The Importance of Connections and Community
Blog By: Joseph Leitner
When I heard the all clear to open the doors for theatre guests, I felt my heart rate elevate. As a DPAC Performing Arts Ambassador, I had the opportunity to shadow Brian Hunt, the DPAC Production Manager, on opening night for The Sound of Music. Mr. Hunt has the exhilarating job of putting the final touches on a show before the curtain opens.
Since The Sound of Music is a touring show and my shadow was opening night, we were literally racing against the clock to get the final pieces in place before the show began. The tech team was hard at work making sure all of the set, props, lighting, and costumes were in place and ready to run a successful show. Seeing everyone working hard as a team showed the true community and excitement of the world of theatre.
Shadowing Brian emphasized the power of connections in the fine arts community. Throughout the evening, we met some key people who work behind the scenes. We first met Neil at security and learned how the cast and crew sign in for the show. I learned that security is also in charge of overseeing the stage door after the show and keeping the cast and crew safe.
Towards the end of the shadow, we spoke with the Production Assistant, about some of her day-to-day tasks. She has the unique job of assisting production with whatever they need, and sometimes these tasks include dinner runs and candy shopping for the team (shout out to Josh - the red and green foil Hershey kisses are the BEST!) Over the past few months, DPAC has been renovating parts of its backstage area in order to elevate the environment, and she is also in charge of decorating the backstage dining room with posters from some of the shows that have previously toured DPAC.
Our last stop before my shadow ended was to meet Josh Anderson, the Senior Director of Facilities Management & Production. Mr. Anderson gave some insight into the process of how GalaPro, the open caption program DPAC offers, is set up. I think it’s awesome that through the use of this technology, the deaf community is able to be a part of the DPAC experience.
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to grab your tickets for The Sound of Music! With its amazing set, unforgettable songs, and timeless message of courage, love, and integrity, this show is one you do not want to miss!
