Crusaders Live

Illustration courtesy: Ashleigh Kim

If you’ve ever visited a show in the Lyso Center or the Robb Hall, you would agree with how professional the lighting, sound, and camera work is. No one ever questions the skills of our backstage crew. As much as their contribution is perhaps one of the most integral aspects of every production, these individuals do not often receive the recognition that they deserve.

Meet Crusader Live, Seoul Foreign School’s very own backstage crew for schoolwide entertainment productions. Mr. Black, the supervisor of Crusader Live and manager of SFS Theater, says the club doesn’t operate as a traditional club; instead, it provides “real-world work opportunity.” Students working in the Crusader Live crew fill a multitude of roles including light/sound/spotlight/ board/camera operator or assistant, micro-phone technician, video director, video switcher operator, broadcast audio operator, stage crew, electrician, carpenter, usher, to name only a few. Members learn to use equipment that “can be found in major theaters (ex. Broadway and the West End) as well as major concert tours and corporate events,” Mr. Black says.

“This allows members to have lots of experiences in different production areas if they choose, building an impressive production portfolio for those that choose further studies in an entertainment-related field or apply for student work positions in their university theatres, both of which many Crusader Live members have gone off to do after graduation,” notes Mr. Black.

Rachel Cho (12), who has worked as a Crusader Live crew since freshman year, reveals that some of her most prized memories from high school came with working backstage. During last year’s production of Something Rotten, Rachel and the rest of the Crusader Live members had to face a major emergency as Mr. Black fell ill on the performance day. Without any practice, Rachel took charge of the two-person audio mixing job on her own, making the continuation of the show possible without any setbacks.

Rachel says she never really enjoyed performing on stage, but soon realized not everyone needs to be in the spotlight to make the show amazing: “the Crusader Live members share the energy and tension of the actors on stage as well as the audience. I find such raw energy/emotions so attractive. Knowing that I made a valuable contribution to such amazing productions, and that I was able to use my passion to serve the SFS theater community is enough.”

Mr. Black expresses gratitude to his team of Crusader Live members for “their willingness to walk the journey through adapting, developing, and producing solutions to allow the world to continue to see and share in the talents of SFS students.” He always welcomes anyone who is willing to join the crew, and especially a student who is “enthusiastic, responsible, has perseverance, can problem solve and think creatively, and is a team player. There is a lot to learn about technical and backstage production, so having an open mind and being enthusiastic towards the skills and techniques being taught is essential.”

The next time you visit a production, make sure to pay extra attention; you'll find yourself appreciating every little detail of backstage work that made the show shine even more.

Additional info: If you’re looking to join the crew, you can submit an application and visit crusaderlive.seoulforeign.org!