Behind the Scenes of Stagecraft
Josh James, Sophomore
Q: What do you want to say about stagecraft that a lot of people don’t know from hearing about it?
A: The class is extremely fun! We have different crews that we could choose to be in and it's like Harry Potter where we have our own teams/houses.
Q: What would you say is the hardest part about the class?
A: The hardest part is time for Tech Week. Why it's difficult because it's the week before opening. Since i work in the costume department its really the time where er put on final touches on costumes (or finish them).
Q: What is the most creative completed project that you helped work on? What was your favorite project that you worked on?
A: I made an apron without a pattern. That’s my favorite project.
Q: What would you want to tell students who are interested in joining the class.
A: It’s a really fun class. We’re all one big family who support each other and help each other.
Q: How are the relationships between the stagecraft staff and the actors?
A: The actors and the stagecrafters. We’re all friends.
Q: Are there any Interesting injuries that you’ve had or heard while working in stagecraft?
A: I have not gotten any injuries. *knocks on wood*
Q: Do you see yourself working in stagecraft for big acts when you finish high school?
A: Yes, I wanna work in costumes design when I get to college.
Jason Bigham, Senior
Q: What do you want to say about stagecraft that a lot of people don’t know from hearing about it?
A: A lot of people think stagecraft is just like building the set like Hensley comes to us here's a bunch of measurements, build me platforms and things. And it’s actually, were actually involved in the process of designing it. So not only do you learn how to work tools, all the building techniques also all the of the design techniques that not a lot of people are aware of when they actually join the class, I wasn't. So I can totally build everything also but if you give me a play or a story or whatever I do go through the entire designing process myself, and I think that something that a lot of people don't quite get of stagecraft.
Q: What would you say is the hardest part about the class?
A: It just kind of depends on the year for me the hardest part is being a leader, because im a fourth year, so I'm put in charge of crews in charge of projects and I have to organize and sort of make everybody do things. Which can get hard when the freshmen are being very annoying. As a freshman it's really about the learning and getting used to everything. But you move pretty quickly to being in charge of stuff. So I would say the hardest part is being in charge of a project and finishing it.
Q: What would you say is the hardest part about the class?
A: For one act last year, I was lighting design and board op for a short play called jury. Often times in play like that one it is very hard to set the mood, because its in a house or its in a building, and the lighting is sort of set like it just has to be regular white lighting so they actually have for it to be realistic. So I ended up creating lighting design that helped with the mood which was rather sort of dark and hopeless, that kind of thing. That’s why I did by myself. One of the big productions was A Midsummers Night Dream , the lighting design which is my area of expertise, lighting and stage. The whole design of that was very creative. I was apart of the process, there were a lot of other people and I was working all on set for that one.
Q: What would you want to tell students who are interested in joining the class.
A: I would absolutely say give it a try, it's very fun and I've learned skills that are very useful in everyday life. I am very familiar with tools and building, something i see that a lot of people don't have. It’s very nice to be able to just be like, ‘Oh, I need to fix this. Boom. Done.’ Whereas other people might have to have somebody else fix it. And also its really interesting to learn about how all this works because it's sort of applicable like english and writing and stuff all the themes and how you portray them. There's a lot more than just working with tools.
Q: How are the relationships between the stagecraft staff and the actors?
A: Pretty good actually were both reliant on each other you know, there's very little rivalry. ‘Oh stagecraft is better, Oh acting is better.’ We’re sort of like neither would function without the other. There's more drama within the drama section than drama and stagecraft, honestly. So relation is usually pretty good, unless it's personal stuff which there usually isn't.
Q: Are there any Interesting injuries that you’ve had or heard while working in stagecraft?
A: I’ve hurt myself in small ways many times whether or not it's my fault. I've gotten metal splinters and those are fun to dig out with needles. Other stuff, I’ve stubbed toes, and jammed fingers, stuff like that but nothing big. We’re very cautious. We don't just hand a first year a sawzall, third or fourth or Hensley will use the sawzall and stuff like that. Hurting yourself with a drill is honestly a challenge with in itself. Our table saw has a saw stop so even if you would hit the saw blade it doesn't hurt you.
Q: Do some people do stagecraft outside of school for other drama productions?
A: Yeah actually, a lot us do. I personally don't do that much I have other things going on but a lot of stagecrafters work at lesher and there is companies like, stars 2000, which they just did Anything Goes here. A lot of us work outside of here with them and other companies, actors too.
Q: Do you see yourself working in stagecraft for big acts when you finish high school?
