Introduction
To start, I just want to say welcome to the first of
a series of blogs that I will be writing for Lees-McRae Summer Theatre. I will
be talking about the different shows going up this season as well as intern
life here at the college, and what it means to be a Lees-McRae Summer Theatre
(LMST), intern. I will be keeping these very casual all the while shedding some
light at the current happenings on the campus. If you wish to learn more about
what is going on check out our face book page at:
Now on to the blog!
To say that working in theatre is a tiring job is an
understatement. It has been only two weeks since we have started and rehearsals
are underway, the set is being built, meetings are taking place, costumes are
being pulled. To say the least, it has been quite the whirlwind of activity at
the college.
I have been involved with productions at Lees-McRae College
during the academic year taking on roles, hanging lights, building sets, trying
to have a well-rounded sense of what the theatre actually was and is about. Now
that being said, if you can imagine that type of atmosphere and speed it up
tenfold then you have some concept of what it’s like!
I was asked if I could finish the Dramaturgy work
for Chicago in 3-4 days after our initial meeting. I was just a tad worried to
say the least. That is just one piece of the puzzle in terms of how much
effort, we as interns and those hired to work on the shows, put into what we
do. It is a never ending process it seems at times where something always has
to get done. So in order to shine a little light onto those you may not think
about, I am going to break this blog up into sections in order to give
attention to the different fields working hard in order to see the shows come
together. I can assure you, the method remains the same for each and every
performance we put on, now let’s get into it.
As the hammers rise the drills roar
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| Pic. Dustin Gibson |
I would say one of the hardest working bunch in the
entire production is the set crew. Having to build sets for our shows in a
matter of weeks if only a weeks’ time. That to me is just incredible. They are
working from 9:00-6:00 if not later nearly every day trying to see that the
directors’ vision is realized all the while making sure it’s safe for the
actor.
They are the ones that put in the hard labor for us to enjoy what we
see.
They are the ones that bring the vision to life and
are an integral part in the process of seeing that these shows succeed. I
cannot say enough, how grateful one is when seeing the amazing space that has
been built for you. They take that canvas for which the art of theatre can be
put onto and morph the stage through the designers’ vision, into something
which one would think impossible.
I give full credit to them and their work. They
deserve every bit of thanks and appreciation when it comes to getting the job
done. So when you see how amazing that set is or how interesting that piece
moves, just know, that was a concept, a vision, a plan, a job and then a
masterpiece all created by the efforts of those who build the magic.
Let’s “Illuminate” a bit more on the Situation
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| Pic. Casey Duke and Megan Konyndyk |
So I said I would “shed some light” on the situation
of what goes on during a production and I thought what better way to do that
then to actually talk about those fellow interns involved in lighting! Prepare
for puns. So the Lighting Ladies as they shall be called work very hard with
the help of Lighting Designer Todd Teagarden, to make sure that things run
smoothly when it comes to all things lights.
You may ask what does being a lighting intern
entail, and as you can see from the above photo it means getting into some
really high places moving some very heavy equipment. Then they place that heavy
equipment in such a way that it can then be focused to get the desired effect.
Lighting is one of those special arts that some
people don’t even realize what type of an effect it could be having. This is
one of the few arts where the mood or ambiance on stage can be changed merely
by a color or hue or perhaps effect being used such as a scroller or Gobo.
They paint their own atmosphere over the stage which
allows the actors to breathe in the type of effect it gives off. It sets a mood
and feeling like few other things on the stage. There is a reason why a show
comes together from many different aspects of design. Lighting design is one of
those arts that “illuminates” the body, shining through a lens, to bring to
light a vision that glows deeply on the stage. See there they are.
A "Stitch" in time
So, now that we move out of Hayes, let’s have a look
into another very interesting part of the production process: Costuming.
“AHHHHHHHHHH”, when asked how the costuming process goes during the summer,
this is the response I received from Dr. Mike Hannah. Things have been running
smoothly thus far but that has hardly been the case.
Pulling costumes, buying fabric and costume pieces,
making alterations, the list goes on in terms of all the things that may need
to be done in order to get the desired effect or look on stage. This is a
process of design that works close with all other designers so they know what
to look out for. You may think that’s a nice shade of blue but put it on stage
with an interesting colored light, and suddenly you have a completely different
color!
Though Chicago has been a mostly “back in black”
type of feel, making sure everything runs efficiently down at the shop takes a
lot of work and management in order to see that things come out the way that
they need to. Organization has been key as well as the hard working intern and
workers down at the shop.
