FAITH AND SELIA

Selia Bizzarro and Faith Howe's Story: It is impossible to separate these two since they have worked so closely with each for the past four years. They both came in as techs on Dearly Departed. Selia was promoted to stage manager and Faith followed shortly there after. For those you who don't know what a stage manager does, well, they run the show. I don't do anything once 7:00 hits. One of them is calling all the cues from the booth and the other two are managing the set and actors during the show and executing the cues. But before we get to even that stage, they have the fun and near impossible job of figuring out how the set pieces roll on and off, who moves them, and where they get stored while not in use. Morgen has challenged Faith and Selia for the past two years with enormous sets. My favorite moments over the past two years has been watching Faith during stagecraft or a Saturday tech and seeing her just stare at the set trying to figure out how the set is going to fit and figure out what pieces need to go to the hallway or watching Selia put her pen to her lips as she tries to figure out who can move what set piece. They both understand that the set needs to move like a ballet. It has to flow and be almost unnoticeable. Robin Hood's struggle was moving the trees on and off, Little Mermaid it was the waves but the most complex set change they had to figure out took weeks. In Phantom we have a scene change that went from Christine's dressing room, through the Opera House, down the Catacombs, and into Phantom's lair all while two actors were singing and walking on them. Ultimately it took 37 people to make that transition happen and it was beautiful. Selia and Faith are my two best stage managers ever. Their level of dedication is immeasurable. And you know that they love their job where they start making the auditorium their home. At lunch, Selia can be found in the back of the auditorium and Faith will eat lunch and read in the main house of the auditorium. I have loved arguing with and challenging these two. They have been such an important part of our shows success that it will hurt greatly to lose them. This year for Chicago Selia was promoted to student director and she also earned the role of Mama Morten. Those two still work together but now Faith gets to run the show. Enjoy a collection of scene changes designed by Faith and Selia. We, of course, open up with the scene change from Phantom: