Arts & Entertainment
 

Backstage shoe fits Andrea just 'Wright'

Theater major drops glory of spotlight for thankless responsibility of stage managing

By Portia-Elaine Gant
The Daily Cougar

From the plush vermilion seats of the Wortham Theatre, the spotlights only illuminate the actors. Since her first production in the fourth grade, Andrea J. Wright wanted to spend the rest of her life bathed in that spotlight. However, beyond the glamorous and deceptive lights of any production is the stage manager, people Sir Peter Hall, director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, describes as "calm and meticulous professionals who know their craft, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds." Eight years after her first theatrical performance, Wright traded in her name-in-lights fantasy and signed up for the job.

"I did acting in high school, and I came to a point in my senior year where I knew that I didn't love it enough to want to be an actress on stage. I think acting takes a lot of hard work, and it was work that I wasn't willing to do. The research that's involved in creating characters, it just didn't interest me, but the organization of a production did."

Even though she's not interested in being an actress, the theater still enchants the senior theater major.

"I think (acting) is a cool job to have, to be involved in the theatre and occasionally meet famous people," Wright said. "Starting out, it was that I wanted to be famous and go on Broadway and be in movies. Toward the end of high school, I changed my mind about all of that. I don't want to be famous; I'm okay with just meeting famous people."

After that realization, Wright stage managed one show and decided to continue studying her craft in college.

"My first year here I took a stage management course. I knew at the time that was what I wanted to be, but because of that course, I got to know more people in the department," Wright said. "(Different directors) offered me stage manager or assistant stage manager positions within productions, so that's how I've been able to work at various shows."

Not only has Wright served as stage manager and assistant stage manager for shows such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, but she has also worked at the Children's Theatre Festival.

"My first summer here I was hired to work at the Children's Theatre Festival," said Wright, who incidentally is wearing a shirt from one of her summer trysts. "I was the assistant stage manager once and the stage manager twice."

In addition, Wright has worked for Stages Repertory Theatre for more than four years, but the Children's Theatre Festival is what captured her heart.

"Over the years, what I've discovered is that what I like the most is children's theater. If I stay in theatre for the rest of my life, I would prefer to do children's theater. I think it's more rewarding to see the reactions of the kids after the shows," Wright said. "It's just great to see how excited these kids are after watching a show that's ridiculous and silly, but they think it's the best thing in the world."

While she plans to devote all of her time to creating the magic of theater for children, Wright is currently working as the stage manager for I Hate Hamlet, which opens at the Wortham Theatre on Friday. 

"It's been billed as a comedy, and students especially tend to gravitate towards productions that are billed as comedies rather than tragedies. It's silly and light-hearted with an audience it's going to be a very fun show," Wright said. "There's not necessarily a lesson learned from it, unless you're an actor. For a regular audience member, it's just like watching a sitcom."

Though she conquered the task of working with a cast of 19 actors in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the technical side is more difficult in this production.

"I Hate Hamlet is a lot more technically involved. We have a lot of very specific light cues and sound cues that begin or end a scene, so getting the timing of those just right has been very difficult and that has made our technical rehearsal days difficult and stressful," Wright said.

Though large casts and technical cues have been troublesome for Wright, keeping everyone on schedule is a problem for every show she does.

"Designers get involved in what they're doing, directors get involved in what they're doing and everyone loses track of time," Wright said. "It's most difficult getting everyone on the right track and making sure a production runs smoothly."

With a cast and various crews, that can prove to be a more than strenuous job, but Wright's passion for theater and organization, are the things she relies on to keep her motivated.

"Sometimes, I get to points in between shows where I become really tired with theater, and I think that I don't want to do it anymore," Wright said. "But the minute I start working on a show, I remember why I love it so much. There's never a time during a show here I think I should just quit and never come back. It always ends up being a good experience, even when bad stuff happens."

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