Action/Creativity--Arabian Knights Backstage

Arabian Knights was probably my first extra-curricular activity. I was interested in acting and was taking drama at the time but I felt I would rather see how a play was run and how the actors went through their rehearsing before I actually attempted acting. I joined with my friend Jaakko and Alex. When we first walked through the doors to the auditorium, we had no idea what we were in for. Observing what the actors had to go through, I am extremely glad that I did not blindly audition for acting. Everyone there seemed to range from stressed to borderline insane. Everyone was running around, screaming at each other, muttering their lines in their corners, and being overall on edge. As backstage, I had a few major jobs.
The first, and most strenuous job was the triangle. The triangle was the biggest set piece on the stage. The triangle was a massive triangular prism that the actors used for multiple set pieces. It took at least 5 people to push onto stage. Backstage crew was not supposed to be seen by the audience, so the crew had to maneuver and prep the triangle before it went out to stage, which included positioning it so that the actors could drag it out and everything would be perfect. During one scene, we had to unlock a side of the triangle to let the actors use it on stage. That meant that a stage crew member would have to hide in the triangle, have the others wheel him onstage, and he had to position all the props, unlock the frond door, and escape out of a back door before the front door was opened.
The second and most fragile set piece was the bird. The bird was a set piece used for the tale of the Eagle, which was used in the tale of Sindbad the sailor. The eagle was a real hassle. Though it may have looked decent on stage from an audience member, it was terribly made and in danger of breaking any second, which it actually often did.

The bird was Styrofoam being held up by duck tape and balsa wood. Before the actors took it up on stage, backstage crew repaired all parts that were failing, and then lifted up each limb in preparation to hand it off to  the actors.
Backstage crew also had to deal with many more smaller tasks, from making props, to making sure actors receive them before they had to go on stage. Overall, my experience working backstage has really gave me insight on the acting community and how to run a play, as well as teaching me how to operate under stress. The final performances were incredibly rewarding and I now have deeper knowledge into plays.