Daffy Interview: Nelson Saddler and Kyra Moura

Nelson Saddler and Kyra Moura, 2T2 PB

Q: Tell us about yourself, and what you have been up to since social distancing started.

N: I’ve been at my parents’ house. I wake up and try to work out or give up and succumb to playing video games (Call of Duty). I’m trying to work on a paper currently as well and pretending I can read. I’m planning to go back downtown next weekend to babysit and grocery shop for families. 

K: I’ve been living with my parents in Scarborough. I was supposed to be in Portugal this summer, but it got cancelled. Now, I’m working on a research project on COVID-19 and how it’s affecting healthcare workers in the ICU. I also take my dog on a 2-hour walk every day. My sister is also home from clerkship now, so it’s been fun living together again.

Q: Can you tell us more about what stage crew does? 

K: Stage crew’s role is everything you don’t see on the Daffy stage—there are a lot of parts, including helping with quick changes for actors, prop arrangements, and backdrops.

N: There’s a lot of coordination with regard to getting what the directors and actors want. Our job is ensuring that things are all completed to the director’s and producer’s standards. We make sure that everyone has their say but also are the voice of reason about things.

Q: How did the two of you get involved with this?

K: I have vocal cord polyps, so I can’t even sing a Taylor Swift tune. My roommate was one of the leads last year, and she made it sound amazing; stage crew was where one of my talents fit. Like Nelson, I did stage crew in first year, and then we both applied to be stage crew managers in second year.

N: I (surprisingly) have a bit of stage fright—singing or dancing on stage in front of a crowd (without liquid courage) isn’t my thing. When I saw the posting for stage crew, I had never done it before, but wanted to go behind-the-scenes and learn more about the show biz.

Q: What were the biggest challenges of managing stage crew?

N: One of the most challenging aspects was keeping everything realistic for the shows. There were different desires among the band, directors, and actors, and we had to make sure they were all achievable safely in the allotted time. We were there as the voice of reason when the ideas got a little too large. It was challenging, but everyone was very great to work with, and we all had such a fun time.

K: There weren’t that many challenges. Everyone in Daffy is so excited about it and very hands-on. The show ran so smoothly because we all knew our jobs and our vision. It also helped that we had both done stage crew last year. Managing expectations of the strength of a normal human was the only real challenge.

Q: What was your most favourite thing about doing stage crew?

N: Kyra’s favourite thing was wearing a headset and bossing me around, a thousand percent.

K: I was on a power trip. It was so much fun.

N: I would run over and go tell the band something that the directors asked, and then Kyra would run over again as if I didn’t exist. 

K: Ok let me explain! We took opposite sides of the stage and in between scenes each side had its own responsibility depending on what was on each side of the stage for set. When all the actors were on stage and it was all good to go, we would say, “Stage right clear” or  “Stage left clear” over the headsets. Once both sides were clear, the band would start playing and the lights would be turned on so it kind of turned into a competition of which side of the stage would be finished sooner. Nelson would always finish but not say that his side of the stage was done —and so stage right would be clear, and we would all be twiddling our thumbs, and the director would be ask, “Uh Nelson?” And I would have to be like, “Stage left is already clear, oh my God!”

N: Patience. Patience is a virtue. 

Q: Tell us more about how your experience being stage manager differed from being part of the stage crew last year. 

K: Just like last year, we ran it collaboratively and had a document opened on our laptops on either side of the stage with when and where everything had to go on, and what had to be done in between each scene. Eventually,  everyone in stage crew knew what to do and we just had to assign them to each prop. If anyone in stage crew had questions, they could always go and check the document. I think the bigger difference between stage managing this year was that 1) we had to be the ones making that document, so we attended many more rehearsals and meetings beforehand and talked to the directors to clarify everything from the script, and 2) on the performance nights, we were responsible not only for clearing the stage, but also making sure the directors are ready when the audience enters. The assistant director Andreea was also backstage, helping with these tasks, but a bit higher level.  

N: Yeah, it was interesting to see the leadership change. During the first show day and rehearsal, we were making sure that everything was being done, but as the days went on, people sort of knew what they were doing and we just had a more confirmatory, rather than instructive, role.

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between the two of you? What is the rest of the crew like?

K: Stage crew is one of the most fun jobs. I think we tried to lead it in a fun way, because it can be dull otherwise if you’re just sitting backstage in between scenes, watching the same scene twelve times over the span of a week. We really focused on positivity and energy and fun, especially for the second years, who had an halfway through show week. It’s hard to keep the morale up in the last couple of shows, so making it fun was a big focus for us. 

N: If you’re backstage during the show, you can definitely see people dancing or singing along, almost pretending we were the actors. That was kind of how we kept the morale up and the energy really high. Last year, Kyra and I were on the same side, and it would be like the fourth show and I was laughing at a joke that I hadn’t heard yet, and I remember Kyra asking, “We’ve seen this show like four times in a row—how have you not heard it yet?!” This year, that didn’t happen because I knew the lines better, but last year I was hearing stuff for the first time every time.

