The stage crew of a production “work backstage during performances to keep the show running smoothly and safely” (CenterTheatreGroup.org). Things such as light, sound, costumes, and set designs are all entrusted to those who participate in the crew here at Mendham. This year, the Mendham players put on a production of “Arsenic and Old Lace”, and the stage crew behind the show did a fantastic job. 

Those on the crew must be creative in the way they design the sets. Sarah Staples, an assistant stage manager and future leader of the crew answered a few of my questions about the stage crew. Sarah and her friend James were tasked with designing the set. They “looked through pictures on the internet, looked up the show, looked up a lot of the context of the show and time period and tried to put as much into account as we could to make a proper set” to ensure that the set was dynamic, interesting and true to its source. This work definitely paid off, as the set looked amazing! A great effort went into the design and building of this set, as the building crew “had to bring all the materials in, build everything, size everything out, make sure it all fit. There was a whole team of building people three to four times a week, on the stage building things”. This level of dedication deserves a lot of praise, as it was crucial in making the play believable and workable for the actors. Some other jobs of the crew include lighting, sound, stagehands, stage managers, and wing managers. There are two people who run lights and sound respectively, who work in the booth and ensure blackouts, lighting changes, mic quality, and balanced sound are top quality. There are stagehands who move props on and off stage and stage managers who make sure everyone is timely and knows what they’re doing. The stage managers also ask those in the booth for help with any problems that need fixing on the stage. 

An interesting aspect of the show put on this year was that it was not a moving set. The entirety of the show took place in one room. This means that the crew “had a very different building process than normal. That was really unique and different” and so Sarah “got a lot of people to agree [that] it felt really new and it was a really cool set so it was cool to be a part of building it”. Another change to this year’s production and crew experience was the impact of Covid. “We had a small cast, the small crew,” Sarah says, meaning not everyone who put time into building the set was able to work and help backstage on the nights of performance. While this was disappointing, the crew was able to adapt and overcome any challenges that Covid restrictions threw their way. To Sarah, “Crew is like a family to me and to a lot of different people, and it didn’t feel that much different from other years to that aspect”; while there were new challenges to face, such as designing a set that didn’t have any moving props and having to keep the group behind the stage small, Sarah is “proud of how much we got out, how much passion we put into it, and how we got such a good outcome because I think the show came out really good”. As she should! With all the work, care, and effort that went into making this stage transform into the setting of “Arsenic and Old Lace”, it obviously paid off and revealed the talent and skill behind the crew here at Mendham High School.