By: Barry Donnelly
They work in the dark. In fact, they take professional pride in the fact that, if they do
their jobs perfectly, they will go unseen and unnoticed. They are the two dozen members of
the stage crew for SJR’s current production of Les Miserables. As directed by Mr. Roger Kintish,
they are the show’s unsung heroes.
their jobs perfectly, they will go unseen and unnoticed. They are the two dozen members of
the stage crew for SJR’s current production of Les Miserables. As directed by Mr. Roger Kintish,
they are the show’s unsung heroes.
“You have to learn how not to be seen, even it if means getting caught behind a piece of
the set in a weird position,” said stage crew manager Michael Kaminsky. “It’s important that
you see our work, but not us.”
The SJR stage crew has several areas of responsibility. Indeed, without them, the show
truly could not go on. Its members control sound, lighting, spotlights and props and they
manage the many changes in the layout of the set. Some work high above the theater,
controlling the spot-lights; others sit at sound and light boards, changing look and sound of the
show at the flip of a switch. Still others wait in the wings and manage the various elements of
the show’s massive sets.
“They’re big, but the set pieces themselves are easy to maneuver as long as there’s
nothing on them,” said crew member Paul Schuckalo. “But it’s a very different thing to
maneuver them when people are standing on them. The extra weight means you have to push
the platforms into place. You really can’t guide them.”
Though it can’t be seen by the audience in the theater, the floor of the stage is covered
with dozen and dozens of taped “spikes”. Positioning the various elements of the set require
crew members to have an intimate knowledge of these spikes, little crosses of reflecting tape
that indicate exactly where platforms, furniture and props need to be positioned.
“Spatial management is a big issue during the show,” Mike Kaminsky noted. “We have a
very cramped ‘stage right’ given the number of people and props that need to be staged there.
It’s a lot easier and open on “stage left”, which can utilize the rehearsal studio.”
AHA’s Kate Qureshi serves as the production manager who calls cues for lights and
sound from the back of the theater. The sound crew check the basic sound levels that
modulate the volume of the band and that of the singers on stage. During the show, the sound
crew do a lot of battery swaps and trouble-shooting of the individual microphones used by the
performers on stage.
If it sounds like the stage crew has a lot of responsibility, that’s because it does. Missed
cues and poorly managed set changes would completely ruin the pacing and emotional impact
of a production as elaborate as Les Miserables.
“We have a lot of fun fooling around before shows, but once the opening notes are
played, you have to be super focused,” said John Avendano. “Basically, you have to flip a switch
when the show starts. There’s a lot riding on what we do.”
One of the biggest things crew members do is solve problems.
“One of the fun parts is improvising with the cast to solve problems,” noted Schuckalo.
AHA’s Lily Gee agreed, adding, “If Javert’s hat or baton gets left on stage, we can’t go out
ourselves to pick it up. We have to work with someone in the cast to get them for us, and stay
in character doing it.”
“But that’s what makes it fun,” said Kaminsky. “It gets hectic during the performance,
but the more stress there is, the more fun it is, and the more you feel the importance of your
contribution to the success of the show.”
but the more stress there is, the more fun it is, and the more you feel the importance of your
contribution to the success of the show.”
Sometimes, a casual error requires quick thinking. For example, stage lights are
programmed in advance to hit certain spots at certain times, so it is essential that every set
piece get placed exactly where it is supposed to be at all times.
“We had a situation where the bed used for Fantine’s death scene ended up being
positioned off its spikes,” Kate Qureshi said. “At that point, it’s the job of the light crew to
make adjustments so the scene is properly lit and the audience can appreciate the emotion of
the moment.”
Most of the members of the stage crew were involved in the performing arts in
grammar school, or at least had an interest in theater. Several have performed as cast
members of shows, but see crew as an opportunity to do something different.
“We’re a tight-knit group. Kind of like our own club,” said Brendan Cannon. Kaminsky
agreed observing, “The show’s many cues (light, sound, props) all work off each other, just like
the cast does with both the band and the crew. A successful show requires a great deal of
collaboration and teamwork between an awful lot of people.”
So if you’re coming to one of this week’s performances, appreciate the power of the
music and the presence of the actors on stage, but remember there’s a couple dozen students
working in the darkness to make sure everything works like magic on the stage.