If you happened to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream last week, you saw all the amazing action on stage. But what you didn’t see was all the magic that happens backstage. This week’s Campus Celebrity is none other than our very own Olivia Hancock, and she’s giving us a behind the scenes look at the play. Along with being HC WVWC’s Entertainment Blogger, Olivia also stage managed Midsummer!
Olivia is a junior technical theatre and gender studies major here at Wesleyan and has been working in theatre ever since she was a freshman in high school!
“It’s always felt like home,” she says. “It’s the biggest passion I have, and without it I’m not me.”
Needless to say, stage managing is not an easy task. It was Olivia’s job to make sure everyone was in the right place at the right time and to keep the cast and crew updated on rehearsals and meetings. However, with the right people, everything seemed to fall into place.
“I had the absolute best team behind me,” Olivia says. “I had an amazing cast, director and technical director, and everyone was just absolutely wonderful to work with. I think the most rewarding thing was seeing how proud everyone was of their work and this show.”
However, there are some things that may go wrong on stage that the audience may be unaware of. That’s where the crew comes in.
“Usually if a light or sound cue is off or if an actor is late for their entrance no one except the run crew notices,” Olivia says.
The theatre department grows more and more every day and becomes stronger through the dedication of individuals like Olivia. With great professors and students, the department is only headed up! If you think you might want to try your hand at theater, don’t hesitate to audition or get involved!