Week Twelve: Jack and the Beanstalk Preparations

Preparation for the Pantomime

 

Being a part of the Level 2 BTEC Performing Arts (Acting) Diploma, one key part of our work in the College Theatre is to work back stage in the yearly Christmas Pantomime.  Whilst the Level 3 students would be working on stage and giving a perfromance to the audience, the Level 2's are to work back stage and assist in making the show a well paid for performance.  Near the beginning of the year we were introduced to the Level 3 students and sat with them through the read through of act one, then sooner we were given our job titles for the pantomime.  To begin with my job title was assistant stage manager, and in that job I was to be in charge of prop management.  However the jobs were given out to the twelve members of our tutor, so when two members of the tutor group left there was to be some rearranging in the job titles.  As one member of the group, who left for personal reasons, had the role of stage manager, therefore switching a few members of the group to another position.  Stage manager was given to another member of the group.  Whereas I was given the role of DSM (Deputy Stage Manager).  Now my role in the pantomime was to have a copy of the script and another sheet of paper in which I would use to prompt cast and crew members.  This is called a prompt script, in which I would have by my side backstage so I have to ensure every member of the cast and crew would be on time for their queues on the performance night.  For example, I would have a head set which I would use to tell the props manager that a certain prop is needed on stage at a certain time, for a particular character.  So for the main performance me and the stage manager and the pyrotechnic manager would be backstage to ensure all queue times go according to plan on the actual performance night.

     As for the rest of this week, our job as Level 2's was to assist in any way we could to set the stage for the performance.  This was helpful as it allowed us to get to know the Level 3 students a little more, and prepared us with our jobs as we took notes on what we needed to do individually, and I made my prompt script.

     As the week drew to a close we had the stage set up and our equipment at the ready for next week.  Next week would be our technical rehearsal as the Level 3 students would rehearse their lines, and us Level 2 students would work on our roles backstage, to ensure that the 'Jack and the Beanstalk' pantomime would be an entertaining performance.