Imagine going to see a play in a theatre. When you arrive you find your seat and eagerly await the show to start. But imagine if when you sat in your seat and you looked at the stage you found no set, no props, and no lighting. All of these luxuries we come to expect with a play are made possible by the hardworking and extremely dedicated lighting/technicians and stagecraft crew. What is so amazing about the theatre at St. George’s is that these diligent stagehands are students. They volunteer their valuable time to better a show that they will not get to perform in. They have to put up with hard deadlines and they even give up their weekends and schoolwork all for the betterment of the show.
Why are these valuable assets to a great show so dedicated? Yes, some of them are taking a school course, but that only pushes them to a certain extent. Certainly they need other motives to be in school earlier than the actors on some weekends. “It feels good to be part of something that big. It is great to see the final product in the end,” said Martin Hribar, assistant stage manager. Will Edmonds, a set builder, said, ” I like building things and I am not the best actor, so it’s my way to contribute to an amazing show.”
The dedication of all the “behind the scenes” people is what makes a show spectacular. Really, the acting comes second. The Saints stagehands, builders and technicians are the first to come and the last to leave. People say the show must go on but without the rigorous dedication of the “crew,” there would never be show in the first place!
