The house lights dim as thunder rumbles and three witches appear, chanting their lines. This scene greets the audience on opening night—a polished retelling of a classic Shakespearean play, “Macbeth,” at Coastal Carolina University (CCU).
While the performance is captivating for many, the countless hours of hard work and dedication from the crew behind the scenes often remain unseen, underscoring the true effort required to bring the production to life.
When rehearsal begins, the once-quiet black box theater comes alive. Stage pieces are moved back and forth, lights are toggled on and off from the control room, screens on a pulley system are lowered and raised as notes and lines echo throughout the space. Amid the chaos of stage managers, assistants and actors rushing about, one common goal unites everyone: to prepare for opening night and deliver the best performance possible.
The cast and crew come in multiple times a week for long hours to achieve their goal. Rehearsals take place Monday through Thursday from 6 to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Those involved in production sometimes struggle to find an accommodating work-life balance. This is the case for Natalie Vimislik, sophomore costume assistant stage manager.
“With long rehearsals, it can be a struggle to find time for classwork and personal activities,” Vimislik said. “It’s difficult at times. There are lots of late nights staying up to finish homework and submit assignments. You just have to find a good balance. If you don’t have a good balance, you’ll go insane.”
Grace Gardner, senior stage manager, noted that in addition to the tight schedule, the constraints of the small theater can also be challenging. She said everyone must do their part to maintain an efficient workflow in such a tight space.
Movements by the crew in the grid and control room can be seen from the crowd, but only if members of the audience take their eyes off center stage.
“Working in the [Edward’s Black Box Theatre] is kind of beautiful and kind of terrifying,” Gardner said.
Multiple crew members said it is easy to lose track of time and space in the box. With no windows or clocks, they often become wrapped up in their work. Although the demanding schedule can be discouraging, Gardner emphasized the valuable lessons learned from working in production.
“I feel like I gain real-life skills that are important to me. I learned a lot about communication and organization, which makes me a better person,” she said. “The most difficult part is learning how to work with people who are different from you or hard to work with, but that still teaches me something.”
“Macbeth” hits the black box stage on Friday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m., with shows continuing through Oct. 13. The crew is enthusiastic about sharing Shakespeare with a new audience through their show, according to Gardner.
“I think the classical text is so important, and I really believe we’ll impress audiences with our interpretation,” she said.
