As someone who lives with a Technical Theatre major, I can say I never appreciated what the people behind the stage were doing. In fact, I never even paid attention every time I watched a performance. I just assumed that they didn't put as much effort as the actors did for their big stage performance. I learned quite quickly that they are what drive it all.

Now you might be wondering... what is a technical theatre major? When I first met my roommate I thought she just worked in a theatre. My ideas ranged from being an acting major to being an acting coach. I had absolutely no idea the amount of effort she would put into the theatre department when the first production ran here at Rider University.

It's time for you to understand why they deserve a standing ovation at the end of a performance.

My understanding started when my roommate got her first position the first semester as a freshman. I don't remember exactly what it was, but she was excited to have it. A huge part of her position was coming back from rehearsals fairly late. While I was still doing my homework at eleven o'clock at night, I would be seeing my roommate for the first time all day. Since we were still getting to know each other, I would politely ask her how rehearsal was. While she explained it, I found it hard to follow along. It sounded so complex and so difficult to manage. She explained minor incidents that occurred, I felt like she had just come back from the most insane night shift a person could imagine. And...she did this every day.

As the semester went on and spring semester began, she got more and more opportunities working as either an assistant stage manager, a stage manager, and more that I don't even know the names of. To this day, no matter how many times she explains to me, I never know what she does exactly. All I know is after each rehearsal I ask her how it went. I'm more curious than anything, wanting to better understand what she does outside of seeing what the actors do.

On the rare occasion, my roommate will be back in our dorm room before me. Mostly days like those went better for her, but sometimes they're the opposite. I've seen her cry over rehearsals, and I've seen her laugh at them too. I've heard of the good times and the not so good times that occur during rehearsals. Every day, my roommate walks into the theatre every day and faces the challenges she knows that will be thrown at her. I laugh with my roommate at times because I know so many stories of people who probably won't recognize me in passing while we all walk to class.

However, my roommate is not the only one who does technical theatre, a fair amount of my friends do as well. I've been acquainted with those with the major as well, and I hear all the stories that go on in the theatre. Many are good, but some are cringe-worthy.

But why should people give more credit to the people behind the curtain?

It's quite simple.

Without them, there would be no performance. Of course, you need actors and actresses to put on the performance, but a show would struggle without the people who are conducting everything. I hear the word "cue" from my roommate more times in the day than any other word sometimes. This word means that they tell the actors when they enter the stage and when they leave. This can be done with lights, sounds, projection, etc., which is also part of the behind the scenes action. So much goes on that we don't see because we are extremely focused on the actors or actresses.

These people also build the props and make the costumes. It can take hours to days an even to weeks to make something for a show. And sometimes these people don't even go to the performances. They are never seen because they don't have to be seen. They are in charge of making the performance look and go smoothly, and many times they are the ones who design certain parts of the show.

And course, there are people working backstage. My roommate always says this line that I find hilarious "If I'm seen then I'm doing something wrong" when for an actor it's the opposite "if I'm seen I'm doing my job." If the people who are working backstage are seen, it can be a distraction for the audience and risk the shows performance quality.

So much weight stands on the shoulders of the people who run the show from behind the scenes. When you are watching a show, remember that there is a singular person in charge of an actors spotlight. Or look at the way the stage is laid out and think that someone made that design on paper first before it went into the physical form. Look at the colors and think that a person who is in charge of lighting design probably went through a hundred different designs before picking that specific one with those specific colors.

When you see those names on your playbill at the next play or musical you go to, look at the people who directed, managed, or design the show. Look at them as real people who put in all their blood, sweat, and tears into giving you the opportunity to be entertained. You may not be able to see them, or they may not even be at the show but look at your surroundings. The prop that the actress is sitting on most likely had been crafted and made specifically for that performance. It probably took long hours to paint and decorate the stage the way the designers had thought of.

The old-fashioned looking gown a woman is wearing may have started out as a piece of fabric bought at a local store. The people backstage made these costumes or thought about these designs for hours. They have to think every single possible way the colors, actions, and lights can be interpreted. They go so in depth with everything, that perhaps even the people performing the show do not recognize or understand.

If you are perhaps a performer yourself give the people who work on the show with you a hug. You may not always see the effort they give to make the show run smoothly, but they do it. Everything that happens for the show goes back months before with planning and casting and creating. It is not just the actors and actresses that make the show, it is the entire theatre department. Without the technical theatre people, there would be no actors.

I spoke to a couple of technical theatre majors here at Rider University, and I got some interesting feedback:

"I am a costume designer, wardrobe supervisor, and makeup designer/supervisor. Which means I come up with the ideas and renderings for the costumes, then I pull and or make the needed pieces to make a character's costume. As a supervisor I run the show backstage and make sure everyone is in the correct costume, is wearing it properly and run quick changes. I'm also there in case there are any wardrobe malfunctions so I can fix it immediately.

As a makeup designer/supervisor I not only come up with ideas for how the makeup is to be done, but I also execute these designs during the show. For shows such as "These Seven Sicknesses," I prep/execute all the blood and gore as well as apply all of the makeup seen on the actors. I like to give this to the actors and audience because I have always loved theatre and started as an actress but learned that my true love was being backstage doing costumes. I love entertaining people. I truly believe there is nothing more satisfying than hearing the reaction of the audience after something you worked so hard on was executed perfectly."

"I am a stage manager and scenic painter. I spend about 4 hours each day in the shop painting and creating the set with some of the most wonderful people ever to exist. In a collaborative effort, all of the shop workers make the world of the play. We add color, texture and using a variety of paints and techniques, make the set look the way envisioned by the designers and direction staff. I spend my evenings in rehearsals as a stage manager. I make daily schedules for cast and crew members, track blocking, props, cues and actors, while facilitating a productive and positive work environment.

As stage managers, we are the communicators between the actors and artistic staff. We document and notate any scenic, sound, lighting, props, projection, costumes, makeup, and administration. I grew up around theater because my older sister loved to perform, and I would always find myself staring at the set and watching transitions thinking it was the most amazing thing and being so curious of how it all worked. When I got into middle school I found myself as a stagehand for a production of Seussical and from that moment I was hooked. I loved helping create the world of the play and there's nothing more amazing then witnessing the audience's reaction to the elements of the show that you and all of the other amazing and talented technicians and designers worked so hard on."