Mary Poppins was learning to fly at Smith-Cotton High School Monday and Tuesday evening with the help of Flight Director Shad Ramsey with ZFX Flying, of Louisville, Kentucky.
Ramsey taught SCHS seniors Mira Freeman (Mary Poppins), Avery Mather (Bert) and the stage crew how to use a fly system for the upcoming “Mary Poppins” theatre production slated for Nov. 18-20. Terri Turner, SCHS director of speech and theatre, said they worked with only Freeman and Mather Monday night. On Tuesday they would incorporate the flying scenes with the other cast members in the musical.
Ramsey, who is also an actor and director, noted that they spent the whole day Monday installing the two fly systems on stage.
“It went smoothly because we have a great crew,” he added.
Before beginning instruction Monday evening, Ramsey talked with Turner, the volunteer crew and Freeman and Mather on the theatre stage.
“This is your first day of flight club, and this is the only legitimate time in high school you can look at your friends and say I’m cooler than you, because I can fly and you don’t,” he joked.
He also emphasized “safety first, safety last, and safety always.”
“I love my job, I love being choreographer, that’s the reason I get up in the morning,” he noted. “It’s also the reason I’ll stay awake in a cold sweat and a panic until your show’s over.”
Ramsey spent time first with Freeman, adjusting her harness and showing the crew how to attach the wires and use the fly system. He said they would need two “official” harness technicians who would be in charge of putting the harnesses on Freeman and Mather each night.
Freeman will fly three times during the production. She was fitted with a standard harness, snug around the hips, but Mather’s harness was a more complicated system. Turner said he would be doing stunts while in the air. Mather’s harness allowed him flexibility and rotation.
“Avery will be doing stunts on stage,” Turner explained. “Mira just kind of flies in and out as Mary, but he’ll be doing somersaults and flips in it, he’ll also be climbing …”
Once their harnesses were connected to the wires, Ramsey told both Freeman and Mather if everything was a “go” the harness tech would give them a double tap on their back. If they don’t receive the double tap they should not fly. The harness tech will also give them a double tap when the wires are disconnected.
Ramsey also assured the students that the the system holds up to 2,000 pounds and “should not break.”
Addressing the volunteer stage crew he discussed how to lift and travel the actors across the stage. One person used a set of ropes to travel the actor, while another one used heavier, weighted ropes to lift them into the air. Ramsey instructed them to control the slack, and to use an easy continuous stroke as they traveled the actor across the stage.
“Don’t forget to breathe!” Ramsey told the crew. “Everyone forgets to breathe when they are doing something new.”
Before her flight Monday night, Freeman said she’d never flown in a production before.
“I’m excited, I’ve went zip-lining but that’s it, you just sit there,” she added.
Mather said he wasn’t scared to use the fly system either.
“I’m excited,” he added. “I’m not one to just back down to anything,” he added.
Turner said this is the second time the S-C theatre department has used a fly system. The first was in the “Wizard of Oz” production.
There are 35 to 40 student actors for the “Mary Poppins” production this year, with 10 to 15 students in the stage, costume and makeup crew, and 18 students in the orchestra pit.
Turner added that students were thrilled to be part of the show.
“Very excited,” she said. “(Monday was) the harness fitting and (Tuesday) night we’ll be actually working the flying system with choreography. It’s those last few weeks where everything just starts to come together and the kids see the big picture.”
On Monday evening, in no time at all, and faster then Mary Poppins could say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” both Freeman and Mather were flying through the air.
Smith-Cotton High School Theatre and Music Departments will present “Mary Poppins” Nov. 18 through 20 in the school’s Heckart Performing Arts Center, 2010 Tiger Pride Blvd.
