April 16, 2024 1:14 PM
An empty stage lingers in the darkness yearning for action. The antsy crowd gossips about the show about to display. Dresses and suits are frantically dispersed across the dressing room floor.
Chaos circulates behind the curtain, as the clock strikes seven. The blinding lights puncture through the darkness and signal silence. One last breath escapes behind the curtain. At last, the stage is full and alive.
Grand Valley State University’s 2023-2024 theater season concludes with the production of The Rivals. Written by Richard Sheridan and Directed by professor Demetria Thomas, the production was in the Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre, Haas Center for Performing Arts on Grand Valley’s campus. The show premiered on April 5th, 6th, 11th, 12th, and 13th at 7:30 PM, and on April 7th and 14th at 2:00 PM. I had the privilege of seeing the show on April 12th to explore the behind-the-scenes of the production.
The Rivals is a comedic drama dated to the 18th century. Key roles within the production are Lydia Languish, Sir Anthony Absolute, Jack Absolute, Bob Acres, and Sir Lucian Oldham Trigger. The plot centers on the two young lovers, Lydia and Jack. This storyline deals with classism, sexism, wealth, power, and intimacy. Originally, the script for The Rivals was 100 pages long and dealt with provocative language, repeated sentences, and discriminatory scenes. Director Demetria Thomas made the executive decision to condense the script and add modern aspects to Grand Valley’s production.
The Performing Art Center or PAC is home to the music, dance, and theater departments. Walking into the building, talent and enthusiasm radiated throughout the halls. Students with a variety of art majors are displaced all over the building. I arrived in PAC two hours before the show to receive a tour from cast member Jared Hogan.
A senior at Grand Valley State University, Jared Hogan, plays the role of Sir Lucian Oldham Trigger. Jared is a film and video major with a theater minor. The production of The Rivals will be Jared’s sixth show for the 2023-2024 theater season. That said, Jared was the perfect candidate to start my behind-the-scenes tour.
The first stop of the tour was the green room. A green room is where cast members lounge between scenes and meet before the show. Conveniently, the green room is right across from the Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre for quick and easy access to the stage. A variety of snacks, couches, and tables dressed the room for comfort. As you enter the room a call sheet is hung on the wall for cast and crew members to sign in. Call time is the designated time of arrival for all cast and crew members of the production. Jared expressed how important call time is and that arriving diligently is expected. Interestingly enough, as my tour was occurring, cast members arrived before their call times and lounged in the green room.
Jared shares why cast members arrive early by stating, “It’s pretty much my home in a sense, I basically live out of the black box and PAC, and everyone else feels the same way.” Jared said, “I’ll be between classes and spend my free time at PAC and see the people I am used to seeing,”
The sense of community radiated off every individual walking through the door. Laughter and conversation instantaneously made the room alive.
Exploring the green room further, it holds all the dressing rooms where outfit changes are made and initial preparation for the show. Makeup, dresses, suits, wigs, and accessories scattered across the floors and vanities. Designated dressing rooms held different apparel. Dressing rooms are community spaces for cast members to prepare for the show. About five cast members are assigned to each dressing room.
Next stop on the tour was the stage. At this time, the stage was barren and awaiting the numerous feet to cross.
The set for The Rivals was pre-built and played an essential role in the show. Crew members are in charge of building the set, while the talent rehearses. This set was built with versatility to tell the
story; furthermore, the main building has two doors on the left and right. In the center is a wide opening with a curtain. This is purposeful to change the scene’s setting with the curtain’s distraction and crew members moving around props. Crew members are individuals who aren’t actors, but are vital for the show to run smoothly. At this point, Jared had to get into costume and rehearse, so I transitioned to Ellen Batty.
A junior at Grand Valley State University, Ellen Batty, is a crew member with the official title of stage manager. Ellen is an English major with a theater minor. When describing the role of stage managing, Ellen said she is the “communicating factor between the director, other crew 
Photo by Valerie Wojo
This role is essentially all behind the scenes and is crucial for a smooth show. The crew members are placed sporadically on the set; however, Ellen’s placement is above the stage where the lighting and sound switches are. Unfortunately, I was unable to gain access above the stage, as show time was nearing.
The last aspect of my tour was seeing the show. I was directed to sit in the middle of row three for the best viewing experience. The actors bombarded the stage, owning its presence. It was fascinating to see the performance with all the knowledge I obtained prior. Understanding the mechanics of how much time and effort from each individual made the viewing experience more intimate. At first glance, the actors and director receive most of the praise and attention, but the crew members behind the scenes play just an important role.
Grand Valley’s Theater program is more than an art department. The discipline allows students to express themselves, practice public speaking, creatively explore identity, and have fun. I asked Jared and Ellen what the Grand Valley theater department means to them and the answers were inspiring.
Ellen states, “It has given me so much. It means a lot. I have met a bunch of my friends through Grand Valley Theater. I’ve met my boyfriend. But also it has taught me that I don’t have to act to be involved in theater, which is something I didn’t realize until my freshman year.”
Jared expressed, “I don’t know what I would be doing if I wasn’t doing theater.”
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