Clutching their programs in their hands, the audience settles in to their seats as the light start to dim.  The pit begins the music and slowly the red, thick, curtains are drawn back to reveal the intricately painted set and the lights hit the backdrop to reveal the sleepy New Yorkers making their way onto the stage.  Who pulls back the curtains? Who controls the lighting? The crew is responsible for every task except being on stage, and the show could simply not go on without them.

The crew is made up of a group of about 20 to 25 students who volunteer to dedicate long, stressful hours to the production.  Most students get involved by simply asking if they can.

The girls you would go to ask are the stage managers, juniors Kara Schultz and Leigh Ann Rogers.  Schultz first got involved in the tech crew when a friend of hers asked her during her sophomore year if she wanted to be stage manager.  She said yes and hasn’t regretted it since.

The crew behind the scenes is mainly responsible for costume changes, props, set changes, curtains, and the dry ice that arose from the backstage during the show this year.  The members of the crew dress in all black and the audience can sometimes catch a glimpse of them when the lights go out and props are dragged on and off the stage.

“Before the show Leigh Ann and I would be in charge of keeping the cast in check, and basically knowing every little detail the show,” Schultz said.  “During the show the techies do costume changes, set changes, and props.  The techies run the show from backstage.  Leigh Ann and I cue the lights and run the lightboard.”

The crew starts working together as a whole for the last two to three weeks before the show, with some members starting beforehand.  Sometimes they are at rehearsal longer than the cast is, according to junior cast member Emily Healey.  “I feel like they are really under-appreciated and they are actually so important,” Healey said.  “Without the tech crew you would not have a show.”

A member of the crew, junior Hannah Dukat, had similar things to say about the show said.  “It was a lot of fun and I created a lot of close bonds and friendships,” Dukat said, “the stress was worth it.”