No matter how prepared we seem to be by the time tech week rolls around, in reality, you can never be truly prepared for what this week lays ahead, ending with opening night for the production.

It's the week we love to hate. The time where all the technical elements get put into place for the show. It's long, and at times, it seems that it will never end.

I just recently got through this week and our show is now in it's performance stage. It was my first tech week as an assistant stage manager at the university I am attending, and I do no know how I made it through. It felt like I was constantly running from stage right to stage left, or even out to the house or upstairs to costumes. As the ASM backstage, I'm trying to make sure it all goes smoothly with props, actors, crew, and set pieces.

With all the technical aspects in our show, getting through cue to cue was a blessing, even if we didn't get it done sooner than we wanted.

It's the week where we practically live at the theatre, but honestly, we wouldn't have it any other way. The long drive was worth it, knowing that I'd soon be reunited with my beloved theatre.

It's the week that you are surrounded by your theatre family, you're chosen family, the ones that you can count on no matter what. If it wasn't for them, I would not be getting through tech or let alone school.

It's the week where sleep is only for the weak. Where you say goodbye to your comfy bed till at least after opening night. Where all outside communication cannot be comprehended if it's not about the show. But always remember to bring snacks to every rehearsal.

It's the week where on the very last dress rehearsal, the fire alarms goes off at least half of dozen times. But you know what they say, bad rehearsal, great performance.

Tech is long, boring, and, extremely stressful, but it's something we'll never be able to avoid and always has to be done. You can try to prepare for it, but tech will always have it's own plans in store for us. That all changes when you're standing on that side of the stage, and the final note is sung, or final word is spoken and it goes to curtain call. You can't help but to feel a sense of pride and smile as your fellow actors are up there. We all played a roll in getting this together. And I wouldn't have it any other way.