Lights, Camera, Spotlight on the SAAS Stage Management Crew

Written By: Gena Wynkoop, Editorial Content Manager

When you attend a play or musical at Seattle Academy, you’re in for a treat. The stage always radiates with talent, showmanship, and captivating music; amidst the on-stage brilliance, what you might not see right away is the product of countless hours invested by the dedicated behind-the-scenes stage crew. 

Not only does this meticulous crew work tirelessly throughout each trimester, but what sets this program apart is that it's entirely student-led. The stage crew is not just a casual endeavor– these students have turned it into a well-oiled machine. They have a “phone a friend” relationship with Ed Hoffman, a SAAS Performing Arts faculty member who helps build and design the sets on stage, but otherwise, they’re perfectly independent.

“The stage management crew is student-led and fed,” explained Ed. “They support themselves. They self-delegate tasks, and they’ve learned how to take on different roles.”

The stage crew origins trace back to alumnus Noah Sarkowsky ’17, who instigated the evolution from a tech theater class into an after-school, student-led program. Outside of school, Noah was involved with stage crews at different theaters around town, and he wanted to implement something more organized at SAAS. Thus, the after-school stage crew program was born.

Stage crew serves as an avenue for students less inclined towards performing arts to fulfill their required art credits. This close-knit group passes down their expertise through word of mouth, creating a legacy of knowledge within the tight circle.

“They apprentice each other, and the underclassmen step up as upperclassmen graduate. They are accountable, and they care, and they are motivated and standard-driven and want to do a good job. They take a lot of pride in doing what they do,” said Ed.

The stage crew meets every day to work their magic. Initially, it wasn’t for credit, but because of the work they’ve continuously produced over the years, it evolved to count towards a class credit.

For Sienna Stiefel (12th grade), this was precisely why she joined the stage crew. “I needed to find an after-school activity as well as an art credit, so I decided to do theater, but I didn’t want to be on stage. I ended up loving the stage crew. I fell in love with the people. My closest friends are all from that program, and it’s just a blast.”

Sienna joined when she was a sophomore, initially filling in where needed. She realized she was drawn to the props as she progressed through the program and was Props Manager by her junior year. “I was in charge of the props and ensuring they were all sorted at any time. I knew where every single prop was, I had made specific lists of where different props needed to be. I needed to know what was happening in the show to organize everything properly.”

As Sienna takes a step back from stage crew in her senior year, she has imparted her wisdom on how to manage the props onto the grades that follow her.

From the dazzling lights to the orchestrated sounds, precise cues, intricate costuming, and meticulous prop work – the show comes alive through the efforts of the stage crew. Remove these backstage heroes, and the show would grind to a halt. 

“They are present for every rehearsal; they help with sound, light, tech, and the scenery. It’s a super important skill that many of these kids can take to any future job. The habits, the routines, and the skills to produce shows–it’s a skill that will always come in handy,” said Fred Strong, SAAS’ Administrative Leadership Specialist.

While the actors are learning their lines and blocking their routes around the stage, so is the crew. Stage Managers are present and involved every step of the way.

“Our Stage Managers, who are typically seniors, are the people who call the show. They know the play through and through; they’ve seen it in rehearsals, they’ve read it a million times, called out lines, and even had to stand in for actors on stage at random times,” said Ed.

“They are involved from the beginning. They help with auditions, weekly schedules, creating newsletters, and scheduling. They do production stage management and rehearsal reports. It’s brilliant, brilliant stuff, consistently,” gushed Ed.

And then, the costumes! For the fall musical, “The Prom,” it was a myriad of fashions, including prom dresses, work outfits, street style, and lots and lots of color.

“For costuming, we do all of the measurements of the cast members and pull the costumes, hair, wigs, and work on makeup. We organize the fittings, help with quick changes, and make sure that everything in that department is running smoothly,” said Ana Sieler (Grade 11).

“During the fall musical, we had 15 quick changes, and 10 of them happened in the same minute at the end of the show. It was from everyday outfits to prom dresses, suits, tennis shoes, and strappy heels. It was a stressful, stressful two minutes,” laughed Ana. “I’m proud of how we managed to get through that.”

It’s not just quick changes and pulling costumes, it’s about being present and available for any type of potential hiccups that could happen during showtime. “It’s constantly making sure that all of the costumes are in the right place at the right time. We need to be available for all run-throughs and be flexible to step in where needed. Sometimes buttons pop off, and I need to hand sew or fix a broken seam, and every day it’s different,” said Ana.

Besides the props and costuming, there is the technical nature of running the soundboards, designing the light show, and knowing the specific cues for each.

“Then we have our more technical people. Lightboard operators sit with the Stage Manager and learn the script and the calls of the show. It’s a cool way to be involved and behind the scenes and kind of controlling things in a sort of unseen way. It’s being part of a team and a community, and you’re going through the same things together,” said Ed.

The Production Stage Managers also oversee the entire production, which helps the students build leadership skills.

“I have learned many things while on Stage Crew, both about myself and the theater,” said Harry Curtis (Grade 12). “I have learned that I really enjoy being part of a team that is all working toward a common goal. I have also gained many skills, so much so that I wrote my common app essay about it. The skill I wrote about specifically was how to be assertive and be a leader, which I had to learn while being the Production Stage Manager. Along with these skills, I have gained a greater respect for the theater, and how everyone must work together to make the show go well, or else it could all crumble apart.”

That teamwork and a job well done inevitably turn into comradery. 

“I have really enjoyed the community and comradery aspects of the stage crew, as the majority of my friends do theater in one form or another. I like being in the background while helping the actors put on the best show they can,” said Harry.

“It’s fun because you’re creating a world; you’re working together to transport people emotionally,” smiled Ed. “It’s exciting because every play is a version that has never been done before. It’s their own version,” said Ed.