BEHIND THE CURTAIN

PUTTING SPOTLIGHT ON THOSE BEHIND HSE’S FALL PLAY

When attending plays and musicals that range from high school level all the way to Broadway, audiences come to see actors perform front and center. These actors’ talents are shown on full display for everyone to witness. However, what is commonly missed and not appreciated as much, are the other positions within theatre. Many forget to acknowledge the talents of those who work backstage to help pull the entire performance together. There are many backstage positions that students at HSE can participate in for plays and musicals. Departments range from stage manager, costume design, prop design, production, sound design, lighting, construction, and more. These students are faced with the challenges of making everything go to plan and run smoothly. Every time there is an issue with sound, a set piece falls over, a costume malfunctions, or anything else, it is up to the backstage crew to come up with quick solutions to get the actors back on stage as soon as possible. Vice president of Drama Club, Chelsea Murdock shared information on how the backstage crew comes together to plan for the productions. “We have something called ‘mandatories,’ where all the students in the show, both tech and crew, are required to come in and start putting all of the moving pieces of the production together,” Murdock said. “We then have “tech Saturday”, an allday rehearsal that focuses on putting on full costumes for the fi rst time, working out all of our cues, and generally ironing out any bumps that the show may have.” There is a reason these members are often referred to as the unsung heroes of theatre. The work of the crew allows the actors to focus more on their performance rather than issues that arise as well. Sophie Haven, one of the prop design heads shared their thoughts on how the backstage crew plays its role. “Without the backstage crew you dont have a show,” Haven said. “The set doesnt move on its own and props and costumes arent made by themselves.” This year’s fall production is a play written by Qui Nguyen titled, “She Kills Monsters”. The play follows the story of the main character Agnes as she fi nds her late sister Tilly’s Dungeons and Dragons notebook, thus leading the audience through the imaginary world that once took up so much of her sister’s life. Because of the fantasy element within this production, it requires unique costumes, props, sound, and more to bring it to life and incorporate that magical element. There is so much work that goes into every piece of production here at HSE that is often not appreciated because the backstage crew isn’t reciting lines and playing a character. However, without them, the production itself would cease to exist. Story by Ryan Luhmann.

PLAYING THEIR PARTS

Stage Manager: Carly Mankin, 12 Prop and Set Design: Ella Sternke, 12, Sophia Haven, 12 Costume Design: Diya Ambat, 11 (not pictured), Sarah Shanklin, 11 Light and Sound Design: CJ Baer, 12 (not pictured), Ella Pegg, 11

Stage Managers are responsible for organizing the backstage and onstage aspects of a show. They help departments stay on track, help with set changes, and cue actors and technicians. Prop and Set Designers create the visual aspect of a production, from the di erent colors and materials used in a backdrop to the items used by actors. Costume Designers are another instrumental visual piece to a show, as they are responsible with creating time-period accurate costumes that are practical for each character and actor. Lighting and Sound are technology behind a production that help the audience not only hear the actors but also feel di erent things during di erent scenes.

6THE ORB