The incredible beauty of a musical or play while the actors and actresses are on the stage is a sight to see. However, there is a lack of curiosity surrounding the background aspects of these productions. As some might already know, Woodgrove High School’s musical “Grease” debuted May 1st and ran through May 4th. Along with an extensive cast and ensemble, a devoted crew of set and costume designers, hair and makeup stylists, and sound technicians were equally dedicated to making “Grease” an enjoyable experience for all.
While not shifting the light from the cast, the behind-the-scenes crew for “Grease” worked just as hard to make it the best it can be. Freshman Mia Piatkowski from the hair and makeup crew explains how fast her crew needs to work to get the characters just perfect. She said, “A few of the characters I know are most likely going to need their hair in a different style sometime during the show, so me and my other crew members will have to work together swiftly to get the actor back on stage.”
The stage manager for “Grease,” Hunter Carnall, was involved in all aspects of the show. His duties range from running rehearsals to filling in for absent actors, as well as providing any emergency help needed to the dedicated actors and crew members. By overseeing every angle of the production process, Carnall understands the importance of each department. “All the crew behind the scenes truly makes the final product come together. Without having every aspect of the tech crew, the production couldn’t go up,” Carnall noted. Having a front row seat to the busyness of a production such as “Grease,” Carnall is quick to notice the strengths of the backstage crew and how they enhance the final product.
On the technical side, the sound crew for The Grove Theater worked on the final details for the upcoming production. Senior Juliana Nelson, the sound engineer for the theater, began her high school theater career working the sound board for “Oklahoma” during her freshman year. This year, she has been tasked with managing all aspects of sound for the musical. “I play all of the music throughout the show and, with so many iconic songs in this musical, it’s a high stakes job to run,” Nelson said. As a musical, “Grease” relies heavily on sound and song for its success, putting extra pressure on the sound crew to get everything just right. For a production such as this, special attention must be paid to guarantee all goes well come opening night. “We have a soundboard in the booth that we hook a computer to, so we can play all of the music tracks, and there are 16 microphones that we swap between actors that are also controlled from the soundboard,” Nelson said. Often, the time and effort she and her fellow crew members extend to the theater go unnoticed. Nelson expressed her thoughts on the matter, saying, “People don’t know just how much of what’s happening on stage is controlled by the tech crew or how much work it takes to execute.”
Like the sound effects crew, Piatkowski and her crew do not get nearly as much attention as the cast. Piatkowski shared her opinion on the matter of commitment. “I think being on the hair/makeup crew does not take as much commitment as the cast, but later on this month and towards show time it will be hard work and a lot of dedication,” Piatkowski shared.
While it is important to give credit to the actors and actresses who star in musicals like “Grease,” it is also important to remember the people behind the scenes. They are the crew members who ensure the show runs as smoothly as possible. People may not always notice the hardworking costume, hair and makeup artists, or the crew working on the technical side; however, without them, the productions would not be the quality they are or as appealing to their audiences.