As hundreds of people flooded the O’Shaughnessy Theater on November 21 and 22 to watch the musical production of The Pajama Game, dozens of girls were unseen hidden in the background when the actors and actresses took to the stage.  These girls include the students in tech theater, who initiated the building of the set, and worked long hours during Tech Week so that the show the audience watches is a show that proceeds smoothly and effortlessly.

There are various aspects to the crew.  Some girls are required to participate because they take the course, Tech Theater with teachers, Jane Hiett or David Hiett.  In class, students build the set, get props, and set up other devices needed for the show.

Kayla Ylagan ’16 painted much of the set on her own time.”Ms. Hiett gave me the design ideas and I probably painted for ten hours!” said Ylagan.

Other girls volunteer for crew on their own time.”Tech is really a good workout!  We’re always running around and moving things,” said Emily Polick ’16.

Running is, in fact, a major part of crew.  The running team constantly hands props to cast members and makes sure that the actors and actresses are in their places.  Liz Kottl ’17 and Krystyna Kaminski ’16 were the assistant stage managers who worked  the wings of the stage. “I’ve been doing crew since last year,” Kaminski said, “I’m in charge of everyone on stage and getting everything in order.”

Kottl, Kaminski, and a few other runners have headsets that connect them to the stage manager, Isabella Laurie ’15.  It was Laurie’s first year as stage manager.  The headsets allowed Kottl and Kaminski to communicate with Laurie, who was in the catwalk where the lights are controlled, as to when the stage was set and ready for the next scene.  Dianna Rivera ’15 and Ally Te ’15 had to listen for Laurie to cue them when to put the lights up.

“It’s fun sitting up in the catwalk.  Everyone on stage looks like little ants,” said Rivera.

Another key aspect to crew are the lights. Alexandra Barret ’16 and Meghan Marrs ’17 control all the microphones from the sound booth.  Actors taped microphone wires across their cheek which extended into the main unit in their pockets.  The sound crew had to follow the performance closely so that actor’s microphones are turned on only when they are in a scene.  During Tech Week, if actors were not onstage when they were supposed to be, other dialogue was picked up and blasted throughout the theater, providing a much needed laugh to the entire company, anxious for the show.

Costumes were distributed and kept track of by Grady Oller ’15 and Isabelle Walker ’15.  Katy Emami-Yeganeh ’15 was in charge of the makeup department.  A change this year included the purchase of professional stage makeup  for the cast, which promises to add for an authentic theater experience.