Behind The Curtains

How do plays and musicals come together? What goes on behind the scenes of a show?​
By Kiersten Jo-anne Rubery, Freedom Forum

Cast and crew members of It's a Wonderful Life (Photo from FHSTC Instagram, 2023)

   What goes on behind that big red curtain? How does a performance seem so effortless like the actors were born as that role? A lot of hard work and effort goes into a play or musical before the first curtain opens, but most of it the public doesn't see. For months on end, it takes constant energy and dedication. Ask any theater student what they’re doing after school they’ll always reply saying “Rehearsal.”
    How does a play come together? While the set is being built, students are hard at work rehearsing everyday practicing and memorizing lines. Everything happens because the whole company works together. The hardest part of the process but the cherry on top of completing the show is “tech week.” Tech week is where everything comes together, the mics, the lighting, the music, the set moving. Even if it doesn’t seem ready and everything is a hot mess, it always comes together in the end and everyone loves it and it all pays off.
  Marion, a senior, who played Belle last spring and plays George Bailey’s mother in the upcoming play, said, “I think people should join theater because it is a very good experience, it helps students gain confidence, and it's also just a very fun time. Everyone is so sweet and you’re bound to have fun on and off stage.” A lot of love and dedication goes into theater and if you have the compassion to pursue it, do it!
  Even if someone is not the performing type, but still wants to be involved or near the environment of theater, they could help out with the crew! Crew is a fun creative job that helps with all the set changes, and behind the scene things that make the show really come to life! The show couldn’t function without crew so they deserve all the praise.
    Without scenery, a play’s story cannot be expressed and imagined, so it's important to have a good set. Building a set takes a lot of people with mental and physical strength and creativity.This year’s winter play of 2023 is It's A Wonderful Life. Set building dads come in every Saturday on their own time to help build some important set parts for the show. But why help out? The lead set dad said, “I used to always be involved with my girls when they played soccer, but now they’re in theater so I help out with this too and I enjoy doing it, it's fun.” That is some true fatherly love; many parents of the students involved in the show help out to support the theater company and their kids. Some parents, even though their kids graduated, still help out too; that's how strong the bond is between everyone in theater.
   Theater is an experience like no other. It teaches people a lot. It helps students learn how to sing, dance, and publicly speak! Though it takes up a lot of time it's totally worth it in the end! 
   While theatre shouldn’t be competitive, schools and students can still be commended for their work with the Freddy Awards. Last year at the Freddies, Freedom’s show, Beauty and the Beast  was nominated for 10 Freddies, got a chance to perform in front of a huge audience, and won outstanding use of scenery! 
      Behind the curtains are a lot of hard-working kids and helpers who put their whole heart and soul into everything they do. Constantly developing and going on to make an amazing production come to life to be as spectacular as the audience sees it on opening night. 
   Make sure to see Freedom’s next upcoming winter play, It’s a Wonderful Life. It’s the heartwarming story of a young man named George Bailey, following his life of fighting with struggles of money, considering to end it all. When a special someone visits him to show him how important he really was, and what a wonderful life he had. Make sure to buy tickets at www.showtix4u.com/event-details/76616 or at the door, only from December 1st through the 3rd!