High School Theatre - Blog Posts

All the assholes in my theater fighting over leads none of them will get

in my first year doing high school theatre i tried to use a fog machine (cuz my dad owns one and i knew how to use it) but as soon as it entered the theatre it S T O P P E D W O R K I N G and so we had to cut it :(

Technician: Why are you so concerned about the haze machine?

Production Manager: Because on the last show, we had to… uh…

Lighting Designer: Wank off the haze machine live on stage mid-show to make it put out any fog.

Technician: Well that’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone say those words in that order.

I literally posted nothing about our show but you can follow along with the quotes I submitted to whatislifebesidesrehearsal!

I loved this show, the new grade 8s were so amazing...

*After the last show*

Tech team and Stage Manager: *singing along to ‘Counting Stars’ by OneRepublic while cleaning up*

Actors: *crying*

Stage Crew: *awkwardly trying to move set pieces without disturbing crying actors*

[Actor lying prone after fall]

Director: HOLD

Actor: no I'm okay that was just my commitment to the bit

submitted by @manicpixiemonster

oh the show that my high school theatre company closed 2 months ago had over 200 props if we're counting set dressing (it was a teenager's bedroom so it was MESSY)

[The show contains three props]

Production Manager: what do you think about the props?

Stage Tech: felt over indulged. A little much.

Production Manager: here's the costume storage. What it lacks in convenience it makes up for in space.

"[actor name] does The Thing" What thing?

"Lights go on [actor name]" Where are they?

"[actor name] grabs prop" WHAT PROP!?!? WHERE IS IT??

Do you ever leave yourself a note

And go “This is going to be very unhelpful when I read it later”

…and then do it anyway???

As our (transmasc!) Assistant Director adamantly put it, "Non-Binary people can have dicks"

Also the problem got sorted but I was so mad with everyone in that argument for a few days but because high school theatre I still had to see them every day...

An actor wanted to change a character's pronouns? (ah, high school theatre)

After about a month of starting this play, one of the actors decided they wanted to change their character from non binary (they/them pronouns) to a cis boy (he/him pronouns) for some reason.

The actor's reasoning was because "I just think it would work better." and "well the character talks about going to the bathroom so..." (as if that changes anything?)

In the original play, that character did in fact have he/him pronouns but the Assistant Director decided they wanted to change a few of the characters' pronouns to be more diverse. So now all the other actors will need to practice new lines...

I mean I guess it makes sense as the actor's gender expression is more masculine but you're an ACTOR. Aren't you supposed to pretend to be a different person?

Well, this doesn't really effect me with sound or anything but I just wanted to share with you guys.

Theatre Update or something

Hey, if ya'll have been following up on my theatre debacles, you'll know that I was Assistant Stage Manager for my last show, even though I did more work than the Stage Manager themselves.

Well, because my old director left, (Moon talked about it in their post here, we work in the same theatre company) we got a new one, and because I was the most senior member of the Stage Crew, the Sound Designer was talking to them, and mentioned about me being ASM last year but doing more than the SM, and my director made me the Stage Manager! I finally get the title to go with all the work I'm going to have to do for this production! I'm so happy!

(is this how actors feel like when they get cast as one of the main roles istg)

Anyways I'll try to be more active with my theatre updates, as this is one wacky show and we've got a lot of new people in our company.

There was one actor that was on stage crew like twice and was like 'She always communicated with me!' like im sorry bro were you TECHNICALLY the ONLY PERSON on stage crew for a super set-heavy and tech-heavy show? Did you have to paint multiple set pieces last minute during tech week? I don't think so.

My stress inducing director is gone!

She decided to move to another school and didn't tell us, just like how she never told me whenever the show order changed. It hasn't really sunk in yet, but I am relieved. That woman was the cause of so much of my anxiety and she is finally gone.

Some of the actors are like: "omg she was so nice!!!". Honey, please. "She communicated with me so well!!!" Seriously?

Ah, the duality of man.

Anyways, we're getting a different drama teacher to run our theatre company this year, so that's gonna hopefully be fun.

I have some great news to tell my therapist.

Yeah, I love singing and I perform whenever my theatre company does a fusion show (a cabaret show with music, improv, poetry, and acting) I always sing and play piano for it, but don't act.

Even though I do that, I still love doing my job as stage crew, and whenever I'm actually performing onstage, I remember to be nice and respect my fellow techies. (please for the love of everything put you dang costumes away thank you)

Let's normalize tech theatre kids who are also regular theatre kids

that face when the stage manager has a better singing voice then most of the actors...

Show Week Update!

