Tickets are on sale now for the 2009 Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival which runs through August 23rd. Theater goers can see Much Ado About Nothing and Measure for Measure, plus the Urban Village Monday Night Music Series. But before the curtain goes up, it takes many people working behind the scenes to pull off the shows.

Production Manager John Gruber says, the audience will really see a remarkable change in acting, in the scenery, and in the costumes. "Everything is completely revamped for this year."

The production crew has been working for months, building every piece of the sets and sewing costumes. It's all the hard work that happens behind the scenes that helps create the magic of the theater.

Costume Shop Manager Randy Handley says, "We are at crunch time right now. This week we will be finishing our final fittings and then looking ahead to dress rehearsals to get everything ready to go on stage."

Costume and set designers aren't the only ones preparing for opening night. Before the actors take the stage, lines need memorizing and characters are developed. Without this smooth assembly line of each and every part, the show could not go on.

Actor Cameron Knight says, "The final element really is the audience. It doesn't really come together until they're there. We can rehearse, but we don't know what the show is going to be like until the audience reacts."