The cast and crew of Marietta College’s Shakespeare by the River rehearse their production “Macbeth” in summer 2021. (Photo provided)

Long before the lights come up and actors take the stage, theater productions begin with months — sometimes more than a year — of planning, coordination and behind-the-scenes work that audiences rarely see.

For Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre President George Wells, the process starts well before auditions or rehearsals.

“The first part of any show … is just acquiring the rights and the royalties,” Wells said, noting that licensing restrictions can shape everything from scheduling to creative decisions.

Securing those rights can take place nearly a year in advance, he said, and productions often face limitations on when they can access scripts, music and rehearsal materials. In some cases, rights may be denied entirely if a show is touring nearby or otherwise restricted.

Once a production is approved, directors begin mapping out every detail — from rehearsal schedules to set construction timelines — often while balancing full-time jobs and other responsibilities.

Cast and crew for the 2022 production of “Reefer Madness” at Marietta College work on constructing the set. (Photo provided)

“You try to get as much done before you can get to the show,” Wells said.

At Marietta College, students are introduced to that full scope of production work, both on stage and behind the scenes.

Nathan Bradley, technical director for the college’s theater program, said musicals add an extra layer of complexity compared to traditional plays.

“Putting up a musical is a lot different than a normal play, because we have to worry about all of the music aspects, as well as the normal costumes, light, sound,” Bradley said. “There’s added about 10% extra work … lights are often more flashy, they’re more in-depth.”

That complexity becomes part of the learning process. For recent productions of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” and “Dog Sees God,” the casts rotated between acting and backstage roles, gaining experience on both sides of a production.

The cast of the 2025 production of “The Outsiders” at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre watches as George Wells teaches the youth cast how to paint the set. (Photo provided)

“The cast being the crew for the opposite show is training both sides of the coin,” Bradley said. “No matter which side you’re on, you understand what people are doing … how to respect them, how to work with them.”

For Sophie Wheeler, a Marietta College alumna who recently returned to direct “Dog Sees God,” the collaborative nature of theater is what makes the process meaningful.

“It’s been really great to come back and meet all of the new students and see how the department has changed,” Wheeler said. “We have multiple generations of Marietta College students all making art together.”

While educational programs emphasize training, community theater presents its own unique challenges, Wells said.

Because performers and crew members are often volunteers with jobs and family commitments, casting and scheduling can be unpredictable.

The cast of the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre’s production “Shawshank Redemption” works on building set pieces in 2025. (Photo provided)

“You may have an amazing show … but your best and strongest actor can’t be in your show,” Wells said.

Despite those limitations, he said, the goal remains to push performers beyond their comfort zones while recognizing the effort each person brings.

From licensing agreements and rehearsal calendars to lighting cues and costume changes, local theater leaders say every production is the result of countless hours of work — much of it unseen — all to create a few hours of storytelling on stage.