As they take on the task of a fall production, Monday through Thursday, the theater program works behind the scenes to make “Pride and Prejudice” a success. “Pride and Prejudice” is a story of love and humor based in Georgian England. The characters’ lives are turned upside down when love begins to arise in the neighborhood. The play will be performed Nov. 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center.

With a production like “Pride And Prejudice,” the tech crew is behind the curtain working the lights, scenery, sound, movement between scenes, all the sets, tickets, ushering in and advertising.

“It’s something new every day,” technical theater teacher Chris Trevino said. “We get faced with a challenge and us as designers and technicians have to figure out that challenge.”

The backstage aspect of the play keeps everything running smoothly while the actors perform on stage. Each person in the tech crew is assigned a specific job. There are three to five people working on the same task.

“The tech crew is what pulls the show together,” sophomore Grace Krull, who plays Kitty Bennet, said. “They are backstage doing everything. Without them we wouldn’t have a show.”

While the actors practice their lines, the tech crew steps in and starts to set up scenes and other aspects such as lights and sound in order for the actors to be able to go right into their acting.

“We basically do everything besides the acting,” sophomore Hayley Richard, who does props, said. “If there wasn’t a tech crew, it would basically be a person in a dark theater rehearsing lines.”

Students mostly lead the production. The teachers are there for the beginning rehearsals to train the students, and then they step back and only help when the need arises.

“Most of the times the students do it all on their own,” Trevino said. “I trust the students will be the crew and learn their position and know them, so I’m just there as a facilitator. But they do all the work.”

The cast and crew work no less than eight hours a week to keep the progress of the production moving along. Tech crew has to attend two practices including technical rehearsals and the regular rehearsals with the actors after school.

“During a performance backstage is very serious,” Richard said. “We aren’t strict and serious and ‘I hate you all,’ but we mess around with each other a lot. We do what needs to get done, but we have a good time doing it.”

The students use this opportunity and take it seriously just like if they were professionals. Theater gives them an opportunity to express themselves and further their experience as actors and tech crew.

“I think I want to continue in college,” Krull said. “In theater you can be yourself and be weird and no one will judge you.”

As the days of the performances come closer, the actors and tech crew prepare to showcase their talents.

“I’m most excited to see everything come together and to know that the students produced this, the students worked on this, the students made the production,” Trevino said.

Even though the actors and crew have two different jobs, they come together in the end to form one production.

“It’s a really good reminder that there are lots of clogs in the machine you may say,” Richard said. “There are a lot of parts that need to get done, and each part is important you know, and the final product isn’t always what the people see, but you have to remember there are lots of people working really hard to get where they need to go.”

story by Morgan Kiser // staff writer

A play set in England in the early 1800s, “Pride and Prejudice” follows the drama of Elizabeth Bennet and her family’s complicated lives. On Nov. 8 and 9, students will perform this story as the fall play.

Seventy-five students auditioned for the parts of Mr. Bingley and Bennet as well as Mr. Darcy, Mr. Collins and other characters.

Junior Jasonica Moore, who is playing Bennet, said she thought she wouldn’t get the part, but when she heard that she got the leading part, she was very excited. Moore said this was a show that everyone had to see, and she was glad she got this opportunity.

“It’s a big deal to me,” Moore said. “I love acting. I think everyone should come see it. Even if you don’t think you’re a fan of literature, it’s an amazing story regardless.”

story by Deatrik Bledsoe // staff writer