Our Interview With Miles Hardbarger

This is our complete interview with Miles Hardbarger, a designer for Ballyhoo Productions.

1. What was the first play you worked on, and what kind of work was involved?

Well in all honesty, my first show was my high school's production of "42nd Street" although that wasn't my first time being a "help me" guy. I got my start in the field of trade shows. Just for clarity, stage hands have three businesses they can work in; movies, trade shows and theater.
So when I started working on "42nd Street" I was only doing fix-it things and making things easier for the actors. It wasn't much of a job I admit, but it was a good opening into the theater world.

 

 

2. How many years of experience do you have working in the theater?

I really don't have that many years in the field of theater, only six or so. But as I said before I learned everything I know from the old school trade show guys.

 

 

3. How many productions have you been a part of?

Productions, now that is a broad word. Assuming you're talking about theater productions, it would have to say 8 including the One Act Festivals and various musicals and plays. But if you make it a very broad word and include trade shows, then the answer would be more than I can count with my fingers and toes.

 

 

4. What was the funniest experience you've had on stage?

Being as I am stage crew, I have never been on stage to have a funny moment. Although backstage I have had many. I couldn't say which was the funniest, but there were a lot of funny moments during the most recent show I worked, A Christmas Carol at Notre Dame de Namur University. Though most of the fun things we did were after the show, we had a lot of fun hunting down other members of the crew with airsoft guns.

 

 

5. How did you like working as a set designer?

Boy, I absolutely loved working as a set designer. I would keep it up if the economy were better. Having that freedom to go about things the way you see fit is a most satisfying experience. Taking an idea and making it into magic...it's great.

 

 

6. If you could work on any play, what play would that be?

Honestly I would love to do my own version of Noises Off. It's one of my favorite plays. It would be a bit of a challenge, with the rotating set that is supposed to be two stories tall, but I would love to explore some new possibilities with the set and try to make something work.

 

 

7. If you could produce and design your own shows for a living, would you?

I would absolutely love to design sets for a living, though I wouldn't like to produce shows. I've seen what the stress does to producers, I don't want to be that person. I'm just a shop guy, building is what I do.

 

 

8. How long does designing one show take, start to finish?

Well, starting time is when a director comes to you with the name of the play and the idea in a form of a napkin drawing. From there you can only go up. As for the finish part, well, that's when the show closes, because someone always wants something done differently.

 

 

9. How many different directors have you worked with?

I honestly don't know how many directors I've worked with, most of them act the same towards the crew, which isn't too kindly, so I don't really care much for them. Some of them are great people and understand what the crew has to take care of, the others can go to hell.

 

 

10. What was your favorite thing about working onstage?

Well, as I have said before, I don't work 'on stage', I work back stage. But I don't really have a favorite thing that I did, I loved it all. But if I just had to pick one thing, it would have to be the crew, you become a family and that's one of the most wonderful things you can have.