BACT Blogger Genevieve Interviews Stage Manager Christina Larson

Genevieve returns with a fun interview with Christina Larson, Bay Area Children Theatre's resident stage manager! This time, the young blogger learns what it takes to stage manage a show like Knuffle Bunny, which is currently running at the Front Row Theater in San Ramon. Genevieve is ten years old and in fourth grade at Kensington Hilltop Elementary. She attended her first live theater performance at three years old. Genevieve also enjoys acting, particularly in musicals, playing the piano, writing, reading, traveling, and playing sports with her friends. She lives in Kensington with her parents and two younger siblings.
If you are age 9 and up and want to write a blog about your experience with BACT, email nina@bactheatre.org.

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My Interview of Christina Larson

By Genevieve, Age 10

 

              Recently I went to the newest Bay Area Children Theatre production…Knuffle Bunny! First of all, I was very surprised that Knuffle Bunny was pronounced Kuh-Nuffle. My family and I have always thought that it was pronounced Nuffle!

              The play was funny and exciting. I loved the silly dad, toddler Trixie, the un-trusting mom, and the fun ensemble. Trixie did an awesome job acting like a baby, and the dad did a great impression being frustrated and determined. I loved it when he went in the washing machine and fought all the types of clothing. Trixie’s babble was hilarious, and her little song was heartbreaking. The mom was funny and superior. The actors were all wonderful!

One thing that I noticed right away was the awesome scenery, with the painted black-and-white book-like background, the opening washing machines, and of course the lighting that helped the mood. Everyone did really silly dances and moved around the stage in a fun way. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for Christina Larson, the stage manager and the most recent person I interviewed.

Christina is from the Bay Area. Some of her family members live there, too. She goes to every practice to help people know where to move around on stage. She is in charge of lighting, helping the actors and crew get along, and…well, everything. Christina is a very big part of putting on a production. She works with everyone. The designers, the directors, the actors, and anyone else involved in the play. Christina also works as a receptionist at another theatre, but she really enjoys stage managing.

There are several challenges of being a stage manager. As I mentioned before, she has to manage the people and make sure all technical things like lighting and sound effects are running smoothly. She has to make sure that the set designer is doing what the director pictured. Those are some hard challenges to face.

But what else does she do? Christina is the person backstage behind the counter with all the buttons and screens. She’s the one who presses the ‘go’ button for the next exciting thing. She helps with sound effects. A stage manager is a HUGE part of putting the production together. That much is obvious.

The gigantic Knuffle Bunny dances with Trixie!

Something that I always wonder is…where do they get those awesome props? Well, that was interesting to ask. Christina tells me that they hire a prop designer and work together with her to make sure everything is perfect. A prop that I was curious about is the gigantic Knuffle Bunny. Instead of having it be a costume, they made the huge stuffed animal be a bit like a puppet, with a person behind it, holding it. I asked Christina why they would do that, and she said the director wanted it like that. It would be quicker, because if it had been a costume, the person inside it would have very little time to change. It was easier to make, also.

I thank everyone who was a part of making the play possible, from the actors to the crew. Especially Christina, who spent time with me to do this interview, which turned out to be so cool and interesting. The play was so awesome. I loved it, and, once again, THANK YOU!!!