Theater is one of the most creative art forms that exists, from the acting to the construction of gorgeous sets and props. While acting is arguably one of the most important parts of the theater, there are other components to creating a production that are just as important. Sets, makeup, props, and stage and tech crew create the magic the audience sees on stage.
Crafting sets and props takes a lot of time and effort, especially during the production of Puss and Boots. Many of our set pieces, such as King Ferdinand’s and Snot’s castles, the Miller’s mill, and the cat perch, were delicately crafted by the industrial tech class talented students taught by Christian Lambersie. Along with some of our students helping craft the sets, the cast and crew of the production also put forth a helping hand. Work days were very important during the process of making the show come alive. Spending multiple Saturdays in the auditorium painting, sewing, gluing, stitching, and growing closer together as a cast and crew.
Along with the creation of the sets, props and costumes pieces are also a staple to any successful production. The head of the costume department is senior Rachel Gallup with the help of co-director, Kayla Fleming. Creating the costumes is, obviously, the defining feature of the character itself. Lavish gowns or eerie costume pieces make the characters stand out amongst the backdrops and add new life to the characters. Most costumes take many weeks of preparation and figuring out what pieces go with each other to construct the perfect costume. Gallup and Fleming did an incredible job designing and making the costumes to fit the character’s personalities just right. Each article of clothing held significance and reflected each of the characters perfectly.
The majority of the props that were used in the play were either made by hand, such as yarn balls or the stuffed animals thrown on stage for Puss to hunt, or they were already in the auditorium prop loft or were bought, such as some of the bowls or the potions Snot uses to make a cure for King Ferdinand.
Another huge component of the Winter Play is hair and makeup. While the actors and actresses do an incredible job of embodying their characters, the face makeup ties the whole look together. The head of the makeup and hair department is senior Olivia Kumar, who has been head of the department since her freshman year. Along with doing makeup for the children’s play, Kumar also has past experience working as a makeup artist for the popular Halloween attraction, Haunted Hills. If Kumar’s experience working at Haunted Hills interests you, be sure to check out the article CHS Senior, Olivia Kumar, Gets Job As Makeup Artist At Haunted Hills. The process of developing the makeup looks takes time and patience, along with discussing possible executions of the cosmetics on the face with the directors and actors themselves. After that, with numerous amounts and research and practice, the makeup pieces are finally ready. The audience can easily distinguish the characters through Kumar’s talented makeup pieces. Everything from Snot’s grotesque and horrifying makeup to Philomenia’s sparkly and elegant look, Kumar was able to transfix the audience into the magical world of Puss and Boots.
“Being able to inspire people and to create these amazing characters is what brought me into doing hair and makeup,” Kumar says enthusiastically. “There would be no performance without the stage crew, our lighting and tech crew, and the way we all came together to create it, was an amazing experience I’ve had.”
Finally, one of the most important aspects of the behind-the-scenes magic comes from the stage and tech crew. Without the help from the stage and tech crew, production would not run as smoothly as someone would think. Stage crew, specifically, moves props on stage and makes sure all props are in their designated spot as well as keep things organized behind the stage or the wings. Stage manager, junior Emma Kampwirth, has been a part of the production since her freshman year and this year was her first year as stage manager. Kampwirth is responsible for directing the operations of the sets and props around the stage and is responsible for making sure other stage crew members are doing their jobs. Stage management is not an easy task, but Kampwirth makes it look effortless with how easily backdrops and sets are moved on stage to add to the magic of the children’s play.
“For the audience to see the background and the set pieces just helps bring more magic and life to the scenes,” Kampwirth stated.
Going along with the stage crew, the tech crew has a major influence on crafting the ambiance of the show. The head of the tech crew is Kevin Murray, who has been a part of the children’s play since he was in high school and has been volunteering by helping the tech and light crew for multiple years. Senior, Robert Mueller, has also been a part of the crew for the last two family theater productions. Mueller is in charge of making sure the lights and sounds hit their cue perfectly, whether it is a sound depicting a splash of water or it is the beginning intro to a classic chase scene. Sounds and lights lure the audience into the magical world of Puss and Boots and make the viewers forget they are in seats of the CHS auditorium.
“The tech crew is all pretty tightly knit,” recalls Mueller. “We really care about each other.”
The making of Puss and Boots has been a challenge in more ways than one, but with the help of the wonderful cast and crew, the show was made possible. Making any production, regardless of the size, takes numerous amounts of time and hard work. Everyone who spent any amount of time in the production made the show what it was and brought magic to the audience. Puss and Boots was an incredible addition to the legacy of the winter play and many can’t wait till the next production.
