Unsung heroes of the theater save the show

By eas11, December 10, 2014

By Liz Reichart, A&E Editor //

When the lights turn on and the curtains go up, it’s the singers and actors, the masters of their crafts, which often leave the audience in awe. However there is scarce appreciation for those who will not be seen for the entirety of the production, yet remain some of the most important players in HPU theatre productions. Those who I refer to are so integral to a single performance that the actors would have nowhere to sing or tap dance or sob hysterically without their skills. These unsung heroes of the theater department light the stage, build the set, design and sew the costumes, and work so that others may tell a story to an audience.

Meet Rachel Garrett, a collaborative theatre major who served as the assistant production manager for HPU’s production of “On the Verge” and stage manager for “The Drowsy Chaperone.” She held a role that is integral to the production of the musical this past fall. “The stage manager, in the simplest sense, helps the production run smoothly from start to finish and helps maintain the integrity of the script. They type reports, send out emails with information and schedules every day, monitor break time during rehearsals, and eventually oversee the technical process before the show opens.”

“The stage manager is so much more than the one who facilitates the logistical things for a production. It has to be so much more than that in order to be successful. It’s certainly important to have the one go-to person who can find the answers for everyone and communicate everything, but I think the stage manager has to have a deeper love and care for the people involved than anything else,” says Garrett of her position.

It’s Rachel’s goal to make the experience run as smoothly as possible for all involved. “I value professionalism in everything I do, so it’s very important to me to promote not only a fun environment to work in, but also a hardworking one. This means making sure every line an actor says is word specific and that every set change is done fluidly and safely. The last step for a stage manager is calling the show, which is personally one of my favorite parts. It’s the time when you get to be really creative yourself and call light and sound cues as well as scene shifts.”

With so much responsibility, Rachel doesn’t let any details slip through the cracks. “Being the one ‘driving the show’ is incredibly nerve wracking the first time, but the moment you learn the sequences, you can’t help but smile as those cues come up perfectly on time, or you see an actor step into the light at just the right moment. It’s such fun!”

Faculty member Gay Hensley has worked as the costume designer for HPU’s theatrical productions this past semester, holding an MFA in Design and Technical Theatre Production from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. “Designing the costumes for a production involves making decisions about which garments to make, what can be pulled from storage, what will need to be borrowed, rented or bought in order to bring it all to fruition.

“The Drowsy Chaperone is a huge production with 75 costumes and many changes for the actors, therefore, I made the decision to rent the costumes for this production. I will still be making decisions about wigs, shoes, jewelry and other accessories to complete the look for each actor. It is exciting to wait and see what the final outcome will be!”

Gay realizes as a costume designer, the costume is a way to say something about the character being portrayed. “I think the most important thing a costume designer brings to the production is the personal element for the actor. While set and lighting design encompasses the bigger picture, the costumes reflect the personal relationships and nuances of each character. Each costume should reflect the nature of the character that is wearing that particular costume.”

Technical theater major Robert Kratz served as assistant master electrician for “On the Verge.” “Both the assistant master electrician and the master electrician are responsible for the accurate and safe hanging of lights for the show according to the show’s light plot made by the lighting designer. They also manage any and all maintenance required to be done on any lights during the show as well as direct and lead the rest of the electric crew during work calls.”

“As an assistant master electrician, you have to receive commands from the master electrician, as well as give commands to the rest of the electric crew,” said Kratz. “You also have to pay attention to what you are doing. Because you are in charge of implementing the light plot, you have to have an attention to detail. If one of your electric crew makes a mistake, you need to be paying close enough attention to realize it and help to correct it. It’s a fun job but can challenging.”

Kratz served as fly captain “The Drowsy Chaperone.” “The role of the fly captain is the person in charge of the fly crew for a production. They are in charge of coordinating fly cues during the show and ensuring that they are executed properly and safely. They are also in charge of ensuring that scenery gets installed in the fly loft safely and usually oversee the loading of counterweights.”

“I think every position is important in theater,” says Garrett. “I have to have absolute faith in my light and sound board operators. I have to trust that my assistant stage managers have everything under control backstage and that my crew will be in position at exactly the right moment. If one position is slacking or missing, the whole production is at risk, and I have been so lucky to work with and train alongside people who deeply care about the work we do.”

By contributing the set up to a performance piece, these unsung heroes in turn have a hand in telling the story. They may never have the spotlight themselves, but their hard work will always be integral to the show going on.