The curtains of Swine Palace theater open to reveal a stage filled with props and actors in costume ready to perform. The lights shine down on the stage, and music sets the mood of the scene as the actors begin to speak.But who turned on the lights? Who opened the curtain? Who chose the music? Who designed the costumes?Amanda McLindon, Kelly Ryan and other members of the crew are hard at work before, during and after a theater performance to make the production a success. The crew is responsible for almost everything except the acting, and sometimes crew members end up on stage.McLindon, theater junior, has done “anything and everything” when it comes to working in theater, including lighting, props and acting for a production. But she said her favorite area of work is sound design because she loves incorporating music into a story.Like many incoming freshmen, McLindon was not sure what to pursue when she got to the University. But it only took one theater performance to make up her mind. She attended “The Merchant of Venice” put on by the LSU theater department and was blown away. “I had no experience in theater at that point, but I knew I had to be a part of whatever was going on after seeing that show,” McLindon said.McLindon was in the spotlight a few times, but she said working behind the scenes is a better fit for her. “I was actually on stage this summer, which was fun, but working backstage is more my style because I have more control over what I’m doing and I can take time to develop my ideas,” she said.Pat Acampora, associate professor of theater, works with the crew often and knows the hard work they put into making a successful production. He said depending on their job, some crew members start working as early as six weeks before a production.   Acampora said the crew is an integral part of any production, and the actors and crew must work together to make a production happen. “Well there is no show without [the crew],” Acampora said. “It’s a collaborative art, and everybody has to be there and do their job.”Caralie Chrisco, University alumna, acted in many LSU theater productions and said she has a great deal of respect for the crew. “We wouldn’t be able to do what we want to do if the crew wasn’t there,” she said. “Any actors that don’t respect the crew won’t get work.” Students working backstage may have the respect of the actors, but they do not get paid for their work. For larger shows they may receive one hour of credit. McLindon said crew members do not mind working for no pay. They just love what they do. Ryan, costume design senior, said she loves seeing the sketches she draws come to life on stage. As a costume design major, Ryan creates costumes for various shows throughout the year.  Ryan, involved in theater since high school, knew she wanted to pursue some type of theatre work at LSU. She took a few theatre classes, but like costuming courses best.Ryan has also been in the limelight a few times, but she also prefers backstage work. “I think one of the perks of working backstage is that I don’t have to be in the spotlight,” Ryan said. “The actors are meant to be the center of attention. If that is not the case, then something has gone wrong.”–—Contact Victoria Toups at [email protected]