Student Blog: My Last Tech Week at Boston College

Over the past four years, I have been able to perform in my fair share of productions at Boston College. My very first was Chicago back in the Fall of 2017 and now I am rounding out my college theatre experience with Spoon River Revival. Every thespian knows the joys of tech week very well. Days of long rehearsals, a lot of pausing, and sitting under the warm lights in heavy costumes. I have absolutely been through tech weeks where I have wished the time away, but this one felt different. I knew that it would be my last one at BC.

Tech weeks are tough for sure. They are a huge time commitment and not particularly engaging from an actor's perspective. However, it is all worth it in the end because getting to see the finished product all together after the lights are focused and the sound effects are cued is so satisfying and thrilling. This time around, though, I told myself to remember that this would be my last time doing tech on the Mainstage of the Robsham Theatre Arts Center. I was a bit sad ahead of rehearsal because it was such a beautiful day outside and I was going to be stuck inside all day, but it felt just as beautiful to be inside the theatre with my friends creating theatre.

At the end of Spoon River Revival, I stand facing upstage for about 10 minutes while other characters perform monologues. When we were in tech, it was even longer than 10 minutes so that the designers could focus the lights on us. Obviously, there is not much I can do to entertain myself, so I have started making lists of things, such as naming as many musical opening numbers that I can think of. One of the lists that I made was of all of the BC Theatre Department shows that they have produced throughout my college career (including the shows cancelled due to COVID-19). This is 6 shows per year and I thought of them with no problem. All of these shows have been such a significant part of my time at BC and I will never forget them.

The Cherry Orchard, Chicago, No Exit, New Voices 2018, Stop Kiss, Peter and the Starcatcher, Invisible, Pride and Prejudice, Jailbait, Hamlet, Significant Other, 9 to 5, Murder on the Nile, Noises Off, Back the Night, The Shape of Things, The Wolves, City of Angels, Sweat, Twelfth Night, Proof, IDK [What This Is], History of Colors, Spoon River.

I am so lucky to have gotten to see so much incredible theatre and, even better than that, watch my friends in it. I saw my classmates grow as performers, designers, and directors. These shows above do not even count the numerous other student group productions and cabarets which I saw. I really did not appreciate as much as I should have how convenient it is to be able to see so much theatre on my own campus. I had so many opportunities to learn from watching others. I can still visualize every single production that I previously listed.

I sure will have a lot of amazing memories to think about through the rest of my time facing upstage during the run of Spoon River Revival and for the rest of my life.

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