Behind the curtain: The role of stage crew

 As the Aragon Drama program prepares for the spring musical “Legally Blonde,” much preparation takes place behind the curtains. Although stage crew members’ roles are less visible and seldom appreciated by audiences, their work is nonetheless important to on-stage performances.
 “Stage crew works with a huge amount of people and everyone has designated jobs to help with the backstage part and [make sure that] the technical parts of the show run smoothly,” said junior and spotlight operator Grace Isola. “There [are] varying jobs and they all work together to help run everything that the actors aren’t doing.” 
 Each individual on the stage crew has a defined role, which may involve props, lighting, moving sets, providing cues or coordinating sound. 
 “Lighting [includes] … [operating] the spotlight, making sure that the gels are in place into the filters that color the lights and making sure that we’re lighting up the right person and that everyone’s makeup is working for the lighting and the sets are working for lighting,” Isola said. 
 Many members are also students in the tech theater class and partake in building sets for theater productions. During Tech Week, actors take the stage to work out spacing, music and  costumes and run through the full show without an audience.
 “We build our own sets, which is not uncommon for schools around here … so we start [construction] really early for those directly involved in tech theater,” said junior and spotlight operator Alessandro Riedel. “Stage crew members come on around Tech Week, which is one to two weeks before the performance date. But the actors have been rehearsing for much longer.”
 The division of roles among the stage crew at Aragon is based on experience and preference. Isola, having had previous experience working with spotlights in musicals outside of Aragon, settled into an environment that was familiar to her.
 Stage crew’s work can be stressful at times, but also brings a feeling of fulfillment and enjoyment as well as community among crew members.
 “You can really go above and beyond and really do your best to help out,” Riedel said. “But also, if you wanted to skate by, you can do that. But I think it’s way more rewarding when you put the effort in and really develop a rapport with not only crew members but cast members too.”
 For Isola, the process of perfecting the lighting and collaborating with others to flatter cast members is her favorite part.
 “I really enjoy tinkering with the spotlights themselves and switching out gels and working with lighting directors to find out what gel works best for the person on stage,” Isola said. “You know what helps with their skin color and flatters them in the best way.”
 “Legally Blonde,” specifically, is a very technical and classic musical that is especially demanding for the actors. But, for the crew, it feels similar to other productions. 
 “‘Legally Blonde’ is a very singing and dancing heavy musical,” Riedel said. “I think it’s a lot of work for the actors but probably not so much for the crew. It’s pretty much the same [amount of work for the crew as other productions].”
 Isola has formed strong bonds and friendships with fellow cast members that have gone beyond the theater. 
 “Theater has always been such a community space,” Isola said. “In the past companies I’ve worked with, … food and pot lucks together during Tech Week have always been an integral part of the process.” 
 The pandemic has brought a variety of changes, from actors wearing face shields, which affects sound and microphones, to weekly COVID-19 testing and fewer crew members. After live theater was disrupted for two years, stage crew members are grateful to be back doing what they are passionate about in the theater environment.