K: Yeah there were so many jokes that you had to see it a couple of times to really pick up on all of them.

Q: What are the physical and personality traits that make someone a good stage crew member?

N: Night vision, hands down. I think collaborative teamwork approach and high energy are big things for stage crew. Some people look at the job as mundane, because we’re sitting off to the side and picking up something to move it around every once in a while, but when you remove that barrier and start to integrate yourself into the show, you start having fun with it.

K: I think stage crew is like the anesthesiologist of Daffy. You don’t see us much, but if we fuck up, you will definitely know.

N: Yeah, the moment we say “Stage clear” and the lights come on, I hold my breath to look on stage to see if anything’s messed up. That’s the scariest moment of every single scene. 

Q: Have you ever noticed anything amiss on stage? And if so, can you maybe share one of those moments?

N: A hundred percent. 

K: Yeah, sometimes over the headset, I would hear Brendan or Julia asking, “…Stage crew?!” when something was off. 

N: One time, there was a scroll thrown off stage and we were supposed to grab it, and it was missed. Small things would be missed on stage, or a backdrop would be slightly turned. The audience probably won’t notice that, but we’re running on perfection, so we notice the smallest thing and groan about it for the entire scene. And that’s not even including prank night...

Q: What is prank night?

N: I’m so glad you asked! Friday is prank night, which is usually also clerks night (the night clerks come). Two main things usually happen that night, namely more cameos from last year’s cast and the stage crew pranks. We try to aim for harmless things that won’t be noticed by the audience and aren’t going to mess up the actors and actresses, but will be noticed by the actors and actresses. This year we had a theme of “eggplants,” so there were just eggplants randomly on stage. They were on a chair, or on a table hidden from the audience, or in the beer pong cups. Real, full-sized eggplants. 

Q: And can we ask why the theme was “eggplants” this year?

N: Well, we see ourselves as scholars and while brainstorming as a group, a stage crew member, Fanny Cheng, came up with the theme. We had a lot of ideas that were posed, and somehow, we got on the topic of raw vegetables. Eggplants were thrown out there as a nutritious vegetable that everyone enjoys, and seeing one might put a smile on someone’s face. I don’t know about how suggestive eggplants are. All I know is that it aligns with our humour. 

Q: Were there other ways that the theme of “eggplants” showed itself aside from physical eggplants on stage? For instance, was there anything in the script that was changed?

N: We have a script backstage that we follow along, but what’s cool about Daffy is that even though we have the script, the actors and actresses really take the script and make it their own. I don’t think one actor or actress said the same lines the entire play on any night. They all took it and freestyled it, which was really cool to see. We couldn’t mess them on that one, since they knew what was going on. Last year we put weights in a backpack, so when the actress (Lauren Beck) tried to take the backpack off stage it was too heavy to carry on her backs and she had to drag it off. 

K: I think it was traumatizing for her. I mean, we think all the pranks are hilarious, but it probably wasn’t actually that funny for the audience. 

Q: How can we make sure our behind-the-scenes workers are getting the recognition that they deserve? 

K: Daffy got stage crew on stage for the curtain call, which is a small, but validating, gesture—it just feels nice to be on par with the actors and actresses who everyone sees on stage. 

N: I completely agree with that. I think even outside of the show itself, when Daffy has their get-togethers, stage crew is always involved. Whether they’re potlucks or parties or notes written for each other throughout show week, stage crew is involved in these opportunities, which really adds to the family feel.

Q: Is there a message that you want to give to people who want to join stage crew? 

N: If you haven’t had any experience with the dramatic arts, don’t be dismayed from joining stage crew! I had no experience whatsoever before getting involved first year. Getting on stage was one of the most fun ways to introduce myself to the production of musicals. Seeing the performance from the behind the scenes also gives you way more of an appreciation of the hard work that goes into running a clean show.  From the coordinator position, seeing the assembly of sets and backdrops was  stressful, but also a really fun experience. 

K: I can’t really think of a specific message, but for anyone who’s thinking about joining, you absolutely should try it, especially if you’re not someone who thinks you have any artistic talent. It’s a nice way to still be involved in one of these incredible shows by doing something you’re good at, like organizing people, picking up furniture, etc.  I think there really is a role for everyone in the production, and this is one of the roles that you might not have considered in the first place.

Q: What is one art recommendation that you want to share with our readers? 

K: On the topic of shows, I saw “Come From Away” recently. My family really likes seeing musical theatre and shows in general, and “Come From Away” was by far one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. It’s also such a nice story because it’s a Canadian story, so I would really recommend anyone who has any interest in Canadian history or the event of 9/11 go see it.   

N: Going off the musical train here, I saw “Hamilton” during the week after Daffy finished.  Because I had just helped out with Daffy, while watching “Hamilton,” I was wondering about who was running the scene backstage to make sure everything was coordinated. At the same time I was enjoying the production, I was also really enjoying how the stage was set up. Stage crew gave me a better appreciation for that.