Late nights, stage lights, blueprints, wires, and microphones––welcome to the life of a member the student “tech crew” in charge of the technical work behind the school plays. These students spend long hours in preparation for each school production including the upcoming fall play, “You Can’t Take it With You,” showing October 29-31.

The tech crew makes sure the play turns out the way they and the director want the audience to see it. “We make sure the stage is lit, that it works with what the director envisions, that it works with the theme of play…We’re the people who know how to make it happen,” said senior Alex Patow, the lighting designer and technician.

Trying to make everything work so precisely is not always easy. “The hardest part is fixing problems because some things just seem not to work…You have to do it sometimes when the play is going on,” said Patow.

Between all of the time-consuming preparation and problem solving, tech work requires commitment and dedication far beyond that of many other activities. “It’s a really demanding thing to do; it takes a lot of your time and a lot of your commitment. Just finding ways to balance it with everything else you have to do is really tough,” said junior Lauren Effertz, a lighting director and technician.

Some may be intimidated by the commitment or exclusiveness of this small, tight-knit group of students, but they would always appreciate new members. “We always need some kind of help, whether we need spotlight operators for a show, or we need help with set building,” said Effertz.

The satisfaction of seeing the final result more than makes up for the any challenges that come with such a serious commitment. “The best part for me is seeing it all come together opening night,” said Patow.

All in all, each of the “techies” feel good about their decision to be involved. “It’s really fun, it’s a really good experience for all of us. We’re really tight with each other,” said Effertz.