Of Shadows, Spectacles, and Storytellers
“Standby Tree 1. Standby Tree 2. Standby Tree 3. Standby lift to rise. Standby side stage left curtain to rise. Standby left ramp to rake. Standby Joppa set.”
“Tree 1 standing by.”
“Tree 2 standing by.”
“Tree 3 standing by.”
“Control standing by to raise lift, stage left curtain, and left ramp to rake.”
“Joppa set standing by.”
There was a pause as the scene progressed and approached its end. And then…
“All cues. Go.”
And with that about 7 things all happened at once, and happened seamlessly, to create a beautiful transition that completely transformed the stage from a dark forest to the bright seaport city of Joppa. The above conversation is just a snippet of what I heard through my headset as I sat beside Amberley in the East Control room.
Sight & Sound performances are incredible spectacles. They're big and beautiful and look effortless. But that’s just the point. It takes a LOT of work to make something seem as though you’re not working. I smiled in amazement at the amount of effort, cooperation, and technical know-how it took for just this one transition to take place, let alone the full show.
It’s something I would never fully comprehend without the opportunities we Conservatory students have for shadowing.
One Saturday of every month we’re given a break from performances and sent to another department in the theater. We spend two shows with that department, asking questions to find out what they do and helping out if we're able. We’re on a rotation, so only three studnets will be shadowing at a time. So far I’ve had the privilege of watching two other departments as they’ve worked tirelessly to keep this show run going.
Last month I shadowed the Animal Handling department. I’m not allowed to post any pictures of the animals, but the photo below shows three of the fantastic Animal Handling team. I arrived at 9:30 on a Saturday morning, dressed in my backstage blacks, ready to see what a day in the life of this department looked like.
I arrived at 9:30 and joined the team in the animal training room, then we all went down to the barns to begin bringing them up to the theatre. Llamas, goats, sheep, donkeys, horses, and even camels! But...there's no getting around it...those animals SMELL. I’ve noticed it quite a bit as I’ve been performing (backstage has a rather unique scent for a theatre ;) but actually being in the animal holding room and animal hallway most of the day…well…it was quite strong to say the least. It took a bit of getting used to, but within an hour or two it was fine. An easy sacrifice to make, because working with the kind people on the team was a lot of fun.
Throughout the day I followed different Handlers around and helped out any way they asked. Each Handler has their own responsibilities throughout the show, just like an actor does. They even have costumes, since several of them appear on stage to handle the larger animals. Lori always got Troika (the big black horse) ready for when he pulled King Jeroboam’s chariot across the stage. Shea always walked the geese through the opening scene and made sure they got back into the animal holding room after their appearance. Laura went up into the catwalks before Joppa to get everything ready to catch the doves when they were released from one of the fishing boats, and then Matthew always went up to retrieve them when the scene was over.
It was such a great experience to get out of my little actor bubble and appreciate the hard work and long hours others put into making the show great. They’re responsible for the care and good treatment of the animals, and also to uphold the training that the animals received to keep the show’s integrity. They work every bit as hard as we do to keep the show Sight & Sound quality, and I loved having the chance to see that.
Just this past Saturday I had my second shadowing experience in one of the Control Rooms. If you look at this picture, from the perspective of the stage, that long strip of windows that runs right down the middle is where the East and West Control rooms are. I was able to sit and watch the show from East, or the left one in the picture.
There are two people in the room: The Calling Stage Manager and the Control Room Operator. It’s not the same person every show, but for the two shows I got to watch, I spent my time with Amberley as the Calling Stage Manager and Mel as the Operator.
The lighting the control room was obviously dark, so this picture's quality isn't the best. But I was wearing a headset and feeling quite official so of course I had to take a selfie.
Amberley’s job is to ensure that all other departments are ready for any transitions that are coming up. In front of her station is a clock that keeps track of the timing of the show. At the appropriate times (and I'm talking exact seconds) she issues her instructions. Each person responsible for making that transition happen (such as the deck techs, the operator, the lighting specialists, or the fly rig operators) are supposed to respond and let her know they’re ready.
Amberley: “Main black standby to rise.”
Control Room Operator: “Main black standing by.”
Stage Left Deck Technician: “Main black left clear.”
Stage Right Deck Technician: “Main black right clear.”
Amberley: “Main black. Go.”
And just like the that, the main black curtain (the one furthest upstage) begins to rise. It's crazy that something as simple as a curtain rise requires five vocal instructions and responses. The Control Room Operator responded to let her know that everything was ready, then the Deck Technicians responded to let her know that everything was safe backstage. And with that, Amberley said the magic word: Go.
Amberley told me that the power of the word “Go” is super important in the stage management world. It’s what "makes things happen." She said that stage managers want to protect it’s power, so oftentimes if they’re practicing they’ll spell it out, saying “G-O” so that the other departments know it’s not for real.
Something else that Amberley is responsible for is filling out a Performance Report for each show. This records the number of ticket shows, any actors or techs who were absent, and anything that was abnormal or noteworthy about the performance. As usual, Sight & Sound continues to keep impeccable records.
I absolutely loved my time in East Control. While performing is fun and I enjoy it, somehow I find that being on the stage management side is every bit as exciting. I've done quite a bit of directing the last few years and have found that I truly love it. I love being the person that brings all the pieces together and keeps things going. I can't wait to sit in on West Control next month!
When you’re in the midst of spectacle theatre, learning the ins and outs of what it takes to bring a huge story to life, it can be easy to forget that a show doesn’t always have to be grand to be amazing. Last weekend Ellie and I were able to make a short, 20 minute drive to see a three person show called Of Wardrobes and Rings and Other Things.
The premise was C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien meeting near the end of their lives in an English pub. They had a captivating conversation about their beliefs, their writings, and their friendship. Everything was drawn from their published works. The set was extremely simple and never changed, and yet the show was spectacular. I loved every moment and was grateful for the change of pace. If you know me at all, you know my love for all things Narnia and just about anything that C.S. Lewis wrote. With rapture I slipped back into the beautiful worlds of fantasy that sprung from the minds of these great friends. The acting was superb; for those two hours I actually believed they were two literary giants and that I had the honor of being a fly on the wall of their conversation. Plus, spending an evening with my roomie, outside of class work and apartment logistics, was absolutely lovely.
Every day I spend here gives me more and more direction about the dreams God has placed in my heart. The power of stories is something to be reckoned with. Sometimes the stories are better served smaller and more intimate. And other times being blown away by a spectacle is God’s way of touching someone’s heart. In the years ahead I hope I’m able to be apart of both.