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Show PERSONALITY Q&A 10 Harrison Corthell, a junior technical theatre major, walks above the stage in the Courage Theatre in Westminsters Jewett Center for the Performing Arts. Here, the stage d crew alters lighting and other props. ceiling-suspende- Westminsters theatre productions COME ALIVE BEHIND THE CURTAIN CASIE PETERSON STAFF REPORTER Though many hours of preliminary work, planning and supporting roles are necessary for any show to oast, an observer of a live theatre production only sees a fraction of that work the cast, props and stage. Harrison Corthell, a junior technical theatre major, plays the role of stage manager in some of Westminster Colleges theatre productions. Corthell, like many theatre majors, said he believes there is a welcome level of deception that goes into producing a live show. He said its the stage manager and crews goal to create a world on stage that contains only the aspects of the show they want the audience to see. Were telling a fantastical world and building it, Corthell said. I think thats where the magic is that theres so much behind the scenes that the audience doesnt know. Griffin Irish, a music and technical theatre major, works closely with Corthell and other stage managers as a shop foreman and sound designer. He said he hopes the audience realizes how much work goes on backstage, even if they only see the results of that labor. When I first saw what happens back- - fr stage, its almost another show to me, Irish said. Its interesting all that goes on back there. And thats kind ofwhat sucked me into the world of theatre, technical theatre. Corthell set aside some time during his shift working on the set RE of Westminsters . Q: What does a typical day look like as a stage manager? A: Every day in the theatre is a different day in the theatre no two days are the same. I really like this field because it is constantly changing. Theres this term that TELLING theatre dies. So A for two months youll be working WORLD AND on a project and then the show BUILDING IT. I will close and you will start a THINK new project. I think in 2016 I WHERE THE worked on 13 IS. MAGIC shows, and its really fun when WE show, upcoming Blithe Spirit, to talk about his passion for stage man- agement. Q: Why did you choose Westminster? A: I came to beWestminster cause it has a pretty great theatre program and it is a small theatre program. So for self-motivat- ed FANTASTICAL THATS S3 HARRISON CORTHELL, Junior technical theatre major stu- dents and students that want to be real- ly involved, its really good for them. And the, scholarships were pretty great, so I decided to come here. your workplace environment is constantly changing. Its a really hectic environment in a good way. Not like its crazy or disorganized or anything, but its very intense. Its a very intense place to be and I think because of that its really, really fun. Q: Do you think the audience realiz- es how much goes into the production of a show backstage or behind the scenes? A: There is a lot behind the stage that audiences dont see, and I dont fault them for that because the convention of traditional theatre is that we are building a world with only specific things that they see. So everything that you see when you go to a theatre production is purposeful; its there. Thats what youre supposed to see. But there is so much that you dont see that is supporting that that is literally right off stage or right behind a wall. Theres so much magic there. That is why I love theatre. Q: How does Westminsters curriculum cater to people who want to work backstage or in the production side of theatre? A: Unlike other technical theatre programs, we are kind of a little community. You may have an emphasis like I have an em- but besides phasis in stage management stage management classes I also have to take lighting design classes, costuming classes, makeup classes; I have to take all those other classes. I even have to take acting classes just so that I can appreciate what other majors put into a production because theatre is so |