AUDIO-TECH Elliv’s Board of Directors builds the show’s concepts and content, but Elliv wouldn’t be possible without Production Services Group (PSG) staff and student workers. “You can’t overemphasize the work they do,” Cherry said. Each year, spring chapel concludes the Wednesday before Elliv so that on Thursday and Friday, PSG members can set the stage. Steve Brock ’93, Assistant Director for Live Production, has been the mastermind behind Elliv’s stage design and lighting for several years. Elliv’s audio, lights, and backstage communications have historically been led by a full-time Cedarville staff member, but for the 2023 performance, a student — Evan Warner ’24 — ran the front-of-house booth for the show. Dave Hoecke ’90, Cedarville’s Media Production and Distribution Coordinator, assisted with audio, Andrew Glessner ’24 managed video recording, and Jen Kroyer ’24 managed the stage crew. BEHIND THE CURTAIN: THE FINAL REHEARSALS In the days leading up to this top-secret show, Elliv participants are sprinting to make final touches. They’re setting the stage, finalizing click tracks, programming patches for pedal boards and pianos, reviewing scripts, and rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing. Tech rehearsal takes place the Thursday before Elliv from 5 p.m. to curfew. That night, for the first time, all cast and tech members come together in the Jeremiah Chapel to troubleshoot technical issues and bring together the show’s many elements. This year’s tech rehearsal begins with each musical act taking the stage to adjust their in-ear monitor mixes. In-ears are special headphones that allow musicians to single out and adjust the volume of individual instruments according to their needs. At Elliv’s tech rehearsal, this “mixing” looks like one musician playing their instrument while every other musician points up or down to signal their volume preferences to the sound technician. While these in-ear mixes get set, other members of PSG are testing staging elements: lowering lampshades from the catwalks to practice for one act’s “floating lamps” visual, using special GAFF stage tape to secure musical cables, and re-setting orchestra seats. At the same time, castmates whose acts are not actively rehearsing sit in the chapel’s seats, eat snacks from the Elliv “food room” across the hall, and cheer for the musician actively testing their parts. The acts run through each song twice after finalizing their in-ear mixes. When Caroline Canning ’25 sings a whistle note in her group’s first run-through of The Climb by Miley Cyrus, the whole audience of castmates screams and applauds. “I'm so excited,” Cherry says to a group of castmates, “because I know that the applause will be 2,000 times that on the actual night of Elliv.” During each act, Craig works with Cherry and Burns to make staging decisions. Craig waves guitarists further up the stage and encourages act members to be expressive in their performances. “You look about 80% smaller on stage, so you have to act 90% bigger,” Craig says. The tech rehearsal doesn’t include all choreographed elements, but the musicians tend to mark out their larger movements. Some musicians, though, perform all out even during tech runs. Paige Senseman ’24 struts down from her platform for an electric guitar solo center stage. Tim Barnes ’24 dances his way to the front of the stage as the buzz of his harmonica hits the mic. Meanwhile, members of the script writing committee work in the wings of the chapel stage with Elliv's hosts, Caleb Stechschulte ’23 and Haven Sidell ’23. Another skit member is costumed as a tree, her arms out to the side in large “branch” tubes as the trio practices delivering one of the 2023 skits: a 16 | Cedarville Magazine
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