Before our last day show, the 2 board ops and I replaced the carpet for some reason, after the sound designer knighted me with a broom and the lighting designer talked about how magenta isn't even a real colour, it has to do with the cones in our eyes and how it's actually green but the green cones aren't stimulated. Read up on it, it's really interesting.

For the last show ever of this production, the actors had some fun with their lines, like in scene where an actor was supposed to say 'wow!' they said 'WHEE!' instead. For a scene where everyone had number cards, everyone turned them upside down. One of the characters gave me a bottle of hand sanitizer when i brought out a set piece. Overall, great way to end it, and the seniors graduating said a few words before the show.

Yeah that "WHEEEEEEE!!!!!!" during a scene caught everyone off guard lol

Our last show went well!

There were no sound mistakes (ok that's a lie there was a really small one but no one noticed) and only a few lighting mistakes but whatever. At least no one noticed that much.

Also, the actors included some funny off-script lines for this last show, so me and the lights designer had to keep ourselves from laughing while doing transitions.

And, after I made the announcement on our group chat and pinged all the actors, some of them had the AUDACITY to say;

"Oh thanks, (my name) you're a life saver! People might have forgot their props."

That came from an actor who forgot their costume piece and had to run to get it, and who forgets to put their prop back all the time.

and "THANKS (my name) I'M LAZY"

That came from my friend, who's been on stage crew before. I swear...

Speaking of bad behaviour from the actors, when I was going and doing my rounds and checking everything so we didn't have another mishap, (this show, an actor almost forgot their costume again! Luckily I reminded them to double-triple it!) and they got really annoyed that I was shining my flashlight so I didn't trip on anything. I even had my hand covering half of it! (I attached my flashlight on a chain of carabiners to make the ultimate flashlight)

SPEAKING of tripping on things, while I was going on the stage to stage left, I almost tripped on one of the set pieces we had onstage, conveniently painted... non-reflective black. My shins hurt so much :(

Show Update!

First night show one and done, woo! Still got one more night show tho...

Also, one of the main leading actors was delivering a monologue towards 3 other characters and accidentally did one of their names our of order so just said "and you" but it worked! (I don't think the crowd remembered anyways)

Also, we got our concession stand selling overpriced snacks for the 'experience' so I hope we can get back at least as much as a bucket of paint :/

one litre of paint was like 50 bucks :(

Ok reblogging this because IMMEDIATELY afterwards when I was putting back props and stuff, even made an announcement to the actors on our cast group chat, some actors decided to just leave their props and costumes lying around! This is how mishaps happen!

Since the night show was done and everyone was talking and whatever and getting food from our concession stand, I was running props back, and an actor had a prop. I told them to put it in the props box, but they didn't. I hope they didn't take it home.

SPEAKING of things people took home, I couldn't find my charger block, and I don't think I left it out in the open, so the sound designer pinged everyone in the cast group chat to tell them I lost my charger but no one's gotten back to them yet.

Show Update!

First night show one and done, woo! Still got one more night show tho...

Also, one of the main leading actors was delivering a monologue towards 3 other characters and accidentally did one of their names our of order so just said "and you" but it worked! (I don't think the crowd remembered anyways)

Also, we got our concession stand selling overpriced snacks for the 'experience' so I hope we can get back at least as much as a bucket of paint :/

one litre of paint was like 50 bucks :(

Show Update!

First night show one and done, woo! Still got one more night show tho...

Also, one of the main leading actors was delivering a monologue towards 3 other characters and accidentally did one of their names our of order so just said "and you" but it worked! (I don't think the crowd remembered anyways)

Also, we got our concession stand selling overpriced snacks for the 'experience' so I hope we can get back at least as much as a bucket of paint :/

one litre of paint was like 50 bucks :(

Show Week Costume Mishap!

Since I'm the only stagehand backstage, I have to run props and costumes to actors. No big deal, all the actors double-triple check their costumes and props.

Well, for our third show, which was this morning, an actor forgot one of their costume pieces! Since there's another room with extra costumes that haven't been used, another actor and I looked until we could find something similar.

That was on stage left. I had to cross over to stage right for a set change, then had to go BACK to stage left to grab that costume for the actor, then back to stage right. All in a day's work, I guess.

lol we were wildinnnnnnn that rehearsal!

we made many inside jokes and funnies

The most crazy Queue To Queue I've done:

so, the actors decided instead of just skipping over scenes by having their first and last line, to give a summary of what happened in their scene, sparking lines such as "so I'm sad and I hate you" and "well, my dad left me. Time to leave!"

other times, due to such quick changes, some actors would mess up their costume changes. An actor arrived onstage with his jacket practically on his face. Another abandoned their high heels and stood on tip-toe half the time.

I also got to RickRoll everyone during the sound check.

