Beyond the Curtain: The Hidden Force Behind SJS Theatre Productions

The theatre represents a place for entertainment, fun, and joy, conveying countless stories and invoking endless emotions. However, there is a side to the story often hidden from plain sight - a secret hidden behind black clothing and whispered commands.

Being more of an actress myself, I have never paid too much attention to the foundations that make the productions work smoothly. But this was before St. John’s provided me with the opportunity to involve myself in the tech crew for the middle school production of Legally Blonde Jr. My experience in crew introduced me to a completely different side of theatre, one that easily paralleled the chaos, hard work, community, and enjoyment of the acting world. 

Thrown into the middle school musical during tech week, I expected a boring couple of hours ahead of me. I was wrong. The cues and continuous pauses were tedious, and memorizing it all in a week represented a large source of challenge. With a total of four days allotted to flawlessly learn how to set for the top of show, execute scene changes, learn cues, and quiet middle schoolers backstage, I dare say the experience was much more stressful than being on stage itself. A bold statement, I know.

The Delta Nu Sorority Sisters (from left: Ana Costa Coimbra, Sage Chilukuri, and Charlotte Dillon) comfort Elle (Gracie Stamey) in the sorority house. 

Legally Blonde Jr., also being one of the largest shows in terms of tech, represented a beast to tackle for the high school tech crew of eight. With over twenty set changes, four tables of props, around thirty set pieces, and abundant mic changes and mic problems, there was no downtime backstage. The ambience created by the shouting into headsets and missed cues began to grow on me, and the community gifted me with a sense of superiority, purpose, and responsibility in a new way I had never thought of before. 

In the end, seeing the show go through with a few inevitable, minor bumps filled me with pride and accomplishment. Teching, definitely not easy or boring, instead expanded my view on the theatrical world and instilled a new sense of gratitude in me. Let’s just say I will never, ever underestimate the power of the amazing tech crew ever again, one of the many parts of the backbone that supports the development and production of each wondrous performance at St. John’s. 

The show poster for the middle school production of Legally Blonde Jr. (Poster Design: Dayton Voorhees)

Shelby Kuhl, a crew member manning the sound booth, agrees with me, having teched for other productions during her time in middle school; but nothing quite on the scale of the annual middle school musical. It was her first attempt at hassling the middle schoolers into mic checks and listening intently for sound cues, and an absolutely rewarding experience. 

“It’s amazing to see the show come together with the cast and crew. Sitting in the sound booth I go to see how everything changed and ultimately came together,” Kuhl said, “you get to learn new things and be around people who are as passionate as you are.” 

Tech was an unforgettable experience, and I will definitely be back behind the curtain for more.