A: Probably not, I'm moving more into mechanical engineering area. Although stagecraft has definitely been very helpful with my knowledge of that. I wouldn't know how to just build a wall or a door if I wasn't in stagecraft. But not really for me, but many others are definitely planning on continuing.
Q: How are all the staff managed? Is there a pyramid of workers that show the different jobs in stagecraft?
A: Yes there is a pyramid, sort of. At the top is Hensley obviously, although when were designing and lending out jobs and stuff. The third and fourth years are very involved in the process. I am 7th periods lighting and crew head, which means I'm in charge of lighting so Hensley will give me a task then I'll task out of my crew and we’ll do things accordingly. Basically third and fourth years act as soft of sub crew heads to Hensley. He will give us jobs and maybe do something by himself with set crew but then he’ll tell me ‘heres a lighting plot, hang these and put lights here and there’ or if I'm working on set he will be like ‘build me a platform this big’ and send me off to do that. So basically it’s all based on your experience level and how many years you've been in the program, first years are sort of like workers. Seconds and Thirds are leaders in training. Then the fourth years are usually the leaders.
Graham Bigham, Freshman
Q: What do you want to say about stagecraft that a lot of people don’t know from hearing about it?
A: We do the set, lights, sound, costumes and everything that the actors don't do.
Q: What would you say is the hardest part about the class?
A: All the after school work.
Q: What is the most creative completed project that you helped work on? What was your favorite project that you worked on?
A: My favorite set was the anything goes set so far. Because I liked the design and the symmetry and it was a musical. And that it had three layers because we had a band but the band wasn't too in the way.
Q: What would you want to tell students who are interested in joining the class.
A: I think you should just try it for a year even if you don't like it, you're not going to dislike it pretty much no matter what I think.
Q: Are there any interesting injuries that you’ve had or heard while working in stagecraft?
A: The actors are fine, sometimes they break things but that’s okay. We also all know each other so that’s pretty good.
Q: How are all the staff managed? Is there a pyramid of workers that show the different jobs in stagecraft?
A: It’s organized, we have crews and we divide the work and we always know what’s going on. Mr. Hensley has a list of stuff we need to do.
Ms. Tate, Stagecraft Teacher
Q: What do you want to say about stagecraft that a lot of people don’t know from hearing about it?
A: I don't know. It's awesome? If you are crafty, or "a maker," this class is for you!
Q: What would you say is the hardest part about the class?
A: It's never the same class twice, which is why it's fun to repeat it. Our classwork is based on what productions Mr. Hensley chooses, so our work in providing costumes, props, wigs, makeup and publicity are based solely around the needs of the production era and themes.
Q: What is the most creative completed project that you helped work on? What was your favorite project that you worked on?
A: I've loved working on all our shows, but working on "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was my favorite. Since it was partly fantasy, my crews got an opportunity to design costumes FROM SCRATCH, which doesn't happen if we are locked in a historical era. We got to make fairies from the swamp: fairies with moss for hair, with armor made of bark, with dresses made out of waterlilies. Makeup got to work on specialty makeup for the fairies that included leaves, flowers, and scales. Oberon had a coat that "suggested" an alligator. It was so much fun making those costumes!
Q: What would you want to tell students who are interested in joining the class?
A: You do not need to have any experience sewing or with makeup or art, (but it helps!). You DO need to like to be creative and work hard.
Q: Are there any Interesting injuries that you’ve had or heard while working in stagecraft?
A: Mr. Hensley injures himself the most. Every show. He drills a screw into his hand or his leg. One kid broke his collarbone once; but it wasn't during stagecraft. He was doing parkour and landed on some bricks. The wrong way.
Q: Do some people do stagecraft outside of school for other drama productions?
A: Yes! Many of our "stagecrafters" work with Stars 2000 or other production companies, and many of our graduates go on to study costumes (Erin Quinn, class of 2017), or tech theater at schools like Southern Oregon University (Sean Boulton, Cameron Davis, Joe Thomas, class of 2014?).
Q: Do you see yourself working in stagecraft for big acts when you finish high school?
A: You mean when I retire? I might keep working for LLHS in stagecraft, but I have no plans to work for a local theater company. TOO MUCH STRESS!
Q: How are all the staff managed? Is there a pyramid of workers that show the different jobs in stagecraft?
A: We do have a kind of pyramid, although it varies, depending on the tasks we are working on. I am the head coordinator for everything, but I usually team new students up with experienced students. Students who are exceptionally talented I often give them various projects and let them figure it out. It's always fun seeing what they create and come up with!
