“Get that wall over here now!” TJ yelled.
“Five seconds!” Steiner was telling us to hurry up.
Emma and Ashlyn carefully maneuvered their part of the wall over to stage right and set it in place. I had already placed the bed in its right spot and gotten off to stage left. Emma and Ashlyn shortly joined me where we sighed in relief. The set change had been done successfully in thirty seconds flat- the goal set by Steiner.
This play was a large one, and the set even larger. There were five walls, 2 beds, trees and bushes, platforms, ramps, flags and their flagpoles, and not including miscellaneous props that all had to be moved on and off stage at various times. Oh, and did I mention we also had to operate a machine to make one of our actors fly across the stage? At its easiest, this play was going to be a difficult.
Our crew was made of mostly freshmen with a couple of upperclassmen, some actors, and the director. The person in charge of our crew, the stage manager, was TJ. To us, his crew, he seemed ruthless and strict, but when he was around the older actors and Steiner he was relaxed and seemed to have fun. However the rest of the crew was really laid back, and we enjoyed hanging out backstage in between set changes. There was Ashlyn, Laura and I- the freshmen- and the two upperclassmen, besides TJ, were Emma and Sarah. This was our crew and we were what was going to make the play amazing.
Tonight was the first night of the play, Peter Pan. This being my very first play as stage crew, I felt the butterflies in my stomach, signaling I was nervous. I didn’t want to mess up. I couldn’t be the ruin of this amazing play.
“Lost Kids to The Ship set change! Twenty seconds. GO!” shouted Steiner from the light deck.
The stage crew rushed out onto the stage. I fumbled to grasp the tree and bush I was supposed to carry off. I got a hold on it and scurried off the stage right before the curtain opened again and the lights came on.
Whew! That was a close one. I looked around to see how we did. The railing to the ramp hadn’t been properly placed. That means we have to do it-
“AGAIN!” Steiner shouted.
I placed the tree and the bush back where they were and headed offstage. The lights dimmed. The second the stage went black, we moved. This time I quickly got my items, moved them off, and came back on to help with the railing. It got placed properly this time and we all moved off.
Done! With time to spare. The lights came back on and we looked around. Everything was exactly where it should be. That was the last set change practice before the big performance tonight. Steiner confirmed that we’re done and we ran off to eat our supper.
The night rolled around and performance was in less than ten minutes. The actors were in the choir room warming up their vocals and relaxing while our crew was checking the set and all the props. Everything looked to be in place, so we went out to the hallway to sit until we were needed again.
Set changes went successfully that night up until the set change to The Lost Kids. This was the last change before intermission. As the lights went off and the stage blacked out, the applause from the audience went up a few decibels. The crew picked themselves up from their seats and headed out onstage. We cleared the stage in less than five seconds, which was our best time yet. Carrying in the items for the upcoming scene, careful not to make a sound since there was a scene going on in front of the blue curtain, I quickly and quietly placed the table and a tree on far stage right and ran off. In a few seconds everyone else was off, too. For now we were done. The crew, besides TJ, trotted around to the table we had set up in the back hallway, where we were coloring for most of the night.
Within minutes of sitting down at our table, we heard someone stomping out into the hallway. We saw TJ appear with a scowl on his face. Instantly we knew something was wrong. TJ turned his scowl towards Emma and looked down at her.
“Why didn’t you put the clothes line on?!?!” he screamed as loud as he could without be heard in the auditorium.
“What?” Emma asked cluelessly.
TJ, annoyed now, “You were supposed to put the clothes line on! IT’S NOT ON! Good job, you just ruined the play.”
By this point Emma was visibly upset, and I couldn’t stand to see a friend getting picked on. I stood up from the table and looked TJ straight in the eyes. “You never told any of us to put the clothesline on,” I said sharply.
“Do I really have to?” he asked
“Yeah. How else would we know to put it on. It’s your job to tell us to do what we have to do,” I replied.
“Really?” he seems flabbergasted. “Does anyone tell you to come to practice or do your homework?”
“Yes,” was my comeback.
“Oh, well does anyone tell you to come to school everyday? To clean your room? Huh?! Does anyone have you to do all those things?” I was tempted to reply to his rhetorical questions, but instead I just stared him straight in the eyes.
“No, I didn’t think so,” he scolded me. “You know what? You have to come back to the rest of the performances for crew, but don’t bother returning after that. You’re done.” He walked away ever so mad that his clenched fist could be seen.
The rest of the crew just stared at me with with their mouths agape. No one, and I mean NO ONE, ever stood up to TJ before. It was a known thing. He was in charge, you did what he said, no questions asked, even if he made no sense.
Finally after a few seconds, Sarah stood up and the shock on her face turned into a smile. She halfway clapped and shook her head. Emma smiled next and came up to me and gave me a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. The rest still stared but soon just laughed.
The continuing nights were awkward for me everytime I passed TJ, but I wouldn’t let him have the satisfaction of getting to me, so I would smile right at him. After the last performance I returned home, knowing that I would never do crew again.
Now, three years later, not only am I back on crew, but I’m also Stage Manager. I have a crew of my own and I vow to never treat them like TJ treated us. At times TJ, now graduated, returns to watch the plays, and I make it my mission to never let him forget that even though he kicked me off so many years ago, I returned and pushed myself to the top. For some unknown reason, my being stage manager tortures him.
I make it a point in my life now to never give up no matter what because I have proved that anyone can come back from anything. I will never let anything hold me back.
