Behind the Curtains: Tech Week Uncovered

By Dora Liu

It’s time to take a peek behind the curtains. 

Last Friday, November 17th, Dalat Drama Production returned with another showpiece, Afraid of the Dark. The premiere night was an immediate success, packed with an excited audience. Tech Week, usually the most busy time of year for cast members, was especially significant to the show's success. 

What is Tech Week? Tech Week is the first time most of the “tech”—lighting, sound, etc, become part of the rehearsal, which usually takes place in the week leading up to the actual show. 

Due to the tight schedule, all actors and backstage crew must stay in Harbor Hall and rehearse every night of Tech Week until the premiere night. Nightly rehearsals can run from 4 until 8 or 9 pm, with at least one full-dress rehearsal that simulates an actual performance to ensure everything goes smoothly. 

Wonhoo Shin (9), one of the backstage crew, discloses his schedule for Tech Week. “I would have to do everything from 3 to 4 before drama, or go home and stay up until 12 to finish,” he says, “but sometimes when I’m really tired or didn’t have any homework, I would just go home and sleep. It’s hectic but also fun.”

Luckily, Ms. Geiman’s cooking came to the rescue when the cast needed strength. Emma Yeap (12), also a backstage crew, remarks, “Every day she cooked, apart from Thursday because it was Thanksgiving, so we had a lot of leftover food from PTO. On Saturday we had breakfast for dinner, waffles, sausages, things like that.”

In the months before the performance, drama members attend rehearsals every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday for around 5 hours of rehearsal per week. Apart from weekly rehearsals, every cast member must attend two workday sessions on Saturdays before production night. All the work amounts to the impressive stage set to accompany the play. Eric Shyu (11), who played Joe the Telephone Man, says, “The walls, the doors, basically everything were painted by us.” It’s easy to see how much effort was put in to ensure the stage looked perfect for the scenes. 

Every impressive performance takes hard work. Despite the long hours during Tech Week, the cast members gained experience and had fun working on the production. With delicious meals as a bonus, wouldn’t you want to sign up next time?