UToledo Theatre Senior Shines Spotlight on Behind-the-Scenes Magic

UToledo Theatre Senior Shines Spotlight on Behind-the-Scenes Magic

One of the bright stars of UToledo's latest stage production of "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical" works behind the curtain.

Abby Papenfus, a senior studying theatre with a minor in communication, shines in the spotlight backstage as one of its hardworking stage managers.

"It's been so fun and I've learned so much," Papenfus said. "With musicals, there's a whole separate challenge of coordinating music, and this show also adds fight choreography, so that's been a whole lot."

Papenfus works in the shop of the Department of Theatre and Film and helps set the scene for the action-packed, mythical adventures of a half-blood son of a Greek god on a quest to prove his innocence after Zeus' master lightning bolt is stolen.

Before the actors ever set foot on stage, Papenfus works her own magic.

"I help my backstage crew get all the props set up, we prepare the stage and then we call the actors to fight and dance just to make sure nothing goes wrong on stage," Papenfus said. "They get mic checked and then I help my crew get the stage right before we open the show. Then it's basically showtime."

A student of dance for 12 years, Papenfus had initially planned to pursue a dancing career, but changed her mind as college approached. While she was a senior at Bowsher High School, Papenfus made the rounds touring local universities to find the right fit.

UToledo stood out as her clear choice.

"The University of Toledo felt the most welcoming to me," Papenfus said. "I also received a pretty good scholarship for having a really high GPA in high school, so that also made me decide to go here."

When she first learned of UToledo's theatre department, Papenfus had ambitions to be an actor. During her freshman year, she auditioned for a couple of shows but was not cast. Still, her strengths did not escape notice.

"My professors were like, 'Hey - we see the kind of drive you have and think you would be a really good stage manager,'" Papenfus said. "So, then I tried it and now I'm here."

Papenfus credits her professors for recognizing her potential as a stage manager and pushing her out of her comfort zone to try new things and find the path that was right for her.

"Abby is one of the best stage managers I've worked with since coming to University of Toledo in 2007," said Dr. Ed Lingan, associate dean of the Judith Herb College of Arts, Social Sciences and Education and professor of theatre studies and directing. "Her work ethic and commitment are immense, and she is one of those stage managers who knows her craft so well that she usually knows what the director, cast, and production team need even before they ask."

The Department of Theatre and Film is housed at the Center for Performing Arts on UToledo's main campus where students access state-of-the-art facilities and grow familiarity with all aspects of the discipline.

"In the theatre department, your path is really free," Papenfus said. "Even if you are an actor, you still learn about other areas like lights and sound because it's very essential."

Another essential facet of theater Papenfus tackled was event promotion. As part of earning an undergraduate social media certificate with her minor in communication, she helped jumpstart Instagram and TikTok accounts for the Department of Theatre and Film.

"I make sure to post behind-the-scenes photos and the process of a show through rehearsals. I think it's fun to give people those insights because then it keeps them more engaged," she said. "We've reached over 30,000 [people] in the last 90 days, so the outreach has been incredible and it's definitely been making a huge difference,"

"The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical" runs from April 9 to 11 and April 17 to 19. The opening preview night performance has already sold out and tickets for the other dates are selling quickly, thanks in part to Papenfus's storytelling on social media.

After graduation, Papenfus is excited to start her role at Tibbits Opera House as the stage manager for the main stage of their summer stock season. It's an opportunity she cultivated during her time at UToledo.

In 2024, Brian Sage joined the theatre department as guest director for "Silent Sky" and Papenfus was his stage manager for the show. When she mentioned she was interested in finding summer work, Sage recommended her for a role at Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater, Michigan, which she got.

"I was the stage manager for their theatre for young audiences last summer," Papenfus said "I was really nervous at first, but I realized the work was really similar to everything that I was already doing. Everything just kind of fell into place."

Since Papenfus already had five shows of stage management experience at UToledo, she felt well prepared to tackle the fast pace and demands of professional theatre.

"I think putting me into that role very early helped build my confidence," Papenfus said. "I know what my next steps are. This is what I'm supposed to be doing."