Pride and Prejudice, showing from October 27 to October 30, is the first live Theatre production in one and a half years. One of the most discussed aspects of being involved in theatre on campus is tech week, which can be a confusing term to hear for those not involved. So, what is tech week?

Tech week is a term used by actors and technicians in reference to the week before the show begins in which sets are built, costumes are finalized, and lighting and sound cues are perfected. 

Tech week is only a one week long event, and is a section of a much larger production system. 

“Productions are an eight week system,” said junior Nolan Crosby, Stage Manager of Pride and Prejudice. Student designers involved in production classes on campus work on their respective areas of the productions on this eight week schedule while actors rehearse. 

Usually during the audition week tech applications are released. The director of the show assigns students who submitted applications to their various areas based on experience, whether or not they are taking technical classes, and personal preference. Students can choose to volunteer to assist in the production, and are only obligated to work during tech week and show week, time obligations vary based on which production area you were assigned to. 

“Something that is not really known is that you don’t have to be really knowledgeable about tech to be in tech. Pretty much all of tech builds are spent teaching people how to be a technician, so if you have any interest in theatre it is a great experience,” said senior Dove De Tapia, an actress in the show. 

Tech week itself, while short in comparison to the production schedule as a whole, is the most grueling and dreaded portion of the production process.

“It is a very stressful process,” said Crosby. “I don’t have a zero period this year, meaning that I am on campus from 7:54 in the morning until 9:30 at night.”

During these hours, students are working almost the entire time to make sure the show is ready by opening night.

“After school, from 3 to 5, we work on unfinished projects, put things together, and make sure everyone is ready for show week,” said Crosby. “Then at 5 we have a dinner break, provided for payments to the performance arts booster by technicians and actors, and volunteer parents provide a dinner. Then at 6 we run a different aspect of the show every night until 9.”

“9 is a rough estimate, since they can let us out later, depending on how long it takes to clean up.” said De Tapia. 

Not only are students expected after school for long hours during this week, they are obligated to spend weekends working the production as well. After week six of the production schedule there is a “tech build” on a Saturday, from 9 AM to 6 PM, and a second tech build the following Saturday. During these tech builds, technicians and their designers 

As actors and technicians are students first, their academic obligations often add more stress and pressure on these overworked students. 

“A lot of times students will be doing homework super late during tech week, so that’s why everyone shows up to school super exhausted. But usually for most crews there is a break time, but you just have to do it whenever there’s a spare moment,” said De Tapia. 

However, students are not without support during this time. “We have such a strong community that when you’re struggling, we expect students to help other students when necessary, we pride ourselves on it,” said Crosby. 

The shared burden between actors and technicians during this time creates tight bonds between those in theatre productions. “It’s kind of like trauma bonding, everyone is super close, people that you don’t know or that you’re not super familiar with suddenly become your closest friends because you’re spending so much time together,” said De Tapia. 

“It’s about putting all of your heart and soul, your blood, sweat, and tears, into a product. Working together and having that working environment  on something you’re all passionate about, and then at the very end you get to sit back and watch what was once a pile of nails, wood, and empty cue labs and see it turn into a production,” said Crosby. 

The shared struggle and support during the last weeks of the production process makes theatre on campus a unique environment. “I’m completely confident in saying that the community that the whole theatre company has built is the strongest, the most close knit community on campus,” said Crosby. “It’s honestly what has gotten me through high school.”