Aves Theatre is currently in the production stages of its final performance of the year, the spring musical “The Wedding Singer”. This show will be the last Aves Theatre opportunity for graduating seniors, such as Erinn Sonntag.

Sonntag holds a double position in the theater, as the Props Master and also as a performer. She has been in charge of props for eleven shows and has appeared on stage for five, most recently the winter play “Anon(ymous)”.

Her first experience with the program was when she helped spotlight during the summer production of “Beauty and the Beast”.

“I had so much fun with the people involved in theater and I felt that I fit in with them, that I could relate to them,” said Sonntag.

As the head of props it is her responsibility to get together all the props necessary for a show. The first step is making a list of props required in the entire show and conferring with director John Whapham.

Then she searches ‘under the house’ in theater storage to figure out what is there and what she will need to buy, find, ask the cast to provide, or make.

“Then I go out and buy or make all the props and gradually bring them in to school. Eventually, it will all be there. Next it is necessary to integrate them into the show, to see what works and what doesn’t on stage and to direct the actors on how to use and take care of the props.

“Usually some unexpected needs crop up and those must be taken care of quickly if it is near show week. Also one must always be prepared to fix a broken prop or to provide new ones,” said Sonntag.

As for the hardest shows to do props for, she singled out abstract shows like “Seussical, the Musical”, but counters that it can be fun to see what one ends up creating.

As well as theater, she also spends her time doing choir, martial arts, and long distance cycling. In college she hopes to be involved with theater in her free time, though she is slightly dubious if she will have any.

As a graduating senior who has been involved in such a large number of shows, she maintains this advice for current or potential theater members.

“[The week of the show] is not a joke, you will be at school until ten or eleven, but it is worth it to see that what you have spent hours working on succeed.”

When asked to describe her Aves Theatre experience in 5-10 words, she chose the following.

“It has been one heck of a ride.” – Posted: Fri, Mar 19 2010 11:49:41 AM EST by Ellie Goldman