Both productions of West Side Story that I was involved with performed in a community hall, with no raked seating, no fly tower, and only minimal lighting, so everything had to be hired in. The set consisted of scaffolding platforms to give two levels on stage, and a couple of trucks that set the scenes: a graffitti wall for the prologue, a door and mannequins for the dress shop, Maria's bedroom set on a high platform to one side of the stage, reached by a ladder from the wings. A very stark and basic setting with an eye to safety in its construction, and as much space as possible available for dancing. The lighting designer had a real task to perform, and for the first production our follow spot operators were housed on a high scaffold platform at the back of the auditorium. By the time of our second production there had been provision made for them in a room on the second level with a hole in the wall to allow follow spots a reasonable field of operation. A great advance.
Costumes were hired in for the most part, although there was a vast collection of costumes in the company wardrobe, it was a new venture to be using “modern dress” although not modern enough for us to be able to wear our own clothes. My dress as Graziella should have fitted me perfectly, however the lady for whom it had originally been made was a buxom size 10, I was anything but buxom, and had to take huge tucks in the bosom of the dress to make it stay in place. As I was dancing the exhibition dance in Dance at the Gym I could not keep hitching up the shoulder straps or fidgeting with my underwear. Luckily I had a sympathetic wardrobe mistress, who helped me to make it fit, and added a line of sequins to the side split in the skirt to draw the emphasis to my legs.
With the second production I was luckier , and was given a fantastic 50's design halter-neck dress with a tiered skirt in a bright yellow, that I would love to have taken home and kept, because it fitted beautifully without any adjustments and made me feel like dancing as soon as I put it on. Just like a child with a new party dress!
For me, the whole event from first rehearsals to final performance is a joy. Building on the learning of lines and dance steps at the beginning through to the fun of first run-throughs where very little goes as you expect it to, and on to being fitted for costumes, hearing the band for the first time at band call, and then to tech rehearsal, and dress rehearsal. Even when things go wrong, that is what brings the cast together as a team, and the addition of the technical expertise raises the game to another level. Until by first night the sense of working together brings something special to a performance, and invites your audience to join in and enjoy a special event.
By last night, no-one wants it to end.
At that point, last performance, was when our company gave “show presents” to our partner, other members of the team, and “Thank you” gifts to all those who helped to get us on stage. Those of us who had time made little presents, my most memorable being a tiny handkerchief embroidered with “Graziella – West Side Story – 1976” packed into a gift box, which I still have tucked away in a Treasures Box. Others bought sweets or little trinkets, just token souvenirs for our colleagues, and clubbed together to present larger gifts to our director, choreographer and MD. From this is where my own business grew.
And then of course, the de-rig. That had to be done before the exodus to the after show party, or at least, most of it had to come down and be packed ready to be dispatched back to the suppliers. No-one would want to be getting up early Sunday morning to be taking down lights or sorting costumes, so it would be all hands on deck to clear away as much as possible, before the hall caretaker insisted it was time to lock up. Sunday morning was still for clearing, but the more we could get down the better.
Many of you will recognise this series of events, for it is much the same with any show, as is the anti climax afterwards, and the need to get together again in the following week, whether to pass on audience congratulations, see the show photos, or start on the next project..
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