Mr. Lanzet is one of the outstanding music teachers here at Bryant High School. He teaches for Advanced Rock Band, Beginner Rock Band, and Drum Line. Additionally, we have conducted an interview with him, so people can have a deeper understanding of how much happens behind the scenes.
Furthermore, for the last 10 years, Mr. Lanzet has helped with many school productions and events, such as: concerts, plays, musicals, dance shows, and fashion shows. One of them, recently performed, was the play, She Kills Monsters.
According to Mr. Lanzet, he ran the sound board for this play. His role was to make sure the microphones were clear and audible for the audience. He also played the role of a Technical Manager, as he was guiding the people running the sound and projector images, by calling them out at specific parts of the play.
The play turned out to be wonderful, but there were still some obstacles faced by the people behind the scenes. Mr. Lanzet claimed “the most challenging part in putting this play together was time management”. To put on a good performance, they had to frequently rehearse for the play, which would sometimes last until 6pm or 7pm. It can be stressful to do all of this with a limited amount of time. Luckily, the theater teachers, actors and stage crews have been working on this since before the winter break.
Moreover, being both a music teacher and someone who is helping with the play can be tiring. Since rehearsals would last until 6-7 pm, everyone involved with the play would only have a few hours to themselves. Due to this, Mr. Lanzet barely had enough time to rest, especially since he had to teach the following day. Although this was a challenge for him, Mr. Lanzet claims that it was all worth it, as long as they were all able to “put on such a moving piece of art”, and that is what they did.
Despite the fact that there were difficulties when it came to time management, everyone was still able to create such an excellent performance. Mr. Lanzet mentioned how “the outcome of the play was beyond what [he] expected”. He says how the actors did an amazing job at “delivering their lines with passion”. Even the stage crew, the light and sound people were well aware of what they had to do in order to enhance the performance.
Here’s the full interview below for more information:
M.G.: What was the most challenging part in the creation of the play?
Mr. Lanzet: The most challenging part in putting this play together was time management. With all the moving pieces (actors’ lines, blocking, props, set pieces, scene transitions, light cues, audio cues, microphone cues, spotlight cues), coordinating with the directors, other teachers, and students involved to make each rehearsal as productive as possible can be very exciting, but incredibly demanding to meet the big deadline of the performance day.
M.G.: What was your role for the play?
Mr. Lanzet: I ran the sound board for this play. My role was to make sure that when the actors entered on stage, their microphones were on, clear, and at an audible, yet comfortable level for the audience. I was also making sure that the people running the music, sound effects, and projector images were ready to go by calling out specific moments within the scene and transitions between scenes, so I was kind of like a Technical Manager.
M.G.: Was the outcome of the play what you expected?
Mr. Lanzet: The outcome of the play was beyond what I expected. The actors did a fantastic job delivering their lines with passion, the stage crew was on top of the set changes, and the light and sound people were always hyper aware of important, upcoming moments well before they came up.
M.G.: How did you balance your work as a teacher and helping with the play?
Mr. Lanzet: Balancing my work as a teacher and helping with the play was a little challenging regarding the number of hours both of those roles entail. Fortunately, play rehearsals took place after school. Unfortunately, those rehearsals would go until 6 or 7pm, so getting a reasonable amount of rest and relaxation for my own mental and physical health was, at times, difficult. However, I fully enjoy helping the theater department and my colleagues put on such a moving piece of art, and truly makes all the work worth it.
M.G.: How long did it take to prepare for the play?
Mr. Lanzet: I jumped in right after Winter Break, so my integration was about a month’s worth of work. However, the theater teachers, actors, and stage crew have been working on this play since well before that, so I’m sure that the amount of hours for them felt endless. Artists tend to throw themselves fully at whatever they are working on, and despite setbacks and hurdles life throws at them, they always find a way to keep going.
M.G.: Have you helped in any other plays/events for the school before?
Mr. Lanzet: I’ve helped with a lot of other events and productions our school has put on. Along with Mr. Weisman, we both tend to be involved in almost every large production that requires lights and sound, and not just in the auditorium. We’ve helped with music concerts, plays, musicals, dance shows, fashion shows, and countless other productions over the last 10 years.
