As the lights dim and the curtain lifts on Carroll Senior High School’s production of Young Frankenstein next week, audience members will be enthralled as Dr. Frankenstein labors to bring his monster to life.
With the help of theater magic, he’ll accomplish this in just a few hours. That “magic” is courtesy of the 34 students (and a few parent volunteers) that have spent months bringing this monstrous production to life.
CSHS technicians go through an interview process for their positions and are held accountable for delivering on their roles. When it’s showtime, you won’t find Directors Roald Martinsen and Jamie Pringle backstage; once the lights go down the show belongs to the students.
“We knew that Young Frankenstein was going to be a serious undertaking,” states senior Ciara Smith, Technical Director. “We spent the summer interpreting the script, sketching costume designs, and brainstorming set ideas to bring this production to life.” In her leadership role as Technical Director, Smith manages the team that combines all of these elements to deliver a visually stimulating show. Initially interested in a career in fashion design, Smith was encouraged by a teacher to consider the challenging and creative world of costume design. “When I started, costume design was my goal.” noted Smith, “becoming a Technical Director has provided me with the opportunity to broaden my leadership and technical skillset.” Smith was the Betty Lynn Buckley Award winner in the category of Excellence in Costume Design for her work in CSHS’s production of Tarzan.
The special effects in the Transylvania lab are impressive, lots of bells and whistles and a few hidden surprises. Audiences will want to take a moment to soak it all in, but be quick as the Young Frankenstein production includes 19 scenes set in 13 locations - an incredible challenge for any production team.
As Co-Production Stage Manager, Junior Richard Rodenberg is prepared for this daunting challenge. Although he started on stage in middle school, it was the backstage challenges that captured his interest. “They needed someone to move things backstage and run the show backstage. So I volunteered, and I never left,” says Rodenberg. Having successfully filled many backstage roles over eight productions, as a Production Stage Manager for Young Frankenstein he’s responsible for all technical affects, technical execution, safety and management of the stage. Trust and leadership top the list of things he has learned. “I try to keep calm and level-headed. If you happen to be in a place of leadership, there’s no room for panic.”
The technical side of theater offers students a myriad of experiences, including architectural engineering, construction, design, lighting, sound, make-up, and special effects. Young Frankenstein audiences will be treated to some of the best North Texas has to offer.
Co-Student Director Maddie Louviere shared, “learning to make things with my bare hands, directing others to create a beautiful scene, or designing something amazing to show to the world is just fascinating to me.” She notes that she’s learned strong leadership and organizational skills as a Student Director but it’s the experience that keeps her coming back. “I’m fascinated with the psychological process of acting, combine that with the aspects and we create experiences that that make a powerful impact. We want to give our audiences something that they can take away, something that will inspire them.”
Presented by Engel & Völker/Roxanne Taylor
The Carroll Theater Department production ofYoung Frankenstein
October 29 – November 1st
- Thursday, October 29 – 7:30 pm
- Friday, October 30 – 7:30 pm
- Saturday, October 31 - 2 pm & 7:30 pm
- Sunday, November 1 - 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Carroll Senior High School (1501 W. Southlake Blvd. Southlake, TX). Tickets are available at DragonDrama.net
Young Frankenstein Technical Crew
Student Co-Directors
- Madeleine Louviere
- Wyatt Hall
Student Technical Director
Stage Managers
- Grace Magar
- Richard Rodenberg
Assistant Stage Manager
Light Design
Light Board Operator
- Tayler MacMillan (CHIEF)
- Andres Orozco (Assistant)
Set Designers
- Braden Anderson
- Cliona Smith
Projection
Sound Designer
- Nicole Butscher
- Spencer Lankford (Assistant)
Sound Board Operator
Props
Fly Rail
Running Crew
- Cliona Smith (CHIEF)
- Mona Olarte (CHIEF)
- Adrienne Brown
- Tylor Farhat
- Ace Kuhn
- Matt Lock
- Trey Obregon
- Ryan Mulvihill
- Charles Papp
- Julian Mondress
Costume Crew
- Alexandra Bramley (CHIEF)
- Zoya Naqvi
Hair/Makeup Crew
- Makayla Carpenter
- Emma Eaton
- Laura LaBarge
- Margaret Winther
Usher/Candygram
Miranda Campin, Caitlyn DeNicola, Kara Doyle, Nathan Harkins, Taylor Houtman, Lauren Henriksen, Victoria McDowell, Amber Meagher, Obinna Megwa, Jessa Pitcher, Nico Ross, Allison Schoenstein, Julia Sheedy, Eesha Singh, Bailey Waldie