{"id":83433,"date":"2020-03-09T11:07:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T15:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=83433"},"modified":"2022-09-29T11:35:12","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T15:35:12","slug":"behind-the-curtain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2020\/03\/09\/behind-the-curtain\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the curtain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Growing up,<\/span> Peter Pan was Lauren Kampman\u2019s favorite story. She relished watching the live action version of the iconic tale.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to be on an adventure like that one day. And now I get to. It\u2019s such a blessing,\u201d said Kampman, a senior acting major who portrays Molly in the theatre department\u2019s<\/a> production of “Peter and the Starcatcher.”<\/p>\n

Based on the novel “Peter and the Starcatchers” by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, and adapted for the stage by Tony Award\u2013winning playwright Rick Elice, the play provides the backstory for Peter Pan. But Kampman\u2019s character, Molly, is also right at the heart of the story.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really the story of Molly, this 13-year-old girl who saves the world by getting starstuff into the hands of good people like her father, Lord Aster, and out of the bad hands of people like Slank, one of the evil captains, and Black Stache, the pirate, who are also trying to get this treasure,\u201d explained Bruce Cromer \u201982, Wright State alumnus, professor of acting and movement, and director of “Peter and the Starcatcher.”<\/p>\n

For 10 performances in late September and early October 2019, a cast and crew of Wright State students and faculty took audiences on an ocean journey aboard two ships to a faraway island where a young girl becomes the heroine and a young orphan boy finds his name and a place to forever call home.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The cast of “Peter and the Starcatcher” lift Will Graber (Peter) above the stage in the humorous and heartwarming tale of a young orphan boy who becomes the legendary Peter Pan. (Video by Kris Sproles \/ photos by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n

A love letter to theatre<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

August 27, 2019. It\u2019s the second day of Fall Semester classes and the second night of rehearsal for “Peter.” All 12 cast members and their understudies are gathered in the stage combat studio in the Creative Arts Center. The set designer, properties master, sound designer, and costume designers are also on hand to show the cast the world of make-believe they will recreate on stage.<\/p>\n

Prototypes of costumes drape a series of mannequins in the front of the room. The actors try out props that will be used in the production. Dialect coach Deborah Thomas helps the cast perfect their British accents for the play\u2019s Victorian England time frame. And Cromer discusses his vision for the show.<\/p>\n

Cromer describes “Peter” as a love letter to theatre, where the show is all about the story. He encourages the cast to ponder the play\u2019s recurring themes of identity, home, and family, and to discover the elements that speak to them.<\/p>\n

As the cast rehearses over the next four weeks, there is still much more work to be done before opening night: painting and finishing touches on the set, costume fittings, adjustments to the lights in the Festival Playhouse. The list goes on and on.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

“Peter and the Starcatcher” director Bruce Cromer \u201982 chats with the cast and understudies on their second night of rehearsal.<\/p><\/div>\n

A whole new world<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

On the second floor of the Fine Arts Building, Terry Webb, a senior theatre design and technology major, uses a glue gun to attach a stem to the top of a pineapple, a key prop in “Peter.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best thing about the props in ‘Peter’ is that everything is organic. Everything is original,\u201d said Webb. \u201cYou get to have foliage, fruits, vegetables. We have a lot of tires, hubcaps, and fans mixed in with jungle materials. It has that balance of man-made materials and nature itself.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Webb begins walking through the prop shop, he is surrounded by aisle after aisle of shelves that house props from the ceiling to the floor. It looks like grandma\u2019s attic on steroids or a hoarder\u2019s dream come true. It\u2019s also a treasure trove of Wright State theatre history over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a maze around here,\u201d said Webb as he points out vases, lamps, empty champagne bottles, chandeliers, typewriters, and a slew of countless other props that have graced the stage.<\/p>\n

Webb picks up the captain\u2019s wheel for the ship in “Peter,” which is sanded and spackled to prevent splinters. He also begins rolling along the floor one of two trunks used in the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what the audience is going to see,\u201d said Webb. \u201cWhen the curtains open, you\u2019ll know where you are. You\u2019re on the captain\u2019s ship. You\u2019re in Neverland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Terry Webb, properties master, points out a handful of the thousands of props that have graced the Wright State stage over the years.<\/p><\/div>\n

Downstairs in the Fine Arts Building, scenic artist Carleigh Siebert works with a handful of other students painting and doing the final assembly of the set.<\/p>\n

Giant scaffolding wagon pieces that have two sides form the basis of the set.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey rotate so they have a completely different look for the second half of the show,\u201d said Siebert, a junior theatre design and technology major.<\/p>\n

