How to Be in Theater Tech Crew in High School

High school can be a socially awkward time. Many students find their niche in the theater tech crew. Theater techs build sets, make costumes, run light and sound and stage-manage drama productions. Although their work may go unrecognized, they're the backbone of the drama program. If you want to learn new skills and are ready to take on responsibility, the theater tech crew may be the place for you.

Instructions

1. Enroll in a technical theater class if your school offers one. If no class is available, talk to the drama coach or teacher and find out more about the theater tech crew's responsibilities. You'll learn that the tech crew does everything but act to keep every production running.

2. Learn about the different tasks a tech crew handles during a production. The tasks include designing, building and painting sets for each scene in each act, as well as moving the sets between scenes and acts. The crew makes costumes for each actor and helps the actors change costumes between scenes and acts. The crew runs the lights so that the spotlights and backlights work in every scene and the house lights go off and come on at the right times. Members adjust the variables in the sound system so that the entire auditorium can hear the actors when they should.

3. Talk to members of the theater tech crew to learn skills involved in each task. If you don't know much about construction, building sets is a great way to learn about using tools and basic building. Making costumes can teach or improve your sewing skills. Helping actors change clothes between scenes lets you understand what working behind the scenes at a modeling photography shoot or a fashion show entails. Work with the lights and audio systems to learn how they're used.

4. Evaluate your strengths and skills to decide in which areas you're best able to help and in which you're most interested. Working with the theater tech crew allows you to learn new skills and build new strengths and may ultimately help you choose a career path.

5. Remember that as a tech crew member, you must be the first to arrive and the last to leave every rehearsal and production, as well as participate in special tech run-throughs.

6. Decide if you're ready to commit to the work involved in being a member of your high school's theater tech crew. Members of the crew spend many hours preparing for each production.

Tips & Warnings

• Meet the members of the tech crew and get to know them well, since you'll work closely with each member of the team.

• Take advantage of the opportunity to learn specialized skills like lighting or sound management. The hours you spend may help you get an internship before college. It looks good on an application for a job or for grant or scholarship money for college or technical school.

• Don't give up. If there's no place for you this year, hang around and try again next year.