<![CDATA[The Raider]]> <![CDATA[The Raider]]> /Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_tv5ehy55dqeigq2owe201zr0_f4b0411f-39e8-40e0-9b62-f170dcfc859d_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Thu, 23 May 2013 04:48:29 GMT 15 <![CDATA[Aida: Behind the Scenes]]> By Holly McClintock

Staff
Students help create the world of Aida

The lights go up and the curtains are drawn back to reveal a stage full of actors. It looks effortless, but the fact is many ERHS students devoted countless hours of work to make sure this moment can happen. For every aspect of the theater: Directing, acting, choreographing, costume designing, set building, lighting, sound, and stage management, there is a committed team of students who devote their free time to make ensure the show goes without a hitch. The most important person to ERHS drama is the coordinator and sponsor Ms. Elliot. Megan Elliot, Drama teacher, has been at the school organizing plays for 5 years now. It is her job to sponsor, direct, organize and schedule the plays, and of course to “make sure we have enough money”, which turns out to be quite a task. Drama gets their entire budget from “ profits from previous drama productions and selling doughnuts.” This money goes into buying the rights to the shows, buying costumes, fabric, and materials to make the set. Aida, ERHS drama’s fall production went “over [budget]” but it will be made up for by upcoming shows. Ms. Elliot knows better than anyone that putting on a show takes “more than just actors.” Though Ms. Elliot directs all of the productions, she doesn’t organize them all alone. There is a committed team of students that help her direct, organize and produce the show. Andrea Anderson, senior was the Stage manager for Aida. The stage manager essentially does everything in their power to make sure that on show night, everyone and everything is in the right place at the right time, which is much harder than it sounds. She enjoys the job because she “loves organization” and “seeing the finished product.” “I am here for 12 hours a day,” she said jokingly, but it’s true that these people devote massive amounts of time. Anne Doyle, junior, was Assistant Stage Manager for Aida. Her job is to “make sure everything gets done” and everything, is “a lot of work.” She helped Andrea call cues on show night, kept the actors focused during rehearsals, and helped Ms. Elliot with everything she needed, among countless other tasks. These people ensure everything runs smoothly, but in order for that to happen, they also need a committed technical production team. An aspect of theater viewers often take for granted is the technical production. They make sure the actors are seen, heard, and safe on stage. Amanda Nell, senior, ran sound for Aida. “I control the sound board, floor mics and body mics”, which isn’t a hard job, but “a lot to remember” Amanda says. Natalia Noyes, junior, did the scenic design for Aida. It was her job to help design the set, and make sure it gets built. It is difficult working on a “tight budget” and they end up having to “reuse a lot,” she says. “Techies” like Julia Briggs junior and assistant tech director were constantly at work during rehearsals and tech days, and the day of her interview was no exception. “As tech director I…Hold on miss Elliot needs me” was all she could manage before rushing off to assist. Naomi Harris, junior, assistant props master helped make all of the props the actors needed for the show. “We are over budget, so we have to make a lot of our own stuff, like necklaces and swords.” It takes a great deal of effort manage and carry out the technical aspects of a show. It’s an actor’s job to make what they do look natural and effortless, even though it’s difficult. Freshman dancer Jasmin Bailey said putting on Aida was “intense.” Sophomore Victoria Roberts agreed and said, “They [people] probably have no idea how long we spend on it. Hieu Nguyen enjoys being an actor because “it’s a great way to express my individuality.” Actors spend hours learning choreography, blocking, and practicing lines, but they all agree it’s worth it. Aida proved to be another excellent ERHS production and the staff and students look forward to the spring. The hard-working ERHS drama department and Ms. Elliot will not disappoint. ]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:50:27 GMT