As audiences sat down to enjoy the performance of the fall play, Once Upon a Pine, it was easy to forget the months of labor that went into creating everything they experienced for that one-hour show.
The Longfellow Theater Department performs two shows a year: a one-act play in the fall and a musical during springtime. Tech crew is there for both of these productions, helping create the magic.
“It’s the world of the show. Without the technical part, you’re not going to have lights, sound, sets, makeup, costumes, props, or any of those things,” explained the Technical Director Patricia Talmadge, who also teaches Tech Theatre.
In fact, there is so much to do, that there are multiple crews with specific focuses, such as set crew, light crew, and costume crew.
All of this magic takes time, and being on the tech crew can be challenging because of the time commitment. In addition to after-school commitments, any production includes tech week, during which the cast and crew spend long hours perfecting everything before opening night.
“Tech week is crazy because everybody gets together and everybody has questions,” said Ms. Talmadge.
Tech week usually consists of the entire cast and crew getting together over a period of around five days towards the end of the production process. Usually staying until 6 or 9 p.m. This extra time lets everyone do last-minute additions like sound effects, full run-throughs with and without costumes, and eating like a pack of starving wolves.
The biggest skill needed to be on the tech crew is being able to take direction. This was especially true in Once Upon a Pine, where most of the cast and crew were seventh graders with little to no experience.
“If you don’t know how to do anything it’s okay because the biggest thing is the willingness to [learn],” said Talmadge.
The smaller stage and shorter shows make middle school crew a great starting point for people considering giving it a try. Although, the small stage can come with challenges of it’s own.
Only certain crew members can stay backstage the whole time due to the tight space. The costume crew and run crew (aka stagehands) stay behind the curtain to assist with clothing changes and scene transitions, but everyone else, cast and crew alike, that are not needed for a scene go to the green room. Other crews, like lights and sound, are seated right behind the audience so they can see what they’re doing.
“We can only have so many people backstage at a time because there’s actors and crew. So we limit it to the actors and crew we need right before that scene.”
Stage managers call cues, running from the stage to the black box and handling the curtains. The set crew and props crew have mostly done their jobs at this point, so they get to sit back and enjoy the show.
Of course, as with any live event, surprises are always possible. Whether it be slip-ups or 30-second costume changes, craziness can ensue. But that craziness is part of the joy of crew.
Even after losing several hours of sleep during tech week everyone involved in the play are 1: very exhausted, and 2: insanely happy to have helped make this thing that other people will enjoy and appreciate.
Then we arrive at opening night, just before the performance is about to begin. Just behind the curtain, cast and crew alike are a kaleidoscope of nerves and excitement. The curtain will rise, and everyone will create a show months in the making.