“Five seconds!” Steiner was telling us to hurry up.
Emma and Ashlyn carefully maneuvered their part of the wall over to stage right and set it in place. I had already placed the bed in its right spot and gotten off to stage left. Emma and Ashlyn shortly joined me where we sighed in relief. The set change had been done successfully in thirty seconds flat- the goal set by Steiner.
This play was a large one, and the set even larger. There were five walls, 2 beds, trees and bushes, platforms, ramps, flags and their flagpoles, and not including miscellaneous props that all had to be moved on and off stage at various times. Oh, and did I mention we also had to operate a machine to make one of our actors fly across the stage? At its easiest, this play was going to be a difficult.
Our crew was made of mostly freshmen with a couple of upperclassmen, some actors, and the director. The person in charge of our crew, the stage manager, was TJ. To us, his crew, he seemed ruthless and strict, but when he was around the older actors and Steiner he was relaxed and seemed to have fun. However the rest of the crew was really laid back, and we enjoyed hanging out backstage in between set changes. There was Ashlyn, Laura and I- the freshmen- and the two upperclassmen, besides TJ, were Emma and Sarah. This was our crew and we were what was going to make the play amazing.
Tonight was the first night of the play, Peter Pan. This being my very first play as stage crew, I felt the butterflies in my stomach, signaling I was nervous. I didn’t want to mess up. I couldn’t be the ruin of this amazing play.
“Lost Kids to The Ship set change! Twenty seconds. GO!” shouted Steiner from the light deck.
The stage crew rushed out onto the stage. I fumbled to grasp the tree and bush I was supposed to carry off. I got a hold on it and scurried off the stage right before the curtain opened again and the lights came on.
Whew! That was a close one. I looked around to see how we did. The railing to the ramp hadn’t been properly placed. That means we have to do it-
“AGAIN!” Steiner shouted.
I placed the tree and the bush back where they were and headed offstage. The lights dimmed. The second the stage went black, we moved. This time I quickly got my items, moved them off, and came back on to help with the railing. It got placed properly this time and we all moved off.
Done! With time to spare. The lights came back on and we looked around. Everything was exactly where it should be. That was the last set change practice before the big performance tonight. Steiner confirmed that we’re done and we ran off to eat our supper.
The night rolled around and performance was in less than ten minutes. The actors were in the choir room warming up their vocals and relaxing while our crew was checking the set and all the props. Everything looked to be in place, so we went out to the hallway to sit until we were needed again.
Set changes went successfully that night up until the set change to The Lost Kids. This was the last change before intermission. As the lights went off and the stage blacked out, the applause from the audience went up a few decibels. The crew picked themselves up from their seats and headed out onstage. We cleared the stage in less than five seconds, which was our best time yet. Carrying in the items for the upcoming scene, careful not to make a sound since there was a scene going on in front of the blue curtain, I quickly and quietly placed the table and a tree on far stage right and ran off. In a few seconds everyone else was off, too. For now we were done. The crew, besides TJ, trotted around to the table we had set up in the back hallway, where we were coloring for most of the night.
Within minutes of sitting down at our table, we heard someone stomping out into the hallway. We saw TJ appear with a scowl on his face. Instantly we knew something was wrong. TJ turned his scowl towards Emma and looked down at her.
“Why didn’t you put the clothes line on?!?!” he screamed as loud as he could without be heard in the auditorium.
“What?” Emma asked cluelessly.
TJ, annoyed now, “You were supposed to put the clothes line on! IT’S NOT ON! Good job, you just ruined the play.”
By this point Emma was visibly upset, and I couldn’t stand to see a friend getting picked on. I stood up from the table and looked TJ straight in the eyes. “You never told any of us to put the clothesline on,” I said sharply.
“Do I really have to?” he asked
“Yeah. How else would we know to put it on. It’s your job to tell us to do what we have to do,” I replied.
“Really?” he seems flabbergasted. “Does anyone tell you to come to practice or do your homework?”
“Yes,” was my comeback.
“Oh, well does anyone tell you to come to school everyday? To clean your room? Huh?! Does anyone have you to do all those things?” I was tempted to reply to his rhetorical questions, but instead I just stared him straight in the eyes.
“No, I didn’t think so,” he scolded me. “You know what? You have to come back to the rest of the performances for crew, but don’t bother returning after that. You’re done.” He walked away ever so mad that his clenched fist could be seen.
The rest of the crew just stared at me with with their mouths agape. No one, and I mean NO ONE, ever stood up to TJ before. It was a known thing. He was in charge, you did what he said, no questions asked, even if he made no sense.
Finally after a few seconds, Sarah stood up and the shock on her face turned into a smile. She halfway clapped and shook her head. Emma smiled next and came up to me and gave me a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. The rest still stared but soon just laughed.
The continuing nights were awkward for me everytime I passed TJ, but I wouldn’t let him have the satisfaction of getting to me, so I would smile right at him. After the last performance I returned home, knowing that I would never do crew again.
Now, three years later, not only am I back on crew, but I’m also Stage Manager. I have a crew of my own and I vow to never treat them like TJ treated us. At times TJ, now graduated, returns to watch the plays, and I make it my mission to never let him forget that even though he kicked me off so many years ago, I returned and pushed myself to the top. For some unknown reason, my being stage manager tortures him.
I make it a point in my life now to never give up no matter what because I have proved that anyone can come back from anything. I will never let anything hold me back.