In theatre, performers often earn the spotlight and praise of hundreds of audience members; such will be the case on November 15 and 17 when Ridge’s Drama Club presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Nonetheless, of equal importance to the actors is the Stage Crew, who sets the stage for Ridge’s Shakespearean magic. 

On average, performers take on one or two roles. However, crew members tackle many. They paint, build, sew, and, most importantly, adapt to the various needs of a production over their three month period of preparation. They create and facilitate every aspect of the set. A crew member describes the production as  “a massive arts and crafts project”. Their dedication to setting the scene is incredibly precise, all the way down to the leaves they sew. This standard of intricacy continuously challenges members creatively. The extent of their intense practice requires expertise and even groomed the Stage Crew’s former president for art school. The backdrop of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is drenched in the hard work of the Stage Crew. 

Despite their minimal on-stage recognition, they participate equally in Drama Club Car Washes and other fundraisers on top of their already grueling schedule. Participants are hard at work for two hours a day, four days a week. As the performance draws, nearer members can work for up to nine hours in a single day. Furthermore, they contribute their own money to pay for programs. Schedules are erratic, but members are fully committed, attending meetings on weekends and days off, always faithful to the contract they sign at the beginning of the year. 

Ridge’s Stage Crew works diligently and tirelessly for the school’s two productions each year, as they now bring Shakespeare’s Greek comedy back to life. The sheer volume of their effort and devotion to this long term project sets the scene better than any narrator, demonstrating the spirit of Ridge High School and its students. The Stage Crew’s relentless and painstaking dedication is not to be missed. Experience A Midsummer Night’s Dream on November 15 and 17.