HIDDEN HEROES

Austin High School student Rylan Clark secures part of a platform frame together at Riverland Community College. Clark helps backstage as part of the school’s posetsecondary enrollment options program,

Photos by Savannah Howe/ newsroom@austindailyherald.com

Behind the curtain of a Riverland Theatre production

By Savannah Howe

If only theatrical productions were as simple as lights, camera and action. Playgoers being dazzled with carefully-rehearsed performances, beautifully-built sets and stunning tricks of light and sound doesn’t happen overnight. It is largely owed to hours of design, construction and technical work. Behind every actor is a sound technician hoping beyond all hopes that the microphone doesn’t fail, and behind every kickline is a stagehand scurrying a used set off the stage. “The work that the students do is very “Each student important,” said Riverland Theatre technical director John Deyo. “I could not do all this by brings myself.” something Much of building a set involves high-intensity, heavy-lifting work, and thankless work unique to the at that; the Riverland Theatre stagehands dedicate hours of their time to preparing for table. Some are very artistic, a production despite having classes, jobs and other responsibilities. They are just as essential to a theatrical operation as the performsome are ers; the only difference is the lack of applause and flower bouquets when it’s time to close musical.” the curtain. So just who are the unsung heroes in the John Deyo stage shadows?

Riverland Technical Ian Gearhart is a Riverland Community ColDirector lege student pursuing a degree in agricultural science. He has been working for Riverland Theatre and the Summerset Theatre for six years, doing much of the hammering, painting, sawing and heavy lifting that goes into getting sets and stages performance-ready. “My sister, Lindsey Williams, is director of the [Riverland] theatre department,” Gearhart said. “It’s been her lifelong passion, and when I moved here, I needed something to do. I sort of fell into it. I love the community, and when I go to work every day, we’re always doing something different, whether it’s construction, or painting, or making props. It’s never the same thing for too long, so it’s exciting and doesn’t get boring.” A day in the life of a stagehand depends on what stages of

preparing for production the team is in. The initial steps are design, then Gearhart and the others get to work on hauling in supplies and cutting and assembling the material for platforms, stairs and other set components.

The construction work can be grueling, but Gearhart gets to flex his creative muscles just as much, too; an artist himself, he’s taken painting courses and gets the opportunity to paint set designs and panels after the construction is complete. Certain “center-stage” components that are designed to stand out could take hours to assemble and paint.

“Each student brings something unique to the table,” Deyo said. “Some are very artistic, some are musical. Some are just good workers.”

Those working in stagecraft are under a lot of pressure to make sure that their work is structurally sound and safe, lest a disaster occur in the middle of a musical number. Deyo always checks over the stage workers’ finished works for sturdiness and safety.

Even after hours and hours of sweat equity, the stagecraft team’s work isn’t complete after the stage is ready for the show. On the night of the showing, Gearhart will work in the box office, selling tickets and interacting with customers, then will quickly move into the soundbox to work as a soundboard operator. Deyo and the rest of the stagecraft staff must be careful to build safe and structurally sound platforms.

John Deyo, Theatre Technical Director for Riverland Community College, hoists up a 2 X 4 for a set in progress.

As Deyo explained, many campus jobs allow students to multi-task, even study or do homework, while working. Stagecraft is not one of those jobs. The work is hard and demanding.

“They get dirty, they get paint all over them,” the director said. “They work hard while they’re here, and they do it by choice. It’s not the easiest job on campus, but they want to be here because theater is important to them. Ian, in particular, I count on his artistic skills. He is a great painter.”

The students learn a lot while building a stage — everything from power tool safety to stage management to programming a soundboard to how to paint a realistic wall to look like concrete, brick or wallpaper — which is the goal of having students involved, Deyo said.

That education can start as early as high school; Rylan Clark is an Austin High School student who took an interest in the performing arts after his mom was involved in the Matchbox Theatre. Clark is working as a stagehand as part of a postsecondary enrollment options (PSEO) course, a way for high school students to get college credits and explore college courses without paying college tuition. PSEO students don’t get a paycheck either, though, so Clark’s work is all volunteer work to get a theater activities college credit.

“Perhaps they will find something useful for their futures,” he added. “There’s all kinds of benefits to students working here. And since they are very busy with their schoolwork and maybe an off-campus job, that means they really want to be here doing it, not because they have to.”

All in all, the behind-the-scenes staff have a ton of responsibility. A show can’t go on without it’s lead actress, but it certainly can’t go on without its set or sound equipment either.

“Two worst-case scenarios come to mind,” Gearhart said. “The first is that something isn't safe. We’re building things really fast, but as a community member, I’ve been an actor up on stage too. I care about our actors. So we always walk through everything, checking everything over. If we build a ladder we will go up and down it many times.

“... The other is if there’s a technical issue, I’m up there troubleshooting as fast as I can to get everything back smooth, so the audience hopefully doesn’t notice.”

The Riverland Theatre stagecraft team is currently preparing for the upcoming performance of “Little Shop of Horrors, a deviously delicious Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical.” P

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Ian Gearhart, center, along with John Deyo, left, and Rylan Clark work onset at Riverland Community College.