TECH CREW TRAINING
Hello
This is an overview of what doing theater tech is like here at LWHS and about the application process. If you have any specific questions let me know. mstaiff@lwsd.org.
Because tech is potentially dangerous, complicated, and there is a lot of expensive equipment, I must keep the size of the student crew small. A small crew allows me to work closely with the students, learn who I can trust, give more hands-on training, keep everyone safe, and keep the equipment safe. So, there is an application process, and you need to apply and be accepted to do tech. Getting on the crew is very competitive. I typically receive two or three times more applications than I can accept each year.
I look at tech as a 3 or 4 year program where experienced Juniors and Seniors mentor and train Freshmen and Sophomores. I primarily recruit 9th and 10th graders as it takes at least a year for a new tech student to really develop their skills and become a strong member of the team. I generally only take Juniors and Seniors who already have previous experience doing tech at another school, church, community theater etc.
After applying and being accepted, there are three initial training sessions. These take place on a series of Wednesday afternoons in late September and early October. These sessions are about 3 ½ hours long and cover basic safety and some basic equipment operations. You must complete all three training courses. Please clear your schedule to be here. If you can’t attend the training, please do not apply.
Once you have completed the training you will be placed on the list of approved crew students. You will start getting emails from me about upcoming band concerts, choir concerts, parent information nights, talent shows, plays, musicals, and more. Everything that happens in the theater, you will be part of the crew running it. The little events only require a few student techs and we have about 20 on the crew. The big shows require everyone.
The initial training sessions don't go much farther than how to keep yourself, others, and the equipment safe in the theater. Working on dozens of small single night events is where you really develop your skills. You can choose your level of involvement at that point. If you really want to get in deep and learn about things like sound and lighting, you need to show up for a lot of the small events. If this is going to be sort of a fun side hobby for you, and all you want to do is help build sets and do set changes for the musical, you don't have to come as often. The students who show up more to the little events develop new skills and get the more important positions on the crew in the big plays and musicals.
When it comes to plays, musicals, and larger Talent show type events I need everyone on the crew to participate. We will build sets and props in the afternoons after school (you don’t have to come every time but you are encouraged to come often). We install the set, we spend a week doing tech and dress rehearsals and then students run all the lighting, sound, fly system, follow spots, props, set changes, etc... for two weeks of performances. For the Musical this typically amounts to 50-60 hours over three weeks, for the main play it’s about 40-50 hours, so tech is a big time commitment. This last year the average technician spent over 200 hours working on events in the theater.
It's a lot of work, but we have a LOT of fun together doing the work and the crew becomes a close family as we spend many hours together. Most of the crew stops in and hangs out in the shop at lunch. Many of my crew students are people who don't really feel like they fit in with the mainstream LW crowd for a variety of reasons. Maybe they are not particularly athletic and haven't experienced what it's like to be a key player on a team. Some love the idea of being part of a performance but don't like the idea of being out on stage in the spotlight. Some are just nerds who love technology, building things with their hands, art, and “making” things. If you are willing to commit to working hard to make the show look great, be a reliable, honest, kind, hard worker... we welcome you.
Tech is a team sport, and everyone plays a critical role in the show looking great. Much of the hardest work we do, no one in the audience realizes we did, but when you hear them laugh, gasp, or jump in surprise and you know that it was your effect / prop/ lighting/ etc. that made it possible, the extra work is all worth it to us. We only go out on stage for a bow on closing night of the two main drama productions. Occasionally we will have a few techs in costume so we can do a set change while the show is going, but most of the time we work quietly and anonymously in the dark to make everyone else look great. If this sounds appealing to you, tech might be a great place for you to plug in at LW and be part of something bigger than yourself.
One of the most exciting parts of being on tech is our trip to Los Angeles for backstage tours. Every other year I take our 11th and 12th grade techs to Los Angeles during spring break. We tour behind the scenes at a variety of amazing locations such as: Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, 4 Wall Lighting, The Festival of the Pageant of the Masters, and The Dolby Theatre. We also hang out and have fun at Disneyland at night. After the trip, many techs say it was both the most fun they had in high school and they learned critical things that helped guide their career decisions.
Applications are accepted for a little over a week, right after school begins in September. To make sure you don't miss the opportunity to apply, contact me and request to be put on the application information list. I will let you know when applications first become available.
Let me know if you have any further questions. And thanks for considering joining our Theater Tech Family!
Mark Staiff
Theater Manager
Lake Washington High School