Stage crew works hard throughout the year to turn a plain black stage into intricate and complex sets for the fall and spring shows.

This year, stage crew has gained many new members, many of whom are freshmen. Veteran members ran workshops to teach new members all about how stage crew works. Students split into three groups, each focused on a different topic to help them better understand how to produce this year’s show: Radium Girls.

Group one was run by juniors Ainsley Cheshire and Kerry Hunt. “We taught students how to move props quickly and quietly while making sure they get to where they need to go,” Ainsley said. “Props are a main component for the shows. A lot of the time, props are a central focus of a whole scene, so the prop being set or given to an actor in a timely manner ensures that the scene will be portrayed as we want it to for the audience.”

Props is also one of the tech positions students in stage crew can apply for. During their time in crew, students have the opportunity to split into teams that work on different aspects of running a show. These include lighting, sound, props, management, run and flies. During the workshops, students were given a brief overview of each position and how they work.

The team responsible for explaining these different jobs was juniors Mariana Mollett, the stage manager and Julia Pellicone, a member of the lighting crew. Their workshop gave students tours of the stage while giving a brief overview of each department. Julia said “We showed everyone where everything is, things like the stage layout, directions, the shops, how it’s all organized and where everyone will be during the show.”

Freshman Morgan Rafferty, one of the new members who attended this workshop, said “Knowing the layout of the stage taught me the ins and outs and how to navigate the stage properly.”

The last of these workshops was power tools, more specifically, drills. This was led by juniors Erich Reichner and Lucia Bartuska. Freshman Joshua Reichner said, “This taught me that there are many restrictions and safety measures when using power tools. This workshop helped me get more familiar with things like power tools and woodworking.” These skills aren’t just useful for crew, though. Erich, a member of run crew, said, “Simple tools like drills are used a lot. Knowing how to do things like this on your own saves a lot of time. It also allows for students to start exploring their interests.”

The students who attended these workshops had a lot to say about what they learned. Freshman Abby Rettig said, “The workshops gave me an opportunity to learn more about the theatre community. It’s my first year doing theatre, and this helped me get more familiar with what I’m doing while also getting involved in school life.” Another freshman, Xander Bettencourt, said, “I learned all about the safety measures you have to take when using a drill. I learned about where we store all of our props, how the shop is organized, and how to store the tools and wood properly.”