Have you ever wondered what life was like backstage for a school musical? Well, I’m going to be taking you for a close look Into the Woods at Catherine Blane. This musical is about a Baker and his wife who are on a journey into the woods to reverse a curse the witch has set on them. While on their journey, they encounter various fairytale characters such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack in the Beanstalk. The story shows how “Happily ever after” can be more than it’s cut out to be. The cast and crew worked really hard during every rehearsal to make this show the best it could be, and we spoke with them to get a closer look at what life was like behind the scenes and what it took to bring the show to life.
Rehearsals were every Monday and Thursday and Friday, and at the beginning you were given a schedule to know when you were called to show up to that day. They would happen right after school, so it was really convenient for actors to be able to show up right away to get started. When asked about his favorite part of being in the show Theo said, “Meeting and bonding with every grade [during rehearsals]”. Rehearsals are always a good way to meet and make new friends. But not everything is just fun and games. “You have to care and be willing to put effort,” The stage manager said. “It’s harder than it looks when there’s responsibility to do the job”. It takes a lot to be in a play, and during rehearsals everyone always worked hard to know the musical will be good by the show!
A show cannot go on without a backstage crew! During the show and tech week, there was an amazing set of crew members who did very important jobs around the stage such as looking over props, moving set, and even pulling the curtains! All of this was led by Keira who was stage manager during the play. “It was pretty chill,” Keira said about life backstage “There weren’t many set changes, so the runners weren’t very chaotic. I hung out with my friends- mostly Phoebe- and there was a lot of discussion on who should do curtains because no one wanted to”.
It takes a lot to run a play, and Keira is one of the best people to fit the role! Naturally, problems arose, and our stage manager handled them with ease. “Actors thought scene changes were at certain times, but they weren’t,” Keira explained. “So, I conversed with the director and found solutions to cooperate. But there weren’t many more problems, we were pretty successful throughout the show.” she said proudly. Of course, Keira couldn’t have done it herself: “Phoebe and our director helped me the most. Phoebe kept control over everyone when I wasn’t there and I’m thankful for that. The director helped with notes on set changes and timing. She helped at the start, and I took it from there”.
But the crew weren’t the only ones facing hardships. When questioned about backstage life and the feat needed to overcome, actors mentioned some personal challenges. “The curtains,” Vayuna who acted as the Witch in the musical responded, “They were always a challenge- no one knew when to pull it. We had to remind people. Costume changes were also difficult; my friend had to help me change. Mics too- we had a lot of feedback”. Despite the challenges, the backstage crew perfected their hard work, keeping the show alive from behind the scenes. But while the tech team ran the show from behind the curtains, it was time for the cast to bring all their hard work to the stage.
The shows took place on May 1st – May 4th, and during all four shows everyone tried their hardest to perform their best. Our main cast consisted of Theo as the Baker, Selah as the Bakers Wife, Vayuna as the Witch, Ellie as Cinderella, Natalia as Little Red Riding Hood, and Miranda as Jack. All of the people in the cast did an amazing job on stage, their voices enchanting the entire audience every single time. “It went great!” Vayuna said. “There were a couple of hiccups, but beside that, it was great! There were definitely challenges we overcame”. Everyone who worked on the play agreed that there was a best night. When asked about it, Vaanya- who played Jacks Mother- shared, “The second night was the best because we got the most laughs that night”. But the audience would agree that even with challenges faced, the cast did a fantastic job keeping cool, and making mistakes look like they were meant to happen.
