With tech week coming next week I thought I would share my past experiences as well as give tips to get through the week. First I will start with how tech week works for those who may not know. So it starts with everyone meeting in the auditorium if there is an announcement, and then they go pick up their costume and get that on. Once their costume is on, the actor does their make up in the make up room, and then swiftly gets their mic, if they have one. After getting all of their stuff on, the actors get ready for mic check, to make sure everything is working fine. After this, the run of the show starts. This is meant to rehearse the show to make sure it is ready before opening night. During the run through all actors must be ready to go on when they are supposed to. They can hang out backstage or in their dressing room. I usually prefer to hang out backstage, but I recommend that if someone wants to be on their phone or not worry about being too loud that they hang out in their dressing room. At some point it will be time for dinner, no matter where they are at. Actors must grab their make up shirts to be able to eat dinner.
After dinner the play picks up where they left off. After the run through ends everyone goes to the audience to hear notes from the director. If there are any trouble spots then those scenes will be run through again, if not everyone will prepare to go home. Mics will be returned, and then costumes. Once this happens everyone can go home. My first tip is that people do this quickly so everyone can actually go home before at 9:00 and not any later. I also recommend that many people find friends to hang out with, as it will make the week feel shorter. I personally hang out with a bunch of my techie friends, and we tell stories and talk about the play, and it’s a lot of fun. Another thing I highly recommend is going to bed on time, as that is a huge thing in keeping one rested and ready for the next day. One time I didn’t go to bed at a good time and I nearly fell asleep standing up, so it is really important. I also suggest talking with teachers about work, as that will be really useful to know what you can or can’t do.
I know this makes it sound like tech week isn’t fun, but it really is. Tech week is a great way to get really invested in the play and in the community. I have done 4 shows, going onto my fifth, with 3 of those have a tech week, and I can say this, tech week is always a blast. It is a great way to really know one another, as being at school with someone for nearly 14 hours really bonds people. And there a lot of fun traditions like show shirt and golden hammer, which is where the cast votes on the best and most devoted actor and techie respectively. My personal favorite tradition is where the cast goes to NYPD, a pizza restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor, after opening night. It’s a really fun way to spend time with the cast and get a moment to eat pizza and reflect on the long week. So in conclusion, tech week, although being long and crazy, is a wonderful experience to go through to lead up to an amazing play. I hope those going through tech week will enjoy this, and I hope everyone will go and see Leaving Iowa next week.
Skyline Learning Center 