On The Town

So today I sat down before the last show in the run of "On The Town," and remembered that I was supposed to write an article about the show from the perspective of the Stage Manager. To me, this seems like an odd perspective. I could write about taking the notes, dealing with actors, dealing with Charles, etc. But what fun would that be (except the dealing with Charles part)? So as I sat in the empty theatre I jotted down some notes about what working on this show meant to me, and why this show was probably one of the best shows I worked on here at Muhlenberg.

Here is a little background on myself. My name is Moose and I am a senior here at Muhlenberg. Due to some great people, and a couple weird twists of fate, I have found my calling as a Stage Manager. I have been working on the management side of theatre since my freshman year. I have seen everything from great shows to the average shows. This show, however, was the biggest one I have worked on and it was a challenge. Every aspect of the show was challenging, from the massive quantity of costumes, to working with forty-five actors, and the ever-challenging task of dealing with Charles. The thing that made this show one of the best shows I've worked on, however, was not the success of the end product, but rather the community we built throughout our process. It was that sense of community that we all strive for in theatre, and being part of a collaborative process we are able to achieve.

There was a sense of community from the very first day we were all together. It was present in the final days before the show opened, when some of us were putting the finishing touches on some of the scenery at 3:30 in the morning with Bob Grobman, Tim Averill, and Bud Ruger (all people who did not have to put in this time, but cared enough to make sure this work was finished so they stayed and helped). We were even a collaborative community during the hellish tech schedule, and through Presidential Inauguration weekend. I was impressed by the compassion for the work that everyone had, even through the sixteen and seventeen hour days.

These elements all showed through when we went out and put our comedic and nostalgic piece of New York City in 1946 on the stage. Our success was not accomplished through acting exercises or games, but as a result of the relationships between everyone working on the project. It was a beautiful thing to watch and be a part of every night. The sense of community and the tight bond was visible in every line, dance, and note of music; from the crew to the principles, everyone was onboard and willing and ready to do what was necessary to make this puzzle come together and work.

So, I guess I would like to say thank you to all who were a part of this, and say how proud I am to have been a part of this amazing group of people who came together and made a piece of beautiful art. We were able to show this to the MTA community and to theatergoers across the campus and throughout Allentown. So thank you everyone.

Moose