Sawdust floating through the air, nails and hammers lying about, and the smell of paint wafting through the auditorium

No, that is not the construction workers repairing the school or painting Lane another bright color; it is a day in the life of Stage Krew. A crucial part of a live performance happens behind the scenes, both before a production is mounted and during its run.

Stage Krew is a main component that makes all Lane productions possible. Currently the Lane theater department is preparing for the spring musical, “The Sound of Music.”  The complete production of the musical takes months of preparation, involving teachers. students, and volunteers with different duties to help the musical become possible.

Stage Krew includes an assortment of practical skills ranging from lighting, sound, construction, and set building. These jobs although not immediately noticeable are crucial to a successfully run production. The set design creates the illusion of being in the world of the play, adding to the ambiance during the production. The sets depends on what the director has in mind and Stage Krew can reference other designs from previous movies or broadway plays to give them a reference.

Props are also a main component of a production, adding to the substance of the work. Although there is a lot of preparation involved, Stage Krew is also a necessary element during the play. They run the lights and sound boards during all production, definitely requiring technological knowledge for supervising sound levels while coordinating microphones and volume. The responsibilities for the musical are wide and varied so Stage Krew members have knowledge in multiple fields.

Mr. Davey, the AP Environmental Science and Horticulture teacher, has spent his time working with Stage Krew. He started five years ago, when Ms. Hanson discovered he had experience in building sets. Ever since then,  he has been working with Stage Krew and teaching them how to build sets.

This was a lot more convenient for the school because Mr. Davey was local and from the school rather than hiring out for stage production. In high school, he was a stage manager for his school’s productions and worked with his  school’s’ director who taught him how to build flats, handles, and supports for a base, which are basic tools when building sets. He also worked during college doing similar activities but his main inspiration was his high school’s director. He has continued to learn and increase his knowledge of construction through volunteering. This benefits Stage Krew with input and instructions on how to build sets. 

“I love working with these students particularly because they bring skill sets even I’m not privy to. We have artists and sound engineers who really know what they’re doing, and I often find myself learning as much from them as they do from me,” Davey said.

However, many of the Stage Krew members already have previous knowledge in construction and is part of the reason why they joined Stage Krew. Davey develops this new medium of building a theater set with skills that are already present in the students and encourages them so they can start to build sets.

“The set in previous productions have been getting larger and larger, thanks to the increased funding in the theater department emphasizing the importance of Music and Art programs,” Davey said.

For each Lane production, the stage construction is different and unique to the director’s ideas of what the set should look like. This year Stage Krew came across some struggles to make this Spring musical the best it can be.

“This is the first production that’s using a rotating set. Also everything was hand built and painted from scratch. We had a flood last year and the EPA threw out all of our wood and materials so everything has to be built from the ground up. Crew gave up their time, weekends, and patience to help out. The lack of access to the auditorium due to construction was a big wrench in the plans for both the cast and crew,” Davey said.

Alan Kapustka, Div 690, has been a member of Stage Krew for the past four years and is the current chief president of Stage Krew.

“Although it is such a commitment including coming in on Saturdays during tech week — which is a practice run week where all the lights, microphones, sound and set is completed so the actors have a chance to practice what it would be like on opening night —  I am happy to do it because it is what I love,” Kaputska said.

Sam Tennant, Div. 690, is an actress in the upcoming musical.

“The Stage Krew members communicate really well with the student actors/ directors and are really able to get a sense of how they can assist each other. They are also really awesome about building sets while being involved in the placement of people and props during rehearsals,” Tennant said.

With Stage Krew, the Lane theater department, and Lane administration there is a lot of cooperation and teamwork involved in making Lane productions such as the upcoming musical “The Sound of Music” possible.

To see all of Stage Krew and the Lane theater department’s hard work,  tickets are being sold for $7 outside the auditorium before the show  Feb. 17, 18 at 3:45 p.m. and Feb. 19, and 20 at 7:00 pm.