Tag Archives: Backstage

Chapter-a-Day

The Encourager

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The Encourager (CaD Acts 11) – Wayfarer

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul…
Acts 11:25 (NIV)

For over a decade, Wendy and I had the opportunity of leading our local Community Theatre. Over those years we took on a number of different roles both inside and outside of productions. One of the things I came to appreciate more than ever before was the individuals who showed up faithfully to do the behind-the-scenes tasks that had to be done. These individuals never got to be in the spotlight and were never on stage at the end to receive the audience’s ovation. Nevertheless, they were crucial to the success of the show.

In the book of Acts, a man named Barnabas repeatedly shows up in the story. He doesn’t get top billing. His actions primarily happen “backstage” in the larger story that Luke is reporting, but he’s a crucial piece of that story.

Barnabas’ name means “son of encouragement” and he is aptly named. After Saul’s conversion, the Apostles initially refuse to meet with him, afraid that it is some kind of ruse to arrest and imprison them. Barnabas is the man with enough faith to believe Saul’s story, meet with Saul in person, and to make the peace between the Apostles and their former enemy.

In today’s chapter, Saul is back in his hometown of Tarsus in Greece. Since his meeting with the Apostles, we’ve heard nothing from Dr. Luke about what Saul is doing. Saul was certainly not idle during this time, but he is certainly not on stage in the story. He’s backstage, working in the wings.

I was struck by the simple statement Luke makes in today’s chapter “Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul.” Barnabas was the one who had faith in Saul’s conversion. It is now Barnabas who has faith to believe that Saul has a larger role to play in this story. Barnabas is the man with the connections. Barnabas is the man the Apostles and those in leadership in Jerusalem trust. Barnabas is the guy who quietly does things backstage in ways people don’t see or appreciate, but who is crucial to the success of the production.

In the quiet this morning, I’m meditating on the power and importance of being an encourager. What a powerful thing, quietly and simply giving a word of encouragement to another person. We all need a Barnabas in our lives, and in the quiet I thought of those who have been that for me along my journey, and I said a prayer of blessing and gratitude for those individuals. But, I also need to pay that forward. All disciples are commanded to “encourage one another” and I confess that I’m not as mindful or disciplined in obeying that command as I should be.

Today, I endeavor to consciously give words of encouragement to others.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.

Tom's Photos

Mareah’s Mourning

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Mareah's Mourning LRI love photographing theatre. Sometimes it is because I want to capture and remember a moment that, when you’re dealing with live theatre, is gone in an instant. This photo from the 2006 production of The Dominie’s Wife has always been a favorite of mine. Not because I think it’s a particularly great photograph. It’s not. I loved this moment in the show, and I loved watching it from backstage. The photo always takes me back to that moment.

I took this photo from where I was waiting in the wings stage left. Wendy was playing Mareah Scholte, and in this scene she walks silently across stage with a lace mourning veil over her head as the death bell chimes. She is lit in blues as the audience sees her in an almost haunting silhouette. To the left in the photo you can see the shadows of the narrators downstage. It’s a wonderfully poignant moment and I loved how Wendy physically captured the movement of this 19th century woman walking behind her husband’s casket in mourning.

 

Theatre Journal, Tom's Photos

Pati’s Cue

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Costumer Pati Van Zante stands backstage waiting to hand props to the actors on stage.
Costumer Pati Van Zante stands backstage waiting to hand props to the actors on stage.

Theatre Journal, Tom's Photos

Grovel, Grovel

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The "grovel, grovel" scene from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" as seen from backstage. Union Street Players. Pella, IA
The “grovel, grovel” scene from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” as seen from backstage. Union Street Players. Pella, IA

Theatre Journal, Tom's Photos, Uncategorized

Places! (sprint)

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Places! (sprint)

What audience members never see is an actors quick change and literal sprint around the back of the auditorium to make it back on stage in time for their next entrance.

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Isaiah 45

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Stage Manger at work backstage. "Clearly, you are a God who works behind the scenes…." Isaiah 45:15a (MSG)

I have been involved in stage productions since my youth and have spent the last five years in leadership of our local community theater organization. In fact, just last night Wendy and I found ourselves helping with auditions for the summer production. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people involved who the audience never see on stage. The audience sees and enjoys the actors' performance but they never see the Writer, Producer, Director, Stage Manager, Costumer, Lighting Director, Audio Director, Marketing team, Make-up Artist, and Production Assistants.

A month ago, I was acting in a show. At the end of one scene I needed to make an exit and come right back in at the beginning of the following scene. My coat was on a coat hook at the opposite end of the stage and it was my responsibility to exit through that far door and grab my coat. I made my exit through the nearest door without thinking about my coat which was now abandoned stage. I was going to look really silly entering a few minutes later without my coat when the audience could see it was still hanging on the hook by the door.

I scrambled around backstage, cursing myself for my mental lapse. As I approached, the opposite end of the set, I found my coat hanging on a hook backstage. In the scene change, one of the backstage crew had noticed I'd left the coat. They immediately ran to grab it and put it back stage where I would find it. Crisis averted. Without a a crew backstage making sure everything was under control, I'd have looked really silly.

When I read "you are a God who works behind the scenes," I really appreciate what that means.

Yesterday I wrote about a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day I had the previous day. It would have been easy to say to myself, "God, why are you absent?" I could have looked at the evidence of what I saw and concluded that God had let me down. I know that's not true. God is at work. In the spotlight, on the stage of my everyday life, things appear to be going wrong, but backstage God is actively at work. I may not see it until after the scene is over, but the Great Stage Manager is behind the scenes administrating far more than I can comprehend. He is aware of more than I see, and actively engaged to make sure I don't blow my next entrance.

Relax. We've got the best possible Stage Manager at work behind the scenes of our life.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and Ervin Noordin