Main Line Private School Students Transform a Gym into a Broadway Theater

March 26, 2012 - PRLog -- It’s spring in the Philadelphia area and for many high schools that means preparing a musical theater production. Students of all ages have been rehearsing such well known plays as "The Phantom of the Opera", "Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat," "The Producers," and "West Side Story", for weeks and in some cases even months. They sing and dance and ooze enthusiasm and energy, making parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and others so proud. As the front men and women of any production it’s the actors and singers and dancers that get a lot of well - deserved attention.

However, another group of young men and women, with just as much energy and enthusiasm, have been working equally as hard, and in many cases for much longer than the cast. It’s their job to make everything look and work as much like a real Broadway production as possible on small to non-existent budgets. Often they come pretty darn close. They are the stage crew.

Last week Devon Prep presented The Phantom of the Opera, a wonderful Andrew Lloyd Webber play with amazing music and elaborate sets. Creating sets for a production of this caliber took the 29 stage crew members at Devon Prep nearly the whole school year to complete. The end result is surprising. From the huge crystal chandelier that comes crashing down onto the stage, to the remote controlled boat that travels across it, every detail of the play had been examined and recreated. It wasn’t always easy, but it was rewarding.

According to Ms. Barbara Medina, technical director of Devon Prep’s production, “The set brings the audience into the show. We strived to make our venue not look like a gym,” Medina said. “Especially with Phantom of the Opera, if there is no set, there is no show. Without the balcony boxes, there is no box 5, and box 5 is iconic in this play.”

The process begins with a lot of research on Medina’s part as well as her Student Technical Directors, Seniors Ryan Fulmer and Ben Senss.

“I sent Ben and Ryan to see the play to get ideas. I did sketches and we started building,” she explained. “I have a really good team, they work well together. They were all striving to complete one task. I’m very proud of what these guys accomplished.”

The Stage Crew doesn’t just build sets either, they also handle the sound, lighting and anything else necessary to make the experience as professional as possible. They put in long hours, setting up before the performance and preparing for the next one long after the audience and cast has gone home. But they seem to take it in stride.

“I don’t mind the long hours,” said Ryan Fulmer. “It’s worth it in the long run. I’m not interested in acting. I prefer to do this. I’m most proud of the chandelier because it looks awesome and it actually works.”

Ben agreed. “I acted my freshman year, but I didn’t like it as much as stage crew. I like building everything and seeing everything going off without a hitch. I’m most proud of my balcony boxes. That’s what took me the longest to do. They’re massive.”

In addition to the boxes and chandelier, Phantom also required a motorized boat to carry the two leads into the Phantom’s lair.  That’s where Junior Nate Sakers came in handy. Nate is an experienced welder who likes the creativity of working on Stage Crew.

“Basically the boat had to be motorized to move forward,” Sakers said. “It also had to hold two people. When I found out they were going to need a boat and some other things that would be laborious to make out of wood I volunteered to help and I ended up with my own project. It’s really fun – I really enjoy it. When I couldn’t weld (because of weather or space), I helped out with other things.”

Some of those things included painting backdrops, constructing gates the dropped from the ceiling as well as an entire pulley system back stage to make everything work. Many of those involved had never worked back stage before and had no idea how to use simple tools. It was Senss’ job to teach them.

“I had to teach kids how to do basic stuff, like how to use a drill,” Senss explained. “Some kids have no idea how to do simple tasks. Most of the freshmen didn’t know how to use tools. I was the one who taught them. I learned a lot of it from my dad.”

The show closed on Saturday after four sold out performances. Most likely the audience will remember the music, the acting and the strong voices of those on stage. However, as the actors moved through the different scenes of the production, from the opera house, to the dressing room, to the rooftop, and to the Phantom’s liar, it was impossible to ignore the work of the technical crew. Although they each have different pieces in putting the play together, both the actors and the stage crew were seeking the same result - audience appreciation.

“To hear everyone cheering at the end...,” said Senss. “to hear screaming when we dropped that chandelier… that made the entire experience for me.”

Devon Prep is a private, Catholic, college preparatory school for young men in grades six through 12, conducted by the Piarist fathers. Located on a 20 acre campus on North Valley Forge Road in Devon, Chester County, Devon Prep enrolls students from the five county Philadelphia area. For more information call 610-688-7337 or visit www.devonprep.com or www.facebook.com/devonprep.