Nearby sketches show how the stage will transform throughout the performance, transporting the audience from the deck of a ship in Act 1 to the jungle environment of Mollusk Island in Act 2.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s cool to see it go from the original drawings and designs to seeing it on stage,\u201d said Siebert.<\/p>\n

Found objects, collected by set designer Pam Knauert Lavarnway, will then be incorporated into the set.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of found objects and decorative elements,\u201d said Siebert. \u201cIt\u2019s not just a plain wall that\u2019s painted\u2014it has different decorations and more dynamic elements to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Michelle Sampson, visiting assistant professor of costume design, discusses how fans will be incorporated into the tails of the mermaid costumes in the play\u2019s second act.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the basement of the Creative Arts Center, the sound of sewing machines resonates throughout the costume shop. Bolts of thread form a kaleidoscope of color on one wall, while costume sketches cover a nearby bulletin board. Another wall is lined with racks of costumes for “Peter” and other upcoming performances.<\/p>\n

In the center of the room, junior theatre design and technology major Victoria Gifford works on a prototype for the mermaid costumes at the beginning of Act 2. Cornucopias decorate the bodice, and a variety of whimsical found objects adorn fish nets that serve as the costume\u2019s skirt.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s meant for a lot of laughs and to be very colorful,\u201d explained Gifford, who co-designed the costumes with Michelle Sampson, visiting assistant professor of costume design.<\/p>\n

Before she even began to design the costumes for “Peter,” Gifford read the script three times; researched the time period for aesthetics, textures, and patterns; and looked at historical photographs.<\/p>\n

To make sure no detail is overlooked, Gifford creates a spreadsheet with a scene-by-scene breakdown of what each character is wearing.<\/p>\n

Gifford\u2019s work is by no means finished when opening night comes around. She has to keep up with laundry, pressing, and ongoing maintenance of the costumes throughout the run of the production.<\/p>\n

While the audience won\u2019t know the work that takes place behind the scenes, she hopes they will notice how each costume matches the character and speaks to who they are.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Co-costume designer Victoria Gifford works on a prototype for the mermaid costumes.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThrough the costumes, you can determine someone\u2019s class, what they like, what they don\u2019t like, what some of their belief systems are,\u201d said Gifford, who aspires to work on Broadway someday. \u201cI like being able to express the smallest amounts of their story through something that they happen to wear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Without lighting, the intricate details that everyone has worked so hard to create in the costumes, sets, and props would be completely lost on the audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lighting designer tells you where to look,\u201d said senior theatre design and technology major Autumn Light. \u201cFrom start to finish, we collaborate with the director and the scenic designer. We figure out what kind of concept we want moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

As lighting designer for “Peter,” Light strives to create an atmosphere that is dreamy and childlike. \u201cKeeping that magical vibe is important throughout this process,\u201d Light explained.<\/p>\n

To set the perfect mood in the Festival Playhouse, Light works closely with her crew. \u201cEveryone will have a hand on this production,\u201d said Light.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a team effort Light hopes the audience will make note of. \u201cI hope they take away not only the great storytelling by the actors on stage, but all of the magical atmospherics,\u201d she said. \u201cIf they walk out the doors and they\u2019re talking about the show, that\u2019s all that we can ask for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lauren Kampman gives an unforgettable performance as the play\u2019s heroine, Molly.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cTo have faith is to have wings\u201d <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Before every performance, the cast of “Peter” comes out to mingle with the audience, inviting them to play make-believe for the next 130 minutes. The adventure begins, taking the audience on a journey that includes battles of good versus evil, on-stage antics that elicit peals of laughter, and poignant moments that tug at the heartstrings.<\/p>\n

With six shows remaining, some of the members of the cast, who are enrolled in Cromer\u2019s Acting Professionally class, discuss their experiences with the production. For the actors, who are all in their senior year at Wright State, “Peter” demands a level of physicality unlike anything they have experienced before.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s interesting how you have to be on it every single second, move from scene to scene, and do transitions with the set while also telling a story,\u201d said Kenneth Erard, who plays the dual roles of Slank and Hawking Clam. \u201cAs exhausting as it can be sometimes, it\u2019s also super rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n

