Working Behind The Scenes

Bellingham High School is putting on “Lend Me A Tenor”, and students are putting in several hours each week now to prepare for the show.

But the students who will be performing on the stage aren’t the only ones working away.

                Freshman Emma Hartwell, 15, said she puts in five to eight hours a week doing stage crew work.

                She wanted to get involved with theatre when she went to Whatcom Middle School, but it wasn’t an option available yet.

                At a club fair Bellingham High School had in September she learned about doing stage crew work and the drama club.

                Since then she has started to help with behind-the-scene work after school with about 6-15 other students, depending on everyone’s schedule, Hartwell said. “Anything in demand I help them out with.”

                “It’s fun and I’ve reconnected with friends from middle school and made acquaintances with people. Everyone’s super nice,” Hartwell said.

                Work involves moving furniture, building canvases, and painting.

“We have to paint a lot and people don’t like it, but I like painting a lot,” Hartwell said.

For now Hartwell said she is gaining more knowledge about drama and theater production, and hopes to be a part of productions on stage in the future.

A lot of stage work is student led, Hartwell said, but is supervised by Teri Grimes, the drama club advisor who is the director of the production.

The show runs Nov.14 to 16 at 7 p.m. and on Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8.