Behind The Scenes
BV students discuss roles in tech crew for musical
Senior Cat Farrell said as a stage manager, communication is key to ensuring things run smoothly.
“The stage manager is the bridge between the directors, the cast and the crew,” Farrell said. “They are in charge of getting information to people and organizing things.”
She said the level of responsibility her job entails can be difficult to manage.
“[You have] to know so much information and be able to get it out to people,” she said. “Being able to answer people’s questions with accuracy and not having to second guess yourself [is necessary].”
In addition to 10-hour rehearsals on the weekends, Farrell said she dedicates 15 hours during the school week to musical practice.
“I do a lot of work outside of the rehearsal time, whether that’d be paperwork or getting props together,” she said.
Farrell said she enjoys the relationships she builds along the way.
“I love connecting with so many different people,” Farrell said. “Getting to know the directors and work closely with so many great people has always been a lot of fun.”
Sophomore Veronica Peterson is a member of the audio crew for the spring musical.
“I run the soundboard primarily, but I also prep microphones,” Peterson said. “I put them on the actors and switch [the microphones] between scenes if we don’t have enough [for every actor].”
Although she is not required to attend every rehearsal, Peterson said she prefers the extra time to practice her sound cues.
“[I go] to get a feel for the show,” she said. “I have to turn the microphones on for each scene for specific actors. I have to know what goes on in the actual story.” Despite not often being recognized by the public for her contribution, Peterson said the audio shouldn’t be noticed.
“That’s the point — you’re not supposed to remember [the audio] or say, ‘Oh wow. It’s sounded so good’,” Peterson said. “You’re just supposed to be immersed in the story. It would be nice if [my work] would be acknowledged a little bit more, but I still have fun. I still feel rewarded in the end.”
Senior Keelan Moegerle acts as light designer and the head for the lighting crew. He said his job requires a lot of critical thinking.
“You need to be good at time management,” Moegerle said. “You need to be good at organization, you need to have strong leadership and you need to be able to think on your feet and fix problems when they come to you.”
As a light designer, Moegerle said he works with the musical directors and stage managers to ensure there is a correlation between the light and sound.
“I start by making a light plot, so I make a scale model of the stage,” Moegerle said. “I plot down all the lights that we want to put in for the show, and then I lead my crew through hanging the lights [and] focusing the lights. I choose coloring [and] I choose any special effects we do with the lighting. Then, when it comes to the show, I watch the show, go through it and set cues.”
Moegerle said his favorite part of his job is the creative freedom it allows.
“It’s really fun to add another type of creativity to acting,” Moegerle said. “But with light design, you can really affect the mood of the show, you can get a good reaction of the audience and you can put a lot of emotion and energy into the show.”
McKenna Cole is a senior and the Managing Editor for “The Tiger Print.” In her free time she enjoys hammocking, drag queens, guacamole, serving the...
