Julietta's Blog: Interview with the Pippi Longstocking Stage Manager

Here's a few words from our Jr. Blogger, Julietta, about her experience watching Pippi Longstocking and an interview with Stage Manager Kat Pruyn!

I loved the Pippi Longstocking play! It is about a girl named Pippi who lives by herself in a house she calls 'Ville Villekula'. She is very strong and smart, but you wouldn't expect it! Her dad is a pirate that got lost in the sea, and her mother is in heaven. I really liked the part where Pippi hears about school, but doesn't want to go, until she hears about summer vacation! 

Pippi is very, very, silly, funny, crazy and everything in between!

I read the book Pippi Longstocking when I was little, and from what I remember, the play was exactly like the book! The actors really brought the book to life, and one of the great things was Pippi's monkey and horse. The horse was a hobby-horse that can move it's head, and the monkey was a puppet. Pippi came on stage riding her horse and then showed off her monkey.

So, if there aren't actors playing the animals, who does the sound effects for them? After the show, I got to interview the stage manager, Kat Pruyn who does exactly that.

As a stage manager, Kat does a lot of things, like make sure everyone shows up on time, and during the show, she controls the music changes and sound effects on the computer. 
She says it can be challenging being a stage manager, but it is really fun.
She loved the show because she is a big fan of the book. She read the book in elementary school and again before the play. 
It is her first time being a stage manager, but she has been an assistant stage manager three times for James and the Giant Peach, 3 Little Birds, and Fancy Nancy. 

It took her five runs to get things right for this show, she likes to keep notes to help her remember. 
Some shows are harder than others, but is still fun. 
She has been an actor when she was little, but now she designs costumes and stage manages.

During the show it was very fun to watch her stage manage, as my seat was above where I could watch her and the show. She was very focused, and only looked away from the computer to wait for actor's signals and to look at her notes.

It was great getting to meet her and I can't wait to see my next play so I can watch the stage manager more to see them in other plays!

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!!!

BACT Spotlight On - Stage Manager

Stage Managers are rarely seen in the spotlight. So, we thought we would give our resident Stage Manager the opportunity to share with you exactly what her job is all about! Meet Christina Larson, the extraordinary woman who keeps our shows running like clockwork. She took a moment out of her busy schedule to respond to our interview questions.
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BACT: Can you tell us a little bit about what you do as a stage manager for BACT?

Christina: Much of my job is being the connector for all of the different people involved in a production.  During the rehearsal process I am in charge of setting up the room every day, and keeping track of any changes that happen during the rehearsal regarding any of the different departments that help make up the production: props, costumes, set, lights, sound.  It is my job to make sure that all of the different departments and designers are on the same page throughout the rehearsal process, so that the show can come together in a cohesive way.  I also write down blocking, and make sure all of the props are set in the right places for the actors to use them.  I help make sure that all of the creative minds in the room during rehearsal are able to do their work, and not worry about anything else!

Once a show opens, it is my job to "run" and "call" the show.  Since a director's job is done once a show is open, it is my responsibility to make sure that the production runs just the same way that the director wanted it to when they left.  I will set up the stage, props and costumes (and usually if I'm lucky I'll get help doing that), make sure the actors are ready and warmed up for the show, and then I am charge of making sure that all of the light and sound cues happen.  Pressing the buttons (or telling someone else to) for the lights and sound is "calling" a show, and that is one of the biggest parts of my job once a show is open.  And if anything goes wrong, or anything breaks during the run of the show, it is my job to make sure that it is fixed (this is true at any point in the process, but especially once we open).  All in all, I'm trying to make sure the actors are doing their best work and feeling great, so the audience has a fantastic time watching them.

BACT: What’s your favorite part of the process? (rehearsals, tech, calling the show, etc)

Christina: I'm not sure that I could pick a favorite part of the process.  I do really love seeing all of the different pieces of the show come together during tech week.  "Tech" is when every aspect of the show is finally put together in one place.  Before tech, actors may not have been working with all of their costume pieces, or final props, but during tech, we get up onto the stage with the final set pieces, lights, and sounds and get to see how it all fits together.  As you might imagine, there are often some pieces of the puzzle that don't quite fit, and one of the most interesting parts of my job is getting to figure out how to fix the problems that we find during tech.  It is a very exciting (and understandably stressful!) time for the show.

BACT: You are one of the two recipients of the Eric Landisman Fellowship, can you tell us a little bit about the award and what you will be doing for BACT?

Christina: The Eric Landisman Fellowship is for local technical theater professionals who have a contract with a local company for a series of projects, to supplement their work for the company.  I will be BACT's Resident Stage Manager for their current season - which means I will stage manage all shows starting with Tales of Olympus - and received the Fellowship because of this contract.  I am honored to be working so much with BACT, and this award means that I will be able to focus more on my work here.  It is really a wonderful opportunity that I am so excited and honored to receive.

BACT: And we're so excited to have you working with us! What draws you to children's theatre?

Christina: I am drawn to children's theatre because it is so rewarding.  Children's theatre often draws a special kind of actor, which makes for particularly energetic and fun processes in the rehearsal hall. It is also wonderful to see kids watching theatre for the first time, and it is even better to see them inspired as they walk out of a show.  Getting to see how children's theatre affects entire families is one of my favorite things.  It is a different experience than watching with an audience consisting entirely of adults.  When all of those adults are accompanied by a child, their perspective changes, and seeing that change and the joy that it can bring is one-of-a-kind.

BACT: Are there any challenges that are unique to these types of shows?

Christina: Children's theatre, apart from its audiences is very much like any other piece of theatre.  It has challenges that any other production might have regarding moving set pieces, or quick changes - but these awesome puzzles are ones that all shows have, which is why I like it.

BACT: What are some of your favorite memories at BACT?

Christina: Some of my favorite memories at BACT are from the San Ramon run of Pinkalicious. There were days during our run when we would do three shows in one day.  These would be long days, and especially tiring for the actors.  What I ended up loving were the moments when we would all gather together to find the energy for the next show.  We would yell funny words at each other or jump around to get the blood pumping.  Those times when we all thought we were too tired to do much, but then came together to put on a great show were some of my favorites.

BACT: What are you looking forward to in the coming 2012-2013 season?

Christina: I am really looking forward to all of the shows, but in particular the new ones -Tales of Olympus, and Ivy and Bean - since I have had the luxury of seeing them from (close to) the very start of their processes, when they were workshopped this summer.  I think that these new works are wonderful, and I can't wait for our audiences to see them.

BACT: Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions Christina! We are so grateful to have you in our BACT family, and we look forward to what this upcoming season will bring for us!