Production Update:

Just as i thought i was done painting something, another wild set piece appears! it's Tech Week next week, I don't have time to paint! I need to do all the set transitions by myself!

(But hey at least i got a black shirt and some wonderful black cargo pants and i'll update you all about what i can carry on my belt that's needed for the show)

Today during rehearsal I was painting something for a run and some of the actors begged me to come back and help them because everyone was missing the set changes. Hey, it's not my fault if NO ONE WRITES IT DOWN!

And they told me 'oh that table's in the wrong spot' even though I only just knew there was a table there like 2 minutes before...

Production Update:

My director assumes that I can organize a whole cable layout for our theatre in less then a day.

They also assume that I can record audio in less then an hour. I'm gonna need at least ten minutes to set up everything :(

They also think that the tech team (me and one other person) can see in pitch black dark and somehow get the cues right on time. And no, we can't have flashlights because that would be "too distracting". (I just turned up the brightness on my phone homescreen and used it kind of like a glow stick)

One of our lights is broken but they don't understand why the lighting designer can't get a good wash. "It's not that hard", they say, not understanding technology. (We literally only have like 13 channels on our lighting console, so one out of commission effects everything)

Yeah, I had to unlock the prop room but they wouldn't give me the key so one of the actors going with me literally tried to pick the lock with a toothpick lol

So today in rehearsal, I was working with the lighting crew to re-adjust some lights. (I held the ladder, so helpful) We weren't sure where the ladder was so we had to ask the director for their keys to open various rooms, but here's the catch: They wanted their keys back IMMEDIATELY. So we had to ask them multiple times for their keys, but they were chatting with some actors and whenever we went into the other room to get the keys, they were always mad at us for some reason because we interrupted them? Like what else are we supposed to do, lockpick the doors?

Production Update

Bought a tape measure and a carabiner on the weekend so I didn't have to borrow the director's. This one is even better, and lighter. Why did I not think of this sooner.

At rehearsal, the Stage Manager, the Sound Designer, a few actors that volunteered and I all painted set pieces for about 2 hours. We had to do it outside because the director claimed, "It's a beautiful day!"

I mean it didn't rain but still! Anyways, I got paint on my pants so now I have a trophy to show anyone who asks. Will also have to paint next week, just doing the sides of some flats and a few touchups. The director only told me once I started panicking that 2 of the vertical flats I thought we were painting we actually aren't using. Good going, director!

Anyways, rehearsals are actually going better than expected, so hopefully the actors should get off-book soon.

Don't forget the actors forgetting like you exist and your director convinced that the stage manager can totally act in 3 SEPARATE SCENES and being enormously behind and having the show being in a different order and the actors not telling you anything

Someone: Why do you do theatre tech?

Me: Oh I like it it's really fun

*flashbacks to me today at rehearsal in the tech booth, just after crying, eating a protein bar because I didn't have time at break to eat food because I needed to explain something for twenty minutes*

Yup. So fun...

Production Update

Today at rehearsal, we did a full-cast line run, with a good 5 minutes spent trying to figure out how to number the pages, and a few rearranges.

After that, while people practiced, I stole the director's tape measure to measure a very tall flat that we're (me) gonna paint.

Although, because I am not the tallest, I asked the tallest actor we have (who was conveniently near where I was measuring) if they could help me measure the flat.

It worked, and I kept that tape measure on my belt for the rest of rehearsal, as well as a Sharpie if I needed it. My stage manager, upon seeing my ingenuity, wanted to try, but it didn't work as their pants had no belt loops for some reason.

Anyways, for the rest of rehearsal, because us on tech had nothing to do, the sound designer, the stage manager and I all played Hangman.

Anyways, only 6 weeks left and we've only just started actually rehearsing!!!

Production Update:

During rehearsal last week, we got our projectionist, and this is their first show, so I was kinda giving them a rundown of how stage crew works, since they're also going to help with set construction.

Well, since our director wants the actors to do *exercises* while stage & tech DOES NOTHING I had a lot of time to explain that we don't usually sit around, just this show is taking longer than usual.

(I am actually genuinely concerned for this show as we haven't even started rehearsals yet and we're a month and a half in. The show is in late May.)

lololololololol so my director decided that the stage manager for our upcoming production is gonna be acting in a scene???? like wHAT??? it's only me backstage, because high school theatre budget, so what if it all goes to heck?????? and that scene is actually going to be cut and carried through the entire show????

Directoral Whimsy is a serious concern.

I'm part of my high school theatre company's set crew (im the only one on set, the only other person on stage crew is the stage manager) and I just went into storage to measure some of the set from last year's show and got hit with memories.

"If you can't sneeze dramatically, can you even sneeze?" - One of the actors