The physical demands of the production are part of what attracted Will Graber to the lead role of Peter.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Lighting designer Autumn Light, left, and her crew make adjustments to the lighting rigs that will hang above the Festival Playhouse stage.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe show never really stops, other than intermission. I like that, because I\u2019m a very physical performer. I like jumping around. I like moving,\u201d said Graber, who came to Wright State to study with Cromer, well known for his work in stage combat. \u201cOnce we get started, I\u2019m never out of it. I\u2019m always active in some way, and that forces me to be involved, which I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Graber revels in the physicality of his part, Kampman says she feels empowered by her strong female character.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe is what I needed when I was 13,\u201d said Kampman. \u201cI didn\u2019t know that, as a girl, I had the opportunity to stand up to people and stand up for me. That\u2019s been really important to me\u2014to show girls that they can be strong too. That\u2019s what I gravitated to so much with Molly.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the highlights for the cast was acting alongside Josh McCabe, who plays Black Stache. Many have studied with McCabe, an assistant professor of acting. While they might have been a little intimidated to perform with their teacher, McCabe put them at ease.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has been so generous at being a peer,\u201d said Erard. \u201cHe just feels like another actor on stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Scenic artists Carleigh Siebert, left, and Toni Hummel review designs for the set.<\/p><\/div>\n

The amount of teamwork that goes into a production like “Peter” has not gone unnoticed by the cast. From the sets and costumes, to the music and sound effects, the actors acknowledge that each element is an integral part of the show.<\/p>\n

Sophie Kirk, who plays Alf, and Kaitlyn Campbell, who takes on the dual roles of Mrs. Bumbrake and the Teacher, have especially high praise for music director Matt Ebright.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe show was originally written for all men plus a female Molly,\u201d Campbell explained. \u201cSince we have four girls in the cast, the orchestrations and the vocal scores of the music all have to be changed to fit the voices of women.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMatt Ebright did an amazing job as the music director,\u201d said Kirk. \u201cHe cared so much about us looking and sounding good\u2014he put so much detailed work in.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the senior members of the cast approach graduation and look back on their Wright State experience, they express gratitude for the lessons they have learned and the teachers who have guided and mentored them along the way.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou start freshman year terrified with doing stuff in front of people, because you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing,\u201d said Louis Kurtzman, who plays Lord Aster. \u201cAs seniors, you don\u2019t have that fear going into auditions. That might change when you get into the real world and maybe there is some big producer name, but I guarantee you are way more prepared for that than you were freshman year.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Kampman reflects on her transformation at Wright State, she is reminded of one of the most powerful lines from “Peter”: \u201cTo have faith is to have wings.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what this department has given me,\u201d she explained. \u201cThey push you beyond limits that you didn\u2019t know you had or that you didn\u2019t necessarily want to go past.\u201d<\/p>\n

The students are also emboldened by the success of alumni who have gone before them. \u201cSeeing our alumni that are working right now is really encouraging,\u201d said Erard. \u201cThere is a huge network of people to talk to, share, and create with, and rely upon if needed. That\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Cromer, who has taught at Wright State for 30 years and plans to retire in 2022, “Peter” <\/i>could be one of the last productions he directs for his alma mater.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Kaitlyn Campbell, a senior acting major, plays the lively character of the Teacher in Wright State\u2019s production of “Peter and the Starcatcher.”<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWright State has an excellent Theatre, Dance, and Motion Pictures Department<\/a>,\u201d said Cromer. \u201cWe get really good people. They\u2019re inventive, creative, kind, inclusive. They\u2019re a big reason why I believe in this program. I\u2019m just proud of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Cromer, Kampman says she will one day look back and remember “Peter” as one of her fondest memories. For the young woman, who dreamed as a little girl of going on great adventures like Peter Pan, the experience was everything she could have hoped for and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has meant the world to me. Every night, I\u2019m so grateful that I get to tell that story,\u201d said Kampman. \u201cThese stories are hope, and that\u2019s what we need. No matter what the world is going through, somebody is always going to need that story.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information on the Department of <\/span>Theatre, Dance, and Motion Pictures, visit wright.edu\/tdmp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article was originally published in the spring 2020 issue of the Wright State Magazine. Find more stories at wright.edu\/alumnimag<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For 10 performances, a cast and crew of students and faculty took audiences on a journey aboard two ships to a faraway island where a young girl becomes the heroine and a young orphan boy finds his name and a place to forever call home.
\n Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":83449,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,733,4309,729,2037,4859,725,727,747,4827,715,720],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-alumni","category-alumni-association","category-around-campus","category-arts-scene","category-fine-and-performing-arts","category-home-news-sidebar","category-homepage-photos-and-video","category-liberal-arts","category-magazine","category-news","category-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=83433"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83667,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83433\/revisions\/83667"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/83449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=83433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=83433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=83433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}