BWW Exclusive Blog: CLYBOURNE PARK Behind the Scenes: Day Three

BroadwayWorld.com welcomes Clybourne Park to the Broadway neighborhood by offering readers an exclusive behind-the-scenes peek as the play gets ready for performances. Through this unprecedented access to the fascinating creative process of technical rehearsals, students from Fordham University will keep BroadwayWorld.com readers in the loop through daily updates and photography. Log on to follow along as this Pulitzer Prize-winning play moves into its new Broadway home and literally gets built from the ground up.

Broadway. Just the name conjures thoughts of glamour and bright lights. High quality entertainment is assumed to accompany a Broadway show. But in order to achieve this status, what do the actors, directors, stage managers, techies, and all the various staff of each and every show have to go through to make it what theatre fans everywhere dream of one day seeing? Allow me to give you a glimpse of such a process.

Let me tell you, the image you see on opening night is not the one that exists during tech. The entire space is filled to the brim with large boxes that once held lighting and sound equipment, props, and stations designated for every aspect of production: costumes, lights, sound, stage manager, etc. Everyone has their own place and their own equipment. The plastic that once covered the velvety chairs is thrown about, half in place, half not. The actors wait onstage for commands from the stage manager, delivered through loud speakers. There is constant dialogue amongst people at each “desk” (platforms placed amongst the audience seats, topped with laptops, monitors and small lights), and between people from all angles of production. They are always problem solving, constantly troubleshooting. The stage manager is calling for people, and actors need to wait until everyone on the production crew is ready. This means standing in a location until lights are focused (for every blocking change affects other aspects of the show, especially lights). The actors talk amongst themselves and try to keep up spirits through hijinks and jokes. Mind you, these people have been here since 11:00 am, others since 8:00 am. It is around 9:00 pm by the time I leave and they are not even close to done.

People are tired, but they don’t let that affect their work. They know what needs to be done. They are thorough and address all issues, going through scenes again and again until things are right, for issues are always arising and thus call for the reworking of certain aspects of the show. Which methods of exiting the stage are best for individual actors? How must the crew and cast take sight lines into account? Actors comment about missing props or prop issues and the lighting crew runs through lighting cues while scenes are being performed. Cues are being called, questions are being asked, experimentation is being suggested. Communication is key. That is the only way that each aspect of a show, though worked on separately, can come together to create a fantastic result. Therefore, everyone is on headset. Sunday best is not worn here. The majority of people are in everyday clothes, there are soft drinks and coffee everywhere, cords all over the floor.

The amount of effort, all the people needed to put on a show is astounding, and though all this is being done for something that is impermanent, it is being done for you, the audience member. Everyone has their place, their own responsibilities. Not everyone who sees a production considers all the people involved in it. Every sound cue, every light cue is being called. Each light had to be placed, focused, connected to a light board, each detail in transforming a quaint 50s home to one that is modern and has been abandoned for years (this transition, by the way, is astounding) had to be created, first in someone’s creative mind, then in 3D. After all these major things have been done, still the smallest things are being changed to make the show the best it can be.

So the next time you get to experience the wonderful opportunity to see a show, on Broadway or in a local theatre, do not forget all the time, effort, and care that was dedicated to making your experience positive. As anyone on the production staff can tell you, it was no small task!

Lindsey Norman, Fordham University Class of 2015, pursuing a B.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Design and Production.

Photo Credit: Ben Cohen/Givenik.com