Shawnee High School is well known for its variety of sports and activities, but a major program that has been celebrated for, what feels like decades, is the theater program. Each school year, Shawnee produces a drama in the fall and a musical in the winter. This year, the musical production of Anything Goes has been brought to life by the people who work a great deal of effort to allow this show to step into the spotlight.
Producing a theatrical show takes an enormous amount of work, both on and off stage–and unbeknownst to most, there is a large portion of contributions that goes unsaid when the light turns on. To develop a musical, it takes many people with different skills. In one single room, there is talent from every individual for different aspects, such as lighting, crafting, singing, instrument playing, managing–and of course, acting, singing and dancing.
There are a vast number of advisors and directors who play an enormous role in ensuring a great production. Our director, Mrs. Kehl, works with the whole cast and crew to lead them all in the months of preparation for the show, offering insight at any given moment and allowing for these shows to be brought to the stage. Mrs. Roth, the assistant director, works with the choreography to teach the cast and work alongside the student choreographers. Our musical director, Mr. Joubert, is responsible for all vocal coaching and conducting. He works with the cast along with the pit orchestra to ensure they are in sync with the music. Mr. Joubert also works alongside Mr. Aromando, the accompanist, who sits at the keyboard and plays to bring the show’s musicality to life. Mrs. Kirk manages all business and financial inquiries, working with all budgets and management. Additionally, there is a majority of individuals, both teachers and students, as well as student leaders who assist in these huge productions.
To celebrate some of the crew, Stage Crew, for example, is responsible for building, crafting, and setting up the sets. Once it becomes showtime, they are the ones dressed in all black who move the props during the blackouts, using numerous amounts of glow-tape and different colors to be able to find the correct spot on the stage. They spend weeks before rehearsals painting and building sets or aiding with rented pieces that are later used during the shows.
Personally, I am a member of Shawnee’s stage crew, and my insight is that it is a very fulfilling experience to be able to assist with the production from behind the scenes. Members of Stage Crew get to be part of the show from behind the curtains and aid in bringing it to life. Stage crew works with other people in the production, such as the cast and tech crew, to ensure the show runs smoothly. Our advisor, Ms. Atmore, is there to oversee the sets and work with the director to assure the stage looks just right for show night. Our student stage managers, Maddie Conlon and Anya Wilt, lead their side in assigning which crew members place what prop on stage to stay organized and run the show smoothly.
Shawnee’s Tech Crew is responsible for lighting. Without them, there would be no audible sound, no light, and no effects. Tech crew, along with a majority of the sections in the theater program, is run by Shawnee students themselves and their advisor, Mr. Frank. This team meets once with the rest of the crew and cast once it becomes “Tech-Week” (the week before the show where dress-rehearsals are run over and over again) to operate the lighting system and to assist with attaching microphones to the cast members. However, prior to this, they meet weekly to work on the production’s lighting. According to tech crew member Cas Hetzel, to operate smoothly, “we communicate primarily with the stage crew during blackouts. We have walkie-talkies to confirm the lights are ready to be brought up, so we don’t have anyone who shouldn’t be in the light in it. We also have a script and a script-reader to help ensure we follow the cues from the show and the director.” In the previous year, Shawnee produced the musical, Singing in the Rain, in which tech crew were the ones responsible for the rain that was brought to life on the stage. They continue their contributions into this year’s musical and allow for our shows to be lit, have clear sound, and overall, look spectacular.
The wonderful instrument playing is done by our own Shawnee Pit Orchestra. These musicians, both students and volunteers, sit in front of the stage and play to Mr. Joubert’s conducting to uplift the show. They meet before the show to rehearse and join the rest of the production once it becomes Tech-Week to play through the show, working with the cast’s singing to keep it in-sync. One of the members, the accompanist, Mr. Aromando, has claimed that working with the production allows the orchestra to be a part of all aspects of the show. “I love the color scheme of the pieces and the modulation into weird remote keys. I think it’s going to have a really interesting effect when this coalesces with the lighting, too.” Without these amazing instrumentalists, our production would be left without the flawless sound they produce to accompany the cast’s singing.
One wonderful aspect of our productions at Shawnee is incorporating student leaders and directors to offer their leadership and insight. We have student dance choreographers who perform in the musical and also assist in teaching the choreography to the cast. They work alongside Mrs. Roth, the assistant director who works with the choreography to ensure a magnificent performance. We have our student director, Taylor Catadlo, who collaborates with the director, Mrs. Kehl, to direct the cast and offer guidance to allow them to perform the best they can. From vocal assistants to student choreographers, stage managers, and all other crew members, students are allowed to gain a fulfilling experience while also assisting in bringing this show to life.
Behind the curtains of the stage includes months of copious amounts of work and effort to produce these performances. So, after reading this article, please purchase your ticket to Anything Goes!
