Do you ever wonder what controls the lights in a play? How are actors able to project to the whole audience when they are whispering in a scene? Well it doesn’t happen magically. Welcome to behind the curtains. Mclean Middle School has one of the best Technical Theater Crews. For the past 4 years, at the UIL competitions we have gotten a plaque for an amazing performance backstage.These victories could not have been done without the coaching of Mrs. Blizzard,and without the effort of every student backstage. Every year we have had amazing students backstage running the show, and amazing stage managers who put all their effort into the show. Each year we say goodbye to the eighth graders who showed the best performance and say hello to the new techs that will continue the legacy of creating the best shows made in the Cardinal way.
This year our first show is Zoodate. The show is a comedy and has endless amounts of transitions and twists to keep you on your feet. Quick transitions mean that the people running the effects and lighting will have to be well-rehearsed and ready to work together like well-oiled-machine.
As expressed by Taytum Luek, ¨Tech is a group effort, everything is interconnected. Although tech might look easy, sound is one of the hardest parts of tech and it is easily overlooked. If one percent of something goes wrong, you throw off the whole show. I get a sense of pride seeing the audience uphold the show, it means that we have done everything right. ¨
Theatre teacher Mrs. Blizzard says, ¨tech gives life to a show by building its mood and emotional core. Behind the curtains lies an entire world of dedicated crew members; for instance, the stage manager alone contributes over 75 hours to the fall show and musical. This rigorous training even prepares techies for national tours. Ultimately, theater is about much more than just the actors on stage—technical crew is what connects the performance to the broader world.¨
These people become family to one another after all this time and work together to create magical experiences for the audience. They learn what a voice is without speaking, they learn how to make art without being seen. Now every time you see a light or hear a sound in a show always remember there is a show behind the curtains.
