When I was 15 years old and about to start my sophomore year of high school, I was at school during the week before the year started waiting for marching band camp to start. As I was early that day, I had the thought to wander into the Studio Theater, which is where the theater department is based at Deerfield High School and is across the hall from the band room, to check out the Stage Crew and see what they were all about after admiring them from afar. When I walked into that Studio Theater and met the technical director and an older student and saw them working, I might not have known it at the time, but looking back at this day, I had walked into something that would ultimately change my life in so many ways and be one of my favorite experiences of my high school career.
The first show that I worked backstage for was DHS’s production of Harvey in the fall of 2010. I was so nervous going into this show because I was joining crew a year later than most of the people in my class, and I was afraid, for whatever reason, that I wouldn’t be accepted by the rest of the crew since this was my very first show. But I was wrong. Not only was I accepted and welcomed by the veteran members, but I made such amazing friends that I’m still friends with to this day. If I hadn’t gone and joined stage crew that year, despite having these reservations, I would have missed out on one of the most special things I’ve ever been a part of. Deerfield Stage Crew, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
One of the most special things for me about my time in stage crew was seeing a show come to life. Working with your friends for weeks at a time on a show that started as a sketch on a piece of computer paper and a script and watching it come alive, in a way, is one of the coolest things for me. Despite the long hours, the late nights, and all of the stress that comes with the territory, I made some of the best memories with so many special people, and these are memories that I carry with me to this day and continue to smile about. But, even though these long hours and weeks were tough and made us question why we were doing this to ourselves, all of us kept coming back and going through it all again and again because there’s nothing quite like the feeling of working so hard to put on an amazing production with your friends who love being there — it’s something that still makes me feel so proud.
DHS Stage Crew, thank you for everything you gave to me during my three years in crew. Thank you for the leaderships skills you gave to me. Thank you for all of the friendships that I treasure. Thank you for being a listening ear for when I was upset. Thank you for inspiring me to work hard and be a true team player. And, most of all, thank you for teaching me that the most important thing is the way we treat each other.
