By Alexis Johnson-Williams
Lights go dark, the audience hears shuffling, blue and red lights turn on, and suddenly the main lead appears. It’s between a performer, the stage, and the audience, with nothing separated except the sound of a voice. Behind the stage, however, costumes are being put on, lines are being rehearsed, and cues are being told. There are two sides to the theatre: what the audience sees and the commotion backstage.
The Theatre Performance Team did their production of The Three Musketeers on November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Theatre has an extensive process of picking the play, characters, and making it all come together.
“We never know who’s perfect for a role. During the audition process, we look for acting choices, how they project, and what they bring to the audition, meaning what they will show us,” Ellen Douglas said.
When the actors learned about the Three Musketeers no one knew what it would truly entail.
“Three Musketeers is a combination of combat, love, heartbreak, and a little bit of comedy which is hard to do all at once as an actor,” Beth Gill stated.
Stage combat is something that TPT hasn’t fully indulged in so when picking the fall play, that was one of the factors they looked for.
“We knew we wanted to do stage combat and something different than what we’ve done before,” Ellen remarked. “Once Ms. Hooper told me about the play. I knew people would fall in love with it!”
Beth and Ellen have had the opportunity to be TPT stage managers for two years. During the Three Musketeers, Beth was the stage manager and a character.
“It does make it harder but it is also a beautiful thing to work as both an actor and behind the scenes. You get to see and experience both perspectives,” Beth responded.
As for Ellen, normally she has a role in the productions, however this time she did not want the stress.
“Being the stage manager is difficult, but amazing. It is stressful for a job, but you have amazing support from your team,” Ellen stated. “Having assistance takes the stress off my shoulders. This one was a lot for me, but I learned a lot during the process and how to improve as a stage manager and person.”
The process of theatre requires multiple different layers to make a cohesive story, therefore conflicts will arise.
“Yes, there are always pros and cons to rehearsals and production week. Unfortunately, some cuts needed to be made due to lack of communication and dedication,” Ellen expressed.
Overall The Three Musketeers was a successful production, with the rows being filled on all show days.
Beth concluded, “My favorite part is being able to watch it come together and to see and experience the relationships built throughout the process.”