Cedar Summerstock Theatre
Since Seussical was the first show of the season, I was
challenged to figure out the strengths of each person of the
crew. As the production stage manager (PSM), I have to assign tasks to each crew member to help get everything ready for the show, and get everything torn down afterwards since this show was performed in an outdoor venue. This was a challenge because of the different skill levels and abilities. I was one of three members who could lift over 15 lbs, so I had to be willing to step up and help those who needed a little more. I had to be patient while members learned new skills and became more confident in their abilities. One of my leadership strengths is individualization, which became important over the summer. I had to see what each person’s best qualities were. This allowed me to push the crew to improve and excel in ways that they didn’t think about.
Cedar Summerstock Theatre is a small summer stock theater located in Osage, Iowa. During the summer of 2021, I was hired as a technician. I held various positions throughout the season, which was made up of four musicals. I was the production stage manager for the production of Seussical, the assistant lighting designer for the production of Godspell, sound designer and mix engineer for the production of The Addams Family, and the mix engineer for Regarding Broadway; A Vaudeville.
I was chosen to be the assistant lighting designer (ALD) for Godspell because the lighting designer needed someone with experience in this discipline. She also works at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and was in tech week for The Music Man at the same week. As ALD, part of my task was to sit in rehearsals and communicate with the designer what was going on. She also gave me a rough idea of where the lights should go, and I had to take the initiative as to how to run the cables to make the ideas happen. It was important that I find ways that I could be independent and complete the tasks necessary so
that the design was ready by opening night. My futuristic strengths and adaptability came into play. I received an evaluation from Sue Berger who was the technical coordinator for the summer. She gave me high remarks as well as some feedback on how to continue my skills. She said to keep asking questions and looking for ways to solve them on my own. As I am given leadership opportunities, I will make sure I find ways that my skills can improve with each experience.
This experience gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities as a theatre technician. I learned to work more independently, which will help me in my future career. My goal one day is to become a freelance lighting designer. This skill will help me feel confident as I work with new clients constantly and need to convince others of my abilities and talents. Here at MNSU, I do have to remind myself to take a step back. Over the summer, there were not enough technicians, and this problem does not exist here. I have to remind myself not to step on other people’s toes and get in the way of them doing their job. There are also differences between a professional setting and educational setting. I now hope to develop some of these skills that I learned in the professional setting while I am still in school because this is a place where I am supposed to make mistakes. This is how I will learn and be more prepared in the future as a leader.
