萨凡纳威尔逊
的地方!' 美高梅 Theater Student Dives into Orlando Fringe Role
Headlights pierce the black rehearsal space as the sound of tires squeal through the room in an ominous opening to Orlando Fringe Festival production, “乔西 & 格蕾丝.” Across the room at a tech table is 美高梅 student 萨凡纳威尔逊, illuminated only by the glow of her laptop as she runs the sound cues of the rehearsal as an assistant 舞台监督.
As Wilson has discovered in her first Orlando Fringe production, being an assistant 舞台监督 is tedious and requires a vigilant, detail-oriented skill set that runs 演出全程不间断. Pursuing an Associate in Science in Entertainment Design Technology with a specialization in Production Design, Wilson once considered stage 走出自己的舒适区. Instead, she started on stage as a dancer and performer 在她将注意力转移到设计之前.
“I was encouraged to join tech theater [in high school],” Wilson recalls. “我立即 fell in love [with] set design, costumes, lighting, sound, props. 我发现他们 be outlets for my creativity and I loved making inanimate things tell stories. 我 performed in a few shows here or there, but I prefer to build the world that the characters 住在.”
Wilson has always known her career would fall somewhere within the artistic and theatrical world, first being drawn to the arts as a child in her hometown of Katy, Texas. 移动 from dance and ballet, to acting and technical work, she expanded her horizons to get a taste of every aspect of working in a theater. 然而，抛开角色不谈， Wilson knew entertainment was where her heart was.
So when the COVID-19 pandemic forced theaters to shutter their doors last year, including 美高梅’s own live performances, Wilson longed to work in the theater in person again – in whatever capacity she could. After running Valencia’s virtual production of “She Dreams of Heroes” as a 舞台监督, she knew there was something in the position that called to her, and she longed to try her hand at stage managing in-person.
“I definitely missed doing theater in person. 虚拟很好，我们必须真正 creative and innovative to pull it off and communicate, but getting back to what I know and what I love has been so nice,” Wilson says. “我总是被 [stage managing], but…I don’t see myself jumping off this train any time soon.”
Wilson reached out to Rebekah Lane, director of the School of Arts and Entertainment and Wilson’s director during “She Dreams of Heroes,” for help. 这对搭档一起工作 to find Wilson an opportunity to tackle the challenge of stage managing a live show. 美高梅 professor Aradhana Tiwari answered the call, and shortly after, Wilson had landed her first assistant 舞台监督 role at Orlando Fringe for Tiwari’s “乔西 & 格蕾丝.”
Wilson works alongside Tiwari during a rehearsal for “乔西 & 格蕾丝.”
Throughout the run, Wilson focused on supporting the 舞台监督, Melyssa Marshall, with her long list of tasks and overseeing all backstage activities, including handling quick-changes for actors, tracking props, and operating practical lights while Marshall called the cues from the 舞台监督 booth. 这可不是什么光荣的职位 意味着. There are no spotlights on the stage management team, the applause is nonexistent, and they often blend into the background (purposefully) in their show blacks (the all-black clothing they wear while working). 但是没有后台的帮助和 calls from the booth, the show would struggle to run smoothly and efficiently.
“Savannah is the magic that helps make all of this happen,” says Tiwari, the director.
Directed by Tiwari and written by Michael Marinaccio and Tod Kimbro, “乔西 & 恩典” is a mostly historical cabaret dream play about the legendary friendship between Josephine 贝克和格蕾丝·凯利. The storyline follows their meteoric rise to fame all the way through Kelly’s tragic car accident and death in 1982.
During its run at Orlando Fringe’s 30th anniversary of the festival this past May, “乔西 & 恩典” was declared a winner of one of only 18 Orlando Fringe Festival Critics’ Choice awards – not a bad way for Wilson to close out her first production as an assistant 舞台监督.
“I think my education at Valencia and experience with other shows has definitely prepared me for this, but I’m also learning so much daily about Orlando theater and Orlando “边缘，”威尔逊说. “每个人都很专业，很有教养. 这真是太棒了 experience and I’m thrilled for this opportunity.”
For more information about Orlando Fringe Festival, visit: http://orlandofringe.org/
At 美高梅, we work every day to create a level playing field for college students of all backgrounds, fashioning a college where every student can succeed. And our students continue to amaze and surprise us. 阅读更多他们的故事.