Beyond the curtain: The behind-the-scenes world of stagehands in theatre

When it’s time for lights, camera and action, a lot of people get lost in the glitz and glamour of the actors on stage and screen.

But there is a lot more to it than meets the eye, especially for productions at the University of South Dakota.

A hardworking group of stagehands work on scenery, wardrobe, makeup and everything in between and who spend many days and sleepless nights creating the glamour seen by the audience.

The assistant stage manager of the upcoming USD Theatre production “Silent Laughter” Samanda Nunnery, was able to give some insight on the underrated, under-appreciated and vital role of the stagehands.

Samanda Nunnery, a first-year, had a lot to say about the position and place of stagehands in a production.

She described the role of the stagehand as the group of people who work directly under the stage managers doing all kinds of tasks. Some work on wardrobe, some deal with lighting, others do the makeup and others work on scenery and making the sets, with teamwork being the key to each job. Working together is essential to making a production successful.

While the audience may not always recognize the dedication of these individuals, Nunnery says there are parts to the job that makes it worth their while.

“It’s not so much the applause at the end, it’s the appreciation from the actors,” she said.

Nunnery explained there were other high points to the job in addition to the actors respect, such as seeing the final product, seeing the production come together and the relationships gained in making the production happen.

Nunnery said she “gained a sense of family at college” through her work as stagehand and managing, and even though the job demands long hours and causes lack of sleep, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

There are no special requirements to work as a stagehand. Nunnery explained the only requirements were “the ability to sweep and mop.”

She went on to say it’s important to be okay with cleaning, have good organizational skills and patience is crucial. A passion for theatre helps too — a stagehand needs to be willing to give 110 percent to avoid feeling they’re being taken advantage of. It’s the type of job you need to put effort into in order to reap the rewards.

The group of stagehands varies with each production. There is a practicum theatre class that requires students to work as stagehands, and “it’s also beneficial for the actors to understand the work that goes on behind the curtain and off the stage,” said Nunnery.

There are plenty of opportunities for stagehands to continue working in theatre. Nunnery, for example, will be interning at Black Hills Playhouse this summer, gaining knowledge and experience to help her in her ultimate goal of working at a professional theatre company and teaching others about stagehand work and sharing her experiences.

When watching “Silent Laughter,” or any production, stagehands work just as hard as the actors to put on a show. The set, costumes, the actors’ makeup and the lighting are all created by stagehands who have spent the past few weeks shaping a script into a complete production.