Costuming is one of the few arts that instead of per
say molding around the stage, molds to the actors’ body creating the exterior
of a character. This is allowing the actor to feel as if they are someone or
somewhere else. It is a visual and also mood altering aesthetic that lets you
be a character in a different way, all the while being functional and tough
enough to stand up to an actors abuse.
A look into the “Windy City”
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| Pic. The cast of Chicago getting ready with Dir. Dr. Mike Hannah |
Being an actor myself I understand the amount of
work, time, and dedication it takes to “get it right”. I have discussed how
much work goes into a production using many different fields as an example, and
being an LMST performer is no exception.
You will find that through the day that rehearsals
will be taking place, whether its singing, dancing or running lines, the work
never ends for these dedicated workers of the arts. As far as a schedule goes,
it all depends on how things are going that day. I have heard everything from
going in for a 9:00 am call to working till 10:00 at night! To say the least it
is a job where the love these actors have for the arts can shine.
That’s the interesting concept in terms of being an
actor: you become the embodiment of the message, concept, and vision of the
show on stage. You perform that character becoming part of it, and showing the
work that has led you this way. You are given that stage from all of the
efforts of the designers, workers and director, and you bring all of that
together in your person.
That is the gift that you have to cherish as an
actor, the gift of being able to be a physical body that inhabits that
wonderful stage, and give it life. It is something that cannot be done alone,
but through your technique, the designers, the director and everyone involved
in the production. It’s where we find that all the pieces of the puzzle are
necessary in order to perform the show the way it was meant to be. Nothing can
be done alone in the art of theatre it is a collaborative process that lets us
do what we do.
Oh and one other side note when it comes to acting,
we are only as good as those that help keep us in line. So I would like to say
a big THANK YOU to our lovely Stage Manager DJ VanHoy and our Assistant Stage
Manager Mary Wildsmith. These wonderful ladies are amazing and deserve every
bit of thanks for their hard work in managing the shows. They are unsung heroes
of a production and help the cast meet the goal they are trying to achieve: the
success of the show. They are wonderful and what they do is so important that
it’s hard to put into words.
Putting the “Rits” in LauRITSen”
Now moving a bit away from the show itself, I have
to give a special part to a few of the wonderful people that keep us all in
line. There is nothing like being an Intern, and having a wonderful boss to
keep you from going headfirst in a downward spiral.
To start I wanted to talk about some Lovely Ladies
that keep us busy. The first person up is our fantastic Operations Manager, Pam
Joslin! You know those little things that keep a production running: phone
calls, Box Office, Publicity, and Budgeting. You name it Pam helps to see that
everything runs as smoothly as possible. She is a very important part behind
the scenes of LMST and deserves thanks for her effort in making sure everything
is running like clockwork.
Next up we have the magnificent Intern Coordinator, Danielle
Curtis! She is the one keeping us in line so to speak, and is not afraid to
kick us into gear and motivate us to see we do our jobs. She is a wonderful
coordinator and even though I have given her many a wide eye look in terms of
what is asked of me, she always reassures me that “You can do it, get it done”.
I cannot tell you how many times this has gotten me right back where I needed
to be, and for that I can’t thank her enough.
The last person up is the marvelous Erin Wallace, LMST
Managing Director! I cannot even begin to try and lay out a schedule for Erin
or a job list. It would seem that her list of things do is only growing each
day. She is literally at times all over the place trying to keep things in
order to make sure that things don’t fall through the floor. She even has the
time to let me know that I’m doing ok, and for that she deserves every bit of
thanks.
In short these three ladies are some more of the
unsung heroes of a production, and are all very important when it comes to
making sure we don’t mess things up. They deserve a big thank you as I have
said many times; I hope that we as interns don’t give them too much trouble.
In
Closing
As you can see there is more than meets the eye when
it comes to a production here at Lees-McRae, It something that is a
collaborative effort from all areas of theatre. All of which are trying to see
that these shows are some of the best that they can be. The process leading to
our production of Chicago has shown that as a family here at Lees-McRae we can
get anything done, no matter how stressful or hard it may seem.
I would like to think that, that is one of the
benefits of coming to these mountains and seeing that the beauty of this place
is not only in the scenery but its people. That you will find something here that
is more than just a show but a show casing of Art and the hearts and souls of
everyone involved.
So with that this concludes your look:
