In theatre, acting gets all the glory, but shows would not be able to go on without the tireless work of those behind the scenes. Set and costume designers and constructors, lighting and sound technicians, makeup artists, directors, choreographers, stage crew, and musicians are the unsung heroes of every live performance.
The actors part begins with auditions.
The director's journey begins before the actors'. For this production of "The Crucible," the director has looked into the history of Salem, Puritan style clothing, and what mood they want to set.
This is the director’s copy of the script of “Medieval Mysteries” from 2002. It was the first production that Suzanne Ostersmith directed at Gonzaga. As you can see, the director marks important details in the script, hardly leaving a page clear.
This is concept art for two of the costumes in “Curse of the Starving Class” from 2008.
The picture shows both costumes at a rehearsal for "Curse of the Starving Class" in 2008.
This green skirt is the final result of the concept art.
Mrs. Robert J. Albi sewing costumes for “Kiss Me Kate,” in 1964.
The set of "Kiss Me Kate" in the midst of construction, 1964.
A carousel horse being built for "Carousel" in 1966.
This bundle of colored cards contains every color for every light cue used in this year’s production of “Weaving our Sisters’ Voices.”
This is a student getting into stage makeup for “Fantasticks” in 1977. Note the heavy nature of the makeup and the additional lines—the character is quite elderly.
Robert M. Cook conducts the pit orchestra from “The King and I” in 1965. Pit orchestra is generally how music is provided for musical theatre.
Finally, no production would be complete without an audience. This letter requests that Gonzaga faculty attend "Little Mary Sunshine" in 1972.