Unsung Heroes - Brandon, Stage Manager
Brandon Chaloux, Stage Manager
What does being a Stage Manager entail?
Being a Stage Manager is an important and difficult role to hold in any production and encompasses many different things. In a nutshell, the Stage Manager is responsible for all of the technical and lighting aspects of a production. They coordinate with the Production Team, stage crew, the Director and even the theater staff to ensure that everything goes off without a hitch. It's a massive amount of responsibility and pressure but easily one of the most fun and most rewarding roles to have.
How long have you been involved with CLT?
I have been involved at CLT since the 2009 production of Grease.
What's your life like outside of the theater?
Outside the theater I work as a business professional, primarily in the financial industry.
What other roles do you fulfill at the theater?
In addition to being a Stage Manager, I also sit on the Production Board as the chair of Stage Management in addition to sitting on the Building Committee which looks after and upkeeps our building and stage.
What was one of the worst mistakes to happen on a show you were stage managing? How did you handle it?
The worst thing to happen to me while stage managing was when the light board stopped working in the middle of a performance, completely blacking out the stage. I knew something was wrong so I sprinted through the theater to the light booth where by some magic we were able to restart the system and restore power. It was definitely stressful!
If you had to have the soundtrack to a musical stuck in your car's CD player, which show would you want it to be?
This is such a hard question, because as any theater lover would say, it really depends on the day. Today, I wouldn't mind having Something Rotten in my CD player. After seeing in on Broadway, I have always been a sucker for that show and I find there is enough variety in the track to enjoy over and over.
What has been your favorite show to Stage Manage?
My favorite show to stage manage was definitely Chicago. We were so fortunate to have an amazing choreographer, a well-seasoned director, a dedicated production team, and above all an incredibly talented and dedicated cast. It all made the whole experience so enjoyable and not to mention, I got to SM Chicago!!
How has being a part of the CLT community affected your life?
Theater in general was never something that I was interested in growing up, but through some mutual friends, I was lucky to have been asked to operate the spot light for a production years back where I 'got the bug' and have never left. I have met such an incredible base of people who are gifted and caring but whom are also like a second family to me.
If you could have lunch with a character from a Broadway show who would it be and why?
I think I would want to have lunch with J. Pierrepont Finch from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying because I have always thought that the role looked fun.
Why do you think that community theater is an asset to our communities?
I think that today, more than ever, theater is so important and crucial. We live in turbulent and scary times filled with things we don't want to talk about (for a variety of reasons, everyone with their own) and the fact of the matter is that these conversations need to happen, now. We need to do it for ourselves, our children and families, our friends and for the future of this country. Theater not only shines a light through the darkness but it also opens up a dialogue to these sensitive topics. It is our responsibility not only to keep the arts alive for future generations but also to pack theaters in support and to have these conversations.
