The Artist of the Month for November is the person behind the scenes of all the theatrical productions here at WMC, Gigi Rauchut. Rauchut is a senior here and has been involved working in Central Theatre since her freshman year. 

Rauchut has worked as a stage manager for the past nine Central Theatre productions,including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Children of Eden, and Songs For A New World. Rauchut plays a huge part backstage, as she makes sure everything is going smoothly during shows. She puts so much effort into these productions and the program won’t be the same next year without her dedication and endless creativity.

Rauchut reflects on her first Central Theatre experience saying “… there was something about the program that I was drawn to and wanted to be a part of.” “I’ve worked on 9 shows in Central Theatre so far, doing various jobs like being a stagehand or the lightboard operator. But I’ve mostly been the stage manager.” Rauchut goes on to explain what the stage manager does: “I work my magic in order to make sure the whole show goes on according to plan, where the props are supposed to be and where costumes for quick changes are stored… without me there wouldn’t be a show. And that’s a very big responsibility I’ve been trusted with for a long time.” The extraordinary theatre program as a whole has also helped her improve in many different ways. She feels that it “made me a better artist, despite doing the more technical things…”

After high school, Gigi aspires to start film directing. She gives a shout-out to Central Theatre saying, “Without Central Theatre, I don’t think I would’ve ever realized that I wanted to be a film director…” This recognition is well deserved and the next time you watch a Central Theatre production, you will know who’s behind it all!