As you’re walking out of the movie theater, the credits are rolling and it seems to go on for miles. Although we’re always grateful for the hard work put in by these individuals, we often are unaware of just how hard they work to make quality entertainment possible.
This year’s production of “Sweet Charity” was no different. Led by technical director Michael Bane, a group of talented and driven students made it possible for you all to enjoy our very own 2023 winter musical.
If you saw the musical, something you may remember is the beautiful borders that surrounded every scene, framing it to have the same production quality you may find on a national tour. This is all thanks to senior Paul Giliberto, who sat in the “fly,” a narrowly sectioned-off area backstage about 20 feet in the air, only accessible via a ladder.
Paul, as well as sophomores Joella Asapokhai, Cameron Hart, and Brady Moy, whom he advised, used an intricate pulley system to carefully move the borders into their assigned spots for each scene. This job required them to be very careful and meticulous.
Each of the six borders consisted of dozens of glass light bulbs that were extremely fragile and could break on too much impact. In addition to controlling four vertical borders whose placement changed with every scene, they were also in charge of moving two horizontal borders that rested on top.
In addition to the borders, sophomores Els Morris, Raine Wang, and Julia Sohn were in charge of moving the apron, the movable front portion of the stage, up and down, as well as moving any large set pieces or furniture on and off of it. This was an incredibly important job, as the apron was constantly needed throughout the show, and if it was even a second late, it could throw off the balance of the entire show, or become a safety hazard for the actors and actresses on stage.
Another notable and crucial aspect of the show running smoothly was senior Chayse Shamleffer, who controlled the soundboard for the show and was in charge of all 18 microphones worn by the actors. Not only did they have to keep track of who was coming on and off stage, and who needed their mics turned on and off at the right times, but they also had to make sure that each actor’s microphone was at the right volume for them at all times.
One slight misstep could have resulted in the entire audience hearing an actor saying something candidly to their friends backstage, or the audience not being able to hear an actor when they are on stage as a result of their mic being off. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that Chayse proved that they were capable of handling this very difficult task.
“I would describe my job as intense,” Chayse said, “because actors are moving on and off stage very quickly. Feedback and static can also happen at any time, so I have to be ready to adjust mic volumes and problem solve quickly.”
Working directly next to Chayse was sophomore Drake Fernald, who was in charge of lights. It is thanks to him that we had our beautiful spotlights and colored lights illuminating each dance number, song, and scene. Additionally, he was in charge of creating the blackouts that allowed for important set changes to occur.
It goes without saying that the hard work put in by the tech crew onstage was crucial to “Sweet Charity” being able to run at all. Led by stage manager Kaitlyn Finnerty as well as assistant stage manager Francesca Lamattina, no props or set pieces would have been able to move without them. A huge shout-out also goes to senior Kodi Ezegbo, as well as freshmen Hannah Bateson, Matthew Belo, and Alexandre Picard.
The next time you see one of these individuals, make sure to thank them for all of their hard work to make our musicals possible.
