Tech crew: “Bye Bye Birdie” backstage

This year on February 2,3, and 4 Redwood Theater performed the musical “Bye Bye Birdie”. A lot of people took part in preparations to create such an amazing show. 

The technical crew, often abbreviated as the “tech crew”, are the people employed behind the scenes to control all the technical aspects of creating a concert, play, musical, opera or other live performance. They work backstage and their task is to organize everything. 

Alyssa Chan ’23 is a leader of the tech crew for the musical this year. She says, “So our job is to move set pieces and to make sure that things are moved on stage and are there on time and ready for the cast to move on and off stage.”

Chan is doing tech crew and she is also in an intern program at the L.J. theater She says, “I’ve been involved in theater and drama so I just thought it would be really cool experience to have.”

Chan says, “I staged the fall play ‘Space Princess Wars’ and I really enjoyed it. You get to work with the cast members and you get to be a part of a whole different show when you’re backstage.”

Chan says some challenges the team faces are that, “We need to be able to organize things backstage so members can move back there smoothly without running into everything. We have to make sure that everything is organized and that everything is there on time.”

While doing tech crew, Chan became inspired to continue doing it in the future, “I’m thinking about going to COS for the technical theater.”

Chan says, “It’s a lot of fun and it’s a whole new experience. If you want to be a part of a theater or a show like that but you’re not an actor then tech crew would be a really good way to get involved in shows without having to get on stage.”

Ethan Arellano ‘23 decided to join the tech crew this year. He says, “I wanted to do tech this year because I’m friends with a lot of the people who are a part of the musical and a part of the crew, so it seemed fun to do. Also felt like getting to be more a part of this school and helping out.”

Arellano says his job in tech crew is to, “Help the actors with their props by setting them up to be easily taken on stage when they’re needed for the scene and help take the props back into ‘the green room’ and organize them, to make sure our scene changes are efficient.”

Arellano says his favorite part of the work process is “Moving the bigger props/scenes because we get to help out more and we get to see how it all happens.”

Rebecca Acevedo ‘23 is also taking part in the tech crew. She says, “In preparation for the musical I helped to build and paint the set pieces, I also designed most of the lighting for the show.”

Acevedo has been doing stagecraft for 2 years, and it’s her favorite class. She says, “It is such a fun class and I am so thankful for Mrs. Galvan and all she has taught me. My favorite part is the problem solving the class requires in both building and painting.”

Karissa Orth ‘23 says, “This is my first year doing this! I wanted to do stage crew since freshman year but was too scared to ask.”

Orth is also enjoying her experience with the team, she says, “Our stage manager, Alyssa Chan, promotes a focused atmosphere. I know most of the stage crew members so it’s fun to work together with them.“

Tags: musical, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood rangers