Sam Stoner
Reporter
@sstonercourant
While many theater students are working hard to memorize lines for their Charlie Brown characters, other students are spending hours to create a safe and realistic set for the upcoming production, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. These student crew members are working tirelessly to meet their deadline for creating, or rather perfecting, the world of Snoopy, Linus, and Lucy.
Assistant director, and choreographer, senior Anna Oxman has been working on a set which she believes is different from other designs she has encountered. “The set is very unique because there are no huge elaborate buildings or backdrops setting the scene,” she said. “It’s all open for the audiences as well as the actors interpretation.”
Director Dee Alexander recognizes the value of the work that student crew members and actors put in. “A lot of people don’t realize the amount of work that goes into the show,” she said. “It takes a team to make it work.”
This team effort forces crew members and actors to work with cohesion and gain communication skills. “There is a lot of responsibility and a lot of follow through,” she said. “It’s all done by the students.”
Students also gain a set of abilities they can take with them for future endeavors whether in theater or not. “The skills that come out while doing a program like this are invaluable,” she said. “You can use them anywhere.”
The process of making such a set includes working with pieces the theater department already has and restoring them to their full potential. “The most challenging part in creating the set was touching up the pieces because the school had already done this show about eight years ago,” Anna said. “We already had all the pieces but they weren’t in the greatest shape.”
Production stage manager, Claire Perry also believes that the greatest challenge of creating the set was the restoration process. “We had to do a lot of painting touch ups on the blocks and other set pieces to make sure that they were presentable for the show,” she said. “While creating the set wasn’t too challenging, we still had a lot of work to do to make our show as best as possible.”
Claire agreed that the set design for Charlie Brown differs from most productions in its simplicity and the versatility of pieces. “We have a set piece that almost resembles a green mound that is used as a pitcher’s mound, and if you flip it over it becomes a see-saw,” she said. “There is also a set piece that can be used as piano if you lay it flat on the floor, but if you stand it upright it turns into a chair.”
Claire said that she admires the adaptability of the props to each scene. “One of the coolest things we’re able to do in the set is put together the green mound, a blue arch, the pianos, and a dog house; and it turns into Charlie Brown’s
bed,” she said. “ It’s really cool how the set builds off of itself in the show.”
Anna also appreciates the variety of uses for each prop. “The set really comes to life when you see the actors use them in totally different was that you wouldn’t expect,” she said.
Claire also believes that the use of color and overall attention to detail in the set design gives the show a greater sense of reality. “Many of the colors we used were associated with characters,” she said. “We made sure that this signature style was displayed throughout the show.”
In order to create a show that can transcend reality and convey creative ideas, it is critical for crew members, actors, and the director to communicate effectively. “The most essential job I’ve done is making myself open to the cast, I’ve made sure that the cast knows I’m here to help them,” Claire said. “The best aspect about drama is that we’re all here for each other, we’re all in it together, and we all just want to put on a great show.”
The task of constructing a safe set is taken on by senior Kevin Kurtzman, the set designer and master carpenter. “I’m very conscientious about safety when building aspects of the set,” he said. “Theres a lot more that goes into it.”
While the safety of the set is critical, Kevin was also responsible for the set design of Charlie Brown which is one of the first instances of a student designed set in the department. “The actors miss a lot of the stress that goes with getting things done on time,” he said.
Kevin believes that the unseen aspect of being on the theater crew for Charlie Brown is gratifying. “I enjoy the sense of anonymity that I get,” he said. “I get to be part of this great production, but I don’t necessarily have my face up front.”
Many have agreed that it is unique to have highly experienced members of past ensembles working as crew members. “We’re one of the few schools that can say our actors actively take a part in making the set,” Ms. Alexander said. “Thats a really big deal.”
Having veteran upperclassmen working as mentors behind the scenes enables new members to the theater community to gain insight on the process of creating a successful production. “The upperclassman understand the program and understand that you have to meet a deadline,” Ms. Alexander said. “Each of the particular areas have key upperclassman which are usually seniors, but sometimes juniors can slip in there.”
Hands on experience and mentorship is something Ms. Alexander actively advocates. “The upperclassmen are put in positions of authority,” she said. “You learn by doing, and you learn by following in the footsteps of the upperclassman.”
Claire has been working non-stop with fellow crew members in order to have all elements of the set as close to perfect as possible. “I am responsible for the set changes and overall flow of the show so it is a lot of work but it’s a team effort,” she said. “Even though I’ve been in charge, delegation and teamwork are the most important things that I’ve had to keep in mind.”
Like Claire, Anna, who is usually on the the stage as part of the ensemble or as dance captain, is now assuming a new role. “I help lead the whole backstage aspect of the show,” Anna said. “This means that the production stage manager, assistant stage manager, and I have to organize with the director what needs to happen each Saturday and who will be in charge of painting, set building, props and costumes.”
Sophomore and assistant stage manager, Emma Dahill spends her time making the classic Charlie Brown from her childhood. “The most challenging part of creating the set was embodying the lovable and iconic elements of the comic strip,” she said. “It is all about bright colors, versatile pieces, and whimsical designs help to make different aspects of the set pop.”
Senior and property mistress Lauren Mellinger understands the dynamic between actors and the crew as she has been in both positions. “The people off stage are just as important to the show because we help make sure everything is flowing ok,” she said. “If we miss a cue to hand a prop to someone or to bring a prop from one side of the stage to the other the whole show could fall apart because it could mess up the actor.”
Lauren believes that being on the crew showed her a new side to theater. “I gain a new perspective for theater, and really appreciate every part of the play,” she said. “I get to see the production grow in front of me.”
Allison Demers, the actress playing the role of Snoopy, looks up to and learns from the upperclassman who are all
different in the ways they perform the roles of the crew. “They all have their own ways of doing things, whether it be building or acting, and you pull all these different techniques from all these different people and compile them into one of your own, and thats very helpful.”
The NCHS theater program has only been as successful as it is due to the dedication of the students, continually learning and passing on their knowledge to the incoming freshman and sophomores. “I want to be able to continue sharing what I’ve learned as a freshman and a sophomore with other underclassman and upcoming performers,” Allison said.
Lauren says she enjoys working with the underclassman and teaching them how to set up productions such as the current one You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. “I love it because I’ve gotten to know them and work with them,” she said. “You really appreciate every part of the play.”
The success of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown can be credited to the hard work, dedication, and time put in by both those acting, and those behind the scenes. The play will be premiering on both Friday the twenty first and Saturday the twenty second of November in the NCHS auditorium and will convey both the plot and the work the members of the theater program have put in.
