“I just need to prove to everyone that I’m serious.” A student dressed in black whispers into her headset, her direction received by the other six connected headsets: Lighting, get ready for your cue. 3…2…1. Go for strobe lights. Like magic, the red lighting changes to strobing pink, and Elle Woods takes center stage with Emmett Richmond for their musical number, “Chip on My Shoulder.” Get ready to move Elle’s bedroom. “What you need is to get to work.” The lights dim. 3…2…1…go! When the stage lights turn on again, the brick backdrop has been covered by a pink bed, desk, and door that Elle skips through, seamlessly entering a new setting. Unbeknownst to the audience, behind the curtains and in the lighting booth, stage crew members pat themselves on the back for the clean transition before refocusing on the next scene.
Stage crew, or “crew” as they call themselves, manages the backstage and technical aspect of all South High productions. While student actors captivate the audience, the stage crew works tirelessly behind the scenes maneuvering set pieces, changing backdrops, handing off props, and controlling microphones. Without stage crew, performances like this year’s Legally Blonde would not have been possible.
Preparation for the musical begins with recruiting new members. In the first week of school, Theater South holds an introductory meeting for students interested in joining the six parts of stage crew: lighting, sound, props, construction, backstage, and costumes. Anyone looking to be involved in the preparatory stages of the musical can join the construction, props, or costume crew. Once the groups are established, these teams spend the next two months creating sets, making props, and sourcing costumes.
After the sets and backdrops are completed, after school stage crew rehearsal begins. In addition to rehearsing with the actors, crew has exclusive sessions called “cue to cues.” In these 30-to-40-minute transition runs, the 26 backstage crew members practice changing sets without having to wait for the actors to finish the scene. These practices are also crucial for safety concerns, as the enormous set pieces may cause injury if handled improperly.
The stage crew and cast also rehearse on weekends from 10AM to 6PM—triple the amount of rehearsal time they have on school nights. “[Rehearsals are] intense,” Stage Crew Director Mr. Matthew Rosenberg said. “Not every member sits through the entire rehearsal process, [so they have to] learn and pick things up very quickly.” During rehearsal, Mr. Rosenberg guides stage crew through scene changes, lighting, and sound cues. As the night of the show approaches, he becomes less involved as the members practice their roles and the student leaders—stage managers and crew chiefs—take command.
Everything comes together during the week of the performance, called Tech Week. Cast and crew rehearse the entire musical four to five times, complete with hundred of lighting cues, a pit orchestra, and dozens of scenic changes. Final touches are made during these last run-throughs, until finally, the night of the first performance arrives.
During the actual show, controlled chaos ensues backstage. The stage wings are crowded with actors in costume and crew members dressed in black. Stage crew strains to hear the spoken cues on stage and see the stage manager’s hand signals. Whispered shouts clear the hallway as crew members rush a set piece from one side of the stage to the other. Despite the frantic energy, everyone is now familiar with their responsibilities and performs them with practiced movements. Stage Manager and senior Annabelle Chay said, “[It’s] like a mix of adrenaline, creativity and camaraderie. In the end, we see the perfect outcomes of any scene change or lighting/sound cue, and I feel this rush of satisfaction.”
Stage crew is regarded as a support role to the actors. However, this is far from the truth. Without stage crew, there would be no set, costumes, lighting, or sound. Actors would be in streetwear, and the stage would be empty.
“Stage crew isn’t just moving props or setting up equipment,” Chay said. “It’s the foundation of any and all productions. We’re often underappreciated, and I want others to know that the productions aren’t just the actors or directors. The people behind the scenes make the amazing productions happen and should also get as much credit.”
