The more Hansens the better the backstage

Many people do not understand the skill and talent it takes to be part of the tech and crew for a musical. For Beck Hansen ‘21 and Suvi Hansen ‘26, it has become somewhat of a family tradition. 
Throughout their middle and high school careers, Beck and Suvi have participated in countless plays and musicals, the most recent one being Little Shop of Horrors,  in which Suvi was helping as a Soundboard Operator and Beck was the Stage Manager. 
Beck started participating in these theater productions when he was only in fifth grade. He acted in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Oklahoma, Aïda and a brief role in Seussical the Musical. 
Last year, due to COVID, the spring musical, Into the Woods, was performed outdoors. Although he had done some work in tech and crew in past years, this unique instance provided Beck with the opportunity to learn how to operate the soundboard. Beck utilized the guidance and assistance of his older brother, Davin Hansen ‘[graduation year] to learn some of the basic controls. Davin was the first in his family to learn how to run a stage crew. 
“It was very difficult at first, though after a little bit, it became easier,” Beck said. “The hardest part is monitoring all of the microphones and the music at the same time. It took me about 4 run-throughs of Into the Woods to get used to the soundboard.” 
Asherah Capellaro, the Director of Concert Choir and Chorale, expressed that stage managers have to know the show better than anyone else, other than the Director. They have a very crucial role backstage as they must know all of the scenes and their length, and they have to keep the next scene in the back of their mind. 
“Without a crew, the show would literally not go on. There would be no set, no props, no sound, no costumes, and no lighting. Even in a blackbox theatre with no set and minimal props, a show still needs at least a skeleton crew for costume and hair, lights, mics, etc.” Capellaro said, “It would be a little bit like playing a soccer game but with no cleats, no shin guards, a patchy grass field with mole hills, no goal markers, and no refs. Could you still play? Kind of. The bigger a show, and the bigger the theatre, the more crew needed to keep everything running.” 
Little Shop of Horrors was a particularly important production for Beck, as it was his last musical as a high school student. As a surprise, Amy Jackson, the Fine Arts Department Chair, presented the seniors involved in the musical with a gift at the end of closing night. Beck received a poster signed by the cast and crew as well as a little plant, as a reference to the plot of the play. 
Although he does not think tech will become a career for him in the future, Beck expressed he would be interested in continuing it as a hobby. The high standard of the musical demanded very intense preparation and support from the tech and crew behind the scenes. 
“Tech and sound do everything you don’t notice but see,” said Beck. “We help build the set, work the lights, organize props, help actors with costume changes, move set pieces and of course, run the sound. Without these things, a play or musical would be severely disorganized and wouldn’t yield the same results.”
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