Kat Mabry
Story:
The foundation, walls, staircases, light and sound design is coming to life in the theatre arts building at Pierce College on schedule for the cast of Neil Simon’s Rumors to join the two story stage, opening night.
Mike Gend, full time theatre department faculty member, designed the stage and created floor plans that his students have used to construct the vision for Rumors since the first week of Fall semester.
Gend’s stage managing class meets Tuesday and Thursday afternoons where his students are given the opportunity to sign up for different jobs for each production for credit.
“It’s always fun to create a home on stage,” said Gend, assistant professor.
Without the stage, there would be no platform for the actors to make the audience laugh while performing this 1988 comedy. The opening night will be on the main stage at Pierce October 22.
“The 342 students work very hard,” said John Jones, Rumors technician. The students this semester are always eager to help as much as they can, unlike other semester where students would finish a job and hope not to be noticed.
The stage is a box set that takes place in New York in a victorian style home which has the modern sensibility of the 1980s, according to Gend. There is a humerus kind of contrast that was suggested by Neil Simon in the script when he first wrote it.
“The half art deco, half Victorian, and third half trendy [stage] is bouncing off Neil Simon’s idea,” Gend said.
Unique to persimmon style theaters, the main stage at Pierce includes a unique wrap around audience which can be challenging in providing a consistent view of the scenery design to every seat.
The acoustics of the stage are more designed for a concert hall thus the arc of the audience needs to be taken into consideration.
“This [show] is actually more relaxing because we get to create one very, very fun place to spend an hour and a half with an audience,” Gend said.
The sound design is led by Ed Salas, Pierce theatre arts department technician, who brings 20 years of experience to the team.
“I create environments, as you’re looking on the stage maybe you’re hearing a blanket of crickets and birds in the morning, and so that will go on through the whole scene,” Salas says
The technical rehearsals will begin in one week when the lighting cues and sound cues will be assigned.
Alexandria (Allie) Burns, 18, a freshman new to Pierce, is the assistant manager for Rumors. Burns comes from Gend’s Tuesday/Thursday stage managing classes and has previous experience in theatre.
Burns’ is no stranger to being in front of an audience though her role currently “is behind the scenes.”
Burns’ brings with her eight years of acting, 15 years of modeling, including contributing to the gerber baby campaign before she was one-year-old.
“At this point I like them both [onstage and back stage] equally,” Burns said.
Two months (roughly 100 hours) worth of work have gone into the classic two-story stage to date. The students in Gend’s class will continue working up until their deadline, opening night.
“In the end when you see the whole play come together, it’s worth it,” Burns said.
http://info.piercecollege.edu/theater/
Web Update:
The stage for Rumors is coming to life as the cast and crew prepare for their deadline, opening night.
With the help of student enrolled in the stage managing class, 342, under Michael Gend’s direction, have been constructing the stage since the start of Fall semester.
“It’s always fun to create a home on stage,” said Gend, assistant professor.
Without the stage, there would be no platform for the actors to make the audience laugh while performing this 1988 comedy. The opening night will be on the main stage at Pierce October 22.