Written by Reese Gorney
The University of Northwestern’s Theatre department recently finished its run of The Prince of Egypt, which has become the best-selling show in UNW history. Based on the Oscar-winning film, this musical recounts the Biblical story of Moses and his role in freeing God’s chosen people, the Israelites, from slavery in Egypt. For many, the spectacle is something to remember—and Ava Hunter, a junior Theater major and English minor at UNW, will never forget her experience with the show. She held the exciting—and very demanding—role of Stage Manager, and she is excited to share a bit about what participating in The Prince of Egypt meant to her and the Theater community.
Q: As stage manager, you’ve been involved in every aspect of the show, from costuming to props to blocking. With a show as large and detailed as The Prince of Egypt, that’s a big responsibility! Can you tell us a bit about your duties, as well as how you approach the process?
A: Truly, my duties are to make the show run as safely and as smoothly as possible. That means from the start of the process (and Stage Managers technically start a week before auditions have even happen) I run auditions and keep track of all the paperwork, contact info, communication between designers, and communication between actors and the team. I also have a small team directly under me, the Assistant Stage Managers, who run the backstage when we get into performances. During performances, I “call” the show, meaning every light change, projection, special effect, or fly-in is being queued and okayed by me. I do A LOT of different things throughout the entire process, but that’s the simplest way to explain it!
Q: A large part of The Prince of Egypt revolves around the historical cultures of the Old Testament, from the Hebrews to the Egyptians to the Midianites. What was the research and development process like for aspects such as set and costume design?
A: We actually had a Biblical Consultant throughout our whole process! One of our lovely professors here, Dr. Rask, was with us the entire way, answering any questions that designers or actors had. On top of that, we had a Dramaturg, Sophia Danielson, who helped with any other questions that didn’t pertain specifically to Biblical content. As always, we tried to stick to our Biblical truths as much as possible while still upholding the original musical’s storyline. Some plot points aren’t completely Biblically accurate, which is why Sophia came up with a study guide for families to take home after the show!
Q: While UNW Theatre makes a point of honoring Christ through all artistic expression, how does portraying a specifically Biblical story impact the way you approach the performance?
A: It honestly brings a seriousness and worship to every aspect of the performance. It’s so easy to get caught up in the lights, makeup, and grandeur of the entire theatre process, but with this show it was impossible to erase the companionship and message from God. Every step of our production felt like a spiritual journey, and we had actors praying almost every night after rehearsals. I don’t exactly know how to put it into words, but after watching the performances every night, I know that God had an active hand throughout it all. And I am eternally in awe of His work.
Q: What is one behind-the-scenes fact people might not know about UNW theatre?
A: The amount of time our team puts in! On average, an actor spends three hours EVERY NIGHT in rehearsal. That’s not counting all the hours they spend outside of rehearsal practicing choreography, lines, music, and blocking! Saturdays are even longer, with 6 hours every weekend spent in the space. During Tech week, it can be up to 5-6 hours every night. This is a massive time commitment, especially for full–time students!
Q: I have to ask, what is your favorite song from the musical and why?
A: This is so hard. I grew up watching the movie, so most of these songs are a part of my childhood. Because of that, I’ll give you two answers: my favorite song from the movie is “The Plagues,” and my favorite song from the musical is “Make it Right.” Both are insane to watch!
Q: What is one reason why everyone who reads this interview should go to see a show at UNW?
A: At the heart of it, theater represents exactly what UNW is. It’s students coming together and showing that light of God, that light of worship, to the world around them. Why wouldn’t you want to see, experience, and support that? Also, it’s entertaining!
Upcoming events include a Black Box production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and the much-anticipated Christmas at Northwestern. Seats sell out quickly, so head over to unwtickets.com as soon as you get the chance! You can learn more about future shows (and find more behind-the-scenes peeks!) at @unwtheatre on Instagram.
