The theater program has gotten much more of a spotlight lately, but while all of that is going on stage, there is a group running things behind the scenes. With all of the shows that have happened, there were little light shows and music with it, which is where the tech side of theater comes in.
Technical theater is roughly split up into five different groups with heads for each crew. The groups are sound, lights, props, hair/makeup/costumes, and set crew. Each crew works very hard to help create a good quality show for the community.
Sound
Led by senior Devin Horton, the sound crew is made up of junior Dalton Martin playing the music and freshman Ryken Murphy running the sound board. They put a lot of work in before and during the shows to make sure the mics sound nice and are able to hear them.
“I enjoy learning about the technology and being around friends,” Ryken Murphy, sound board operator, said.
Lights
Led by senior Peyton Holtzman, the lights crew is made up of two spotlight operators who are senior Braden Baker and sophomore Lucien Montoya, and the lights board, which is run by junior Sam Will. There is a lot of setup before the actual show itself, which makes it easier during the show.
“It’s a very welcoming, comfortable environment,” Braden Baker, spotlight operator, said.
Props
Led by senior Ben Dakin, the props crew really just works before the show to get everything that actors need to use. It may kind of seem small and not as important, but it is surprisingly noticeable.
“It’s always satisfying to see everything everyone’s done, and how the work that everyone has done is shown on stage,” Ben Dakin, props master, said.
Costume, Hair and Makeup
They do just about all of their work before the shows to actually create the costumes for all of the characters. Paired with costumes is hair/makeup, which does more than you would think because most of the makeup is used subtly. All of this is led by Manual junior Avery Zobel.
“I can help out and engage with the community without having to be upfront and on stage,” Avery Zobel, costume, hair and makeup lead, said.
Set
The last grouping out of all of these is led by stage manager senior Max Bockelman. This is probably the largest crew so that the show can move smoothly. This crew works before and during the show to help create the set and move it around as needed during the show.
“I’m glad that I’m able to help create something that many people enjoy,” Max Bockelman, stage manager, said.
