Student Blog: Respect the Tech

Technicians: often overlooked, yet the very foundation of the entertainment industry. How does this sentiment apply in a high school theatre program?

I am currently working as a technician for my school’s fall play, Suite Surrender by Michael McKeever, which opens this Thursday, November 2nd. I’ve adored every second of the process for this show, where I’ve been serving as costume manager and head of wardrobe. I have found those terms to be the best way to explain to people who may not be familiar with the theatre community, or my school’s program in particular, what exactly it is that I do for this show. I am not the costume designer, and my creative input is minuscule, but I simply oversee all other costume-related elements that are not the designs themselves. I oversee fittings, adjustments, organization, taking notes, tweaking pieces that are not working from a functionality standpoint, among miscellaneous other tasks. I also lead a team of crew members, both on costume and wardrobe crew separately. In my program, the costume crew oversees all costume matters prior to dress rehearsals, when the wardrobe crew takes over and serves as dressers and general assistants. I observed a similar experience with the handling of costumes in my experience at the collegiate level, but lack a total understanding of how costumes work in more professional spaces. 

I did initially apply to design for Suite Surrender, but could not be happier with the way that this show worked out. The costume designer, Sydney Gepson (pictured top right), also plays one of the lead roles (Athena Sinclair), so this process really may not have been possible without a team of two tackling leadership in the costume department. Our designs were similar in color palette and aesthetic, but not getting the designer position I had initially wanted turned out to have a plethora of benefits of its own. I am a strong costume designer, with a vast bank of useful historical knowledge and understanding of how to create uniquely flattering combinations of pieces for the actors I dress. However, I have found that I really do not enjoy costume design as much as I thought I did. I cannot sew, I cannot draw, and the design aspect does not bring me as much joy as I had previously thought. I do enjoy getting to employ a unique creative approach to shows through the costume design, but this ultimately is more indicative of my passion for directing, which features a similar mindset of embracing unexpected takes on known media. The paperwork, organization, and leadership that being the costume manager has required of me has taught me where my real passion is in the world of technical theatre (once again, outside of directing). 

I have come to the conclusion that I would like to try my hand at stage management should the opportunity ever present itself, since the tasks required of an SM are similar to the style of task I am performing in this position, just at a larger capacity. Of course, being in a role as large as a stage manager would require me to hold back my creative input, as I have had to do in this position. That would be a challenge for me, but one that I look forward to experimenting with in the coming years. Suite Surrender is not my first rodeo in the costume shop by a long shot. Previous shows I have worked on include James and the Giant Peach Jr., Cyrano de Bergerac, Zombie Prom, Madagascar: A Musical Adventure, Anastasia, Radium Girls, and more. I now wonder what I could have done differently with those experiences if I had focused more on a leadership role than a design-oriented role.

As I have covered in previous blogs, I am fortunate enough to get to work in a high school theatre program with bountiful opportunities for technicians and performers alike. We have a saying of sorts that is found frequently throughout our company, including on our merchandise: “Respect the tech.” While the saying has been around since before my time on campus, I infer that it comes as a response to the traditional perception of the relationship between actors and technicians. Think about classic films about Old Hollywood glamour: the spunky and arrogant starlet parading around her dressing room, every whim attended to by a young man dressed in black, wearing a hat of some sort. While this scene may not be depicted in any major motion pictures, the sentiment applies to many. These values are rooted in our industry, and the process of bringing about true change starts at the educational level. Although it should not need to be repeated, technicians work just as hard as actors. Technicians do not exist for the benefit of actors. Technicians are of just as much value to the show as the actors are. While I partake in an educational theatre program in which these ideals are promoted, not everyone does. I even get a sour taste from referring to technicians as “techies.” It comes off as hip slang within the community of technicians working on a show, but when people outside that community start referring to us as “techies,” it can on occasion be indicative of a somewhat demeaning viewpoint. Our school’s technical theatre program is ever-growing and continuing to churn out skilled technicians into the industry, a field that one can never have too little of.

I recommend that any young theatre maker experiment with both tech and performance. In my opinion, working in tech has made me a better performer and performing has made me a better technician. I developed the ability to speak in front of large groups of crew members and command a room from performance, and my technical experience gives me patience and understanding during technical rehearsals and the whole pre-show process. Plus, as an actor, I am able to jump in and help if the technicians need extra hands during the course of the production. The reverse is also true, when I as a technician am sitting in on a rehearsal where an actor is absent and I can read their lines if needed. While these are just some examples, the benefits of what some in the industry have labeled as being “bi-tech-ual” are enormous.

As I write this, I’ve just gotten home from a Suite Surrender dress rehearsal. I feel as though it is commonplace to leave dress rehearsals feeling down or stressed, but I am thoroughly overjoyed to get this show ready to open. The concept of “hell week” can be entirely avoided by preparation and maintenance of positivity throughout the team. In terms of this particular show, it is truly a phenomenal show, and I know that the actors cannot wait to get the applause they have been rehearsing for. From being an actor, I know. As for me, my reward is seeing the actors in costumes that they feel confident in, and that help bring their characters to life. Insurmountable joy results from the tiny part I played in helping them, and the payoff of all of the hard work we have done to get here. Happy show week!

Photo Design Credit: Marisol Eden and Alyssa Pitner

Pictured: Austin Duran as Francis (bottom left), Brielle Norlie as Dora Del Rio (bottom second from left), Taft Garner as Mr. Pippet (bottom third from left), Landon Fearno as Mr. Dunlap (center), Mylie Conver as Murphy (bottom third from right), Abbie Fisher as Mrs. Osgood (bottom second from right), Eric White as Otis (bottom right), Marisol Eden as Claudia McFadden (top left). and Sydney Gepson as Athena Sinclair (top right).

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