Behind the Scenes: Macbeth Stage Crew

Production of the fall play, William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” has been underway since late summer. Cast and crew are preparing for the Oct 12-15 performances with near-daily rehearsals. When watching plays at home or in person, the audience always sees the actors onstage, but never what happens behind those giant curtains. The Arrowhead’s Noelia Neal got a chance to peek backstage, where the crew is creating the set, costumes, props, and lighting that will bring the show to life.

On Wednesday, September 6th, many crew members patiently waited outside the Theatre Arts Center for the doors to unlock so they could start working on their crew duties. As they walked in, they signed in and put their backpacks down. The crew immediately started going to work. Some crew members started to flock to a multipurpose room, where there were various clothes hanging on many racks, almost looking like a thrift store with different themed clothes from past years. There were boxes of fabric just waiting to be cut. Crew member, Sophomore Falyn DeBord, stated, “I’ve sewn some clothes, my main job is just helping the costume heads. I’ve also pulled a lot of clothes, it’s kinda just what needs to be done, and if I need to do something it’s done.” DeBord, a sophomore, said, “I’m just excited for this to be done, dude.”

Other crew members went backstage and began gathering materials needed for the day. Behind the stage were countless chairs hanging on the sides and tons of props. It looked like an antique store filled to the brim with treasures that could only be found. To name a few props on standby, these being street lamps and fake trees littered throughout the stage. Sitting in a circle, crew members were playing music, talking, and shaving down stones to create a stone wall.

Josephine Hallagin, a junior, said, “Currently we are working on building the stone facing for the sides of the walls and like the platforms, were also working on floor samples like wood floor samples and that’s what we’re doing in paints.” While the crew members were working and talking, the shavings on the foam covered the floor and the crew members. When asked about how excited Sophmore Lilly Brewer was for the play, she stated, “I’m really excited. It’s not something I was looking forward to in the beginning because it’s Macbeth and it doesn’t sound that interesting, but building it and just working on props and everything we’ve been doing has gotten me a lot more excited.”

Overall the theater crew members are extremely fun to be around and have a great sense of attitude. These are only some of the people behind the amazing performances that the Waukee High School puts on every year. Crew members should get more recognition than they do. They are the ones responsible for creating the props and backgrounds, as well as doing the hair and makeup for the actors. Crew members are the glue that keeps your favorite plays running smoothly.