young Frankenstein," "Mary Poppins," and "Pygmalion." Off-Broadway shows will also keep running. But among the shows shut by the walkout are such popular attractions as "Wicked," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Spamalot."