By Nicole Lipner
Technical theater is often one of the most overlooked parts of a production. While the actors sing in the spotlight (ironically, the one the techies are operating) and get flowers and praise, the crew members are left in the dark without much recognition.
The US Department of Education data suggests that fewer than 30% of high schools offer courses in theater, and even fewer include technical training. Nyack High School, known for its award-winning theater program, is not within this 30%.
Technical theater involves all the technical elements of a stage production, including set design, lighting, sound, and management. “Techies” work tireless hours to prepare for a show, with the infamous tech week sometimes lasting over 8 hours per day. Building the sets themselves can take weeks, and stage managers are tasked with the responsibility of attending every cast rehearsal.
When Nyack High School announced Peter and the Starcatcher this fall, over twenty students showed interest in joining tech, many of whom were freshman who had never done crew before. This led to many of them being chosen for “run crew,” or the team that's responsible for working during the actual shows.
But while many students think of tech as a hobby or as a resume booster for college applications, some have found true passion in the field.
“Theater is the best thing to happen to me, I don’t think I could survive without it,” said junior Abigail Cohen, the Assistant Production Stage Manager for Peter and the Starcatcher. When asked about pursuing technical theater in college, she responded, “I don’t think college is necessary for this field, but there is always more stuff you can learn. It also is a great experience and will give you connections in the field.”
With over 90 colleges in the United States offering degrees in technical theater, thousands of graduates enter the field annually. As proved in an article by Michael Simkins for The Guardian, only about 2% of performing arts majors (i.e. acting majors, music majors, etc) end up “making it,” and the odds are generally much better for those who chose to spend their lives behind the scenes, even if their eventual career doesn’t exactly match what they studied in college. They might go on to work on Broadway, but they also might work on films, television shows, in sports management, for political events, or even on the business side of entertainment. SUNY Purchase, one of the top theater conservatories in the country and only 30 minutes from Nyack, offers a specific double degree in Theater Design and Technology and Arts Management -- a program that would certainly give students an invitation to different types of feasible and creative careers.
This is not to say that a performing arts career isn’t attainable -- because it absolutely is. But, statistically, a technical degree is more applicable to a wider range of jobs. Students learn about management, architecture, engineering, and computer networking. These are all real, transferable skills that are undoubtedly helpful in whichever field the student decides to pursue.
So, the next time you find yourself at a production, whether it’s professional or through Nyack High School’s Drama Club, consider the ones who work long hours behind the scenes. Give them praise. Give them flowers. Shine the spotlight on them.