When the lights dim and the curtain rises, audiences often focus on the actors and music, but behind every production at Shadow Ridge High School is a dedicated team of theatre technicians, students who design, build, and run the shows. Their work is not just about hammering nails or adjusting spotlights, it’s about creating an immersive world on stage.
According to the theatre tech teacher, Mrs. Hartley, the program teaches students essential hands-on skills that combine creativity with engineering.
“We learn how to use tools and equipment and how to build things that will support weight because actors dance on platforms, staircases, sometimes in second stories,” Hartley explained.
This year, students are taking on particularly ambitious projects, including a rotating stage platform and tall triangular pillars that turn to reveal different painted scenes. These projects allow technicians to create multiple locations on stage quickly, adding depth and flexibility to productions.
Nicole Richards, senior, says, “I get to learn a lot about social skills while I’m working with the other technicians. I also get the opportunity to learn how to build furniture and different sets for our plays, even when we’re on a tight schedule.”
Theatre tech is carefully structured so students build a foundation before specializing. In Tech I, students rotate through all technical areas, tools, drafting, lighting, sound, and props. “Everybody learns the basics,” Hartley said. In advanced classes, Tech II, III, and IV students still rotate, but also have opportunities to focus on areas that interest them most or align with potential career paths after high school.
The program isn’t limited to plays alone. Shadow Ridge’s tech students are involved in nearly every performance on campus. This year, they are working on the school’s musical production of Hadestown. Students took the lead on script analysis, research, and design, and now they are building sets and costumes.
“Most of the sets and costumes are all student designed,” Hartley noted proudly.
Beyond theatre, the technicians also support concerts for band, orchestra, choir, and guitar by running lighting, sound, and backstage operations.
Cawa Bostick, junior, states, “We learn how to use tools and equipment and how to build things that will support the weight of the actors that perform. We get good experience from all of the work we do and out into our shows.”
Theatre tech at Shadow Edge High School isn’t just about preparing for the next play. It’s about teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and responsibility. Whether students go on to pursue theatre professionally or simply carry these skills into other careers, the program gives them confidence and experience that will serve them long after the curtain fall
