Ready? Set? Build.

Saws buzzing, paint dripping, and laughter filling the tech room as tech crew members build the sets for next month’s fall play “The Twilight Zone.”

Tech crew members are creating six different sets for the different episodes scheduled for performance from Nov. 8 through Nov. 11.

Each episode has dedicated leaders to ensure that everything is built in time for the show dates.

Crew member Jasmine Budzyn said, “We have such a diverse group, and it’s so welcoming.”

Tech crew is one of the major contributors to the play production. Crew members group together to design and decide who builds what.

“Before building we have a planning process,” Budzyn said.

“We play with ideas and do what’s safest, easiest, and lightweight. Time management is everything. Daily goals are set,” Budzyn said.

There are often difficulties when it comes to building and designing.

Wood might be cut too short.
Drills and drivers do not work.

The crew runs out of paint.

However, crew members try to find a way to work past these delays.

Besides building sets, tech crew takes care of sound and lights, another part of the play production.

Crew member Alondra Pinto said, “Lights and sound are both really important because without either you couldn’t see or hear the performers.”

Lights and sound can cause difficulties. Sometimes lights go out or mics do not work properly.

Sara Abutaleb said, “If you miss a que in mics, you could turn the mic on late or wait for the next cue.”

“In lights, you would have to skip that cue and go on to the next one. Most of the time, the audience never notices, so it’s really not that big of a deal as long as you just don’t go to black out early,” she said.

Pinto said, “Sometimes there are a lot of technical difficulties, but sometimes there aren’t. Last year for the musical, we had a lot of microphone issues with the channels. But in the end, it was fixed. It was the first major difficulties we had.”

Although there can be many difficulties in tech crew, members said they also enjoy fun times and memories being made every day. Throughout the weeks spent together, bonds and friendships become stronger.

“Everyone is so encouraging. The feeling of messing up and then having people help you fix it is the absolute best,” Budzyn said.

Abutaleb said, “The people you hang with in booth – something about it is different because you have all these inside jokes with everyone up there, and you’re allowed to mess around.”