Ever wonder what the cast and crew of a show does before and between shows? (Besides blog, of course.) Every show has its own routine, but here atClay we can be found doing one of two things: playing SET, or playing PHASE 10 (two amazingly entertaining card games). The crew arrives an hour and a half before the show to get everything prepared for the show. We probably only need about 15 minutes each to our respective pre-show tasks (testing the curtains, checking the sound system, sweeping and moping the stage, ect.), so we have a fair amount of down time. Matt usually comes in an hour before the show to do a vocal warm up, which mostly consists of songs from the show or the pre-show mix. While he warms up we (the backstage crew (Ernie and Jeremy) and stage management (me and Dennis)) camp out at the bottom of the stage with one of the games. (Bill, the Sound Board Operator, usually plays with us but is busy during the warm up, running the sound.) Sometimes when we play SET, a visual card game based on matching sets of three, Matt, who is wondering around the stage warming up, will surprise us all by calling out "Set!" in the middle of whatever song he is rapping, and pointing out a set. So just in case you thought that we theater people simply goofed off at work, I'm here to set the record straight. Just dignified, serious work here at Clay.
Zoë Chapin is the Assistant Stage Manager for Clay.
