It is the most absolutely exhausting time of one’s life. There are no breaks, no sleep, and no exceptions. Everything must go according to plan and if that does not happen, then a million different things could go wrong. It is essential that one follows what to do exactly as they are supposed to. It is a delicate process that can just as easily be destroyed as it can become something beautiful.

Now, I could be talking about any number of processes when I say all of this, but what I am really referring to is easily one of the most stressful, yet rewarding, experiences I have ever been involved with. Tech week for a musical or play production is a wild array of tasks, road bumps and resolutions thrown your way over the course of a couple of days. Although everything might supposed to be set in stone, who knows what bomb someone might drop on you during tech week. The fragility of a production during this time is extreme because so much goes into making a musical or play. It is not as simple as a couple of actors and actresses walking onto a stage and reciting some lines. There is the necessity of good lighting, proper sound, realistic costumes and makeup and much more. If you are doing a musical then you need to add in learning music and choreography which takes at least two months to cover if you have the allotted time available.

The process is significantly different depending on what role one plays in the production. This does not just include those who are performing onstage, but the required individuals who work backstage that make the show possible at all. Whether you are a director, stage manager, choreographer, music director or any other position, your hard work is vital to making a great show. Directors, choreographers and music directors do their job before everyone moves into the theater for tech week. They are considered to be members of the creative team that gathers together what the audience will be viewing from the actors. Stage managers, and stage crew work most vigorously during tech week and the actual performances. They do sound and lighting checks and calls, move and build set pieces and so much more. Whether you work before or during tech week, your job is an absolutely necessity for the production to be as great as it can be.

Personally, I have been incredibly lucky to work with an extremely talented cast and refreshingly dedicated production team during my time as a stage manager. Students that are so passionate about theatre is really a terrific thing. We are not required to produce a musical or play performance, we do it because it is what we love. Even if all of the odds are stacked against us, we make it happen which I believe is a very admirable thing. Nothing is easy when one is trying to put up a production, but no one said it would be. As long as you are working with respectable individuals that just want to make a show to be proud of, that is the only thing that should matter.