Before they got the news, the Tech Theater students were eager and excited to hear the announcements; but they stood in disbelief once they received word from the Tech Theater directors.
For the first time, the Theater Magnet is staging three musicals within the same year. They have already successfully performed “SIX” on September 26th and “Seussical” in early January. The final production of the year, “Carrie,” is scheduled for January 30th.
“It actually came about because our students were so passionate about it,” said tech theater director Emily Whitman.
Following through with planning, the teacher directors decided to stage all three productions. Senior assistant technical director Julian Casados and junior assistant stage manager Ollie Reisinger said they were shocked when they found out they were managing two of the musicals.
“That was crazy because it was the first time we really had two musicals, and that was already a lot,” Reisinger stated.
Reisinger and Casados faced significant challenges in managing and preparing for “SIX” and “Carrie,” noting the quick turnaround between performances.
“It is a very quick turnaround, two weeks and a couple of days between the shows to be able to prepare before going into the next one,” Reisinger said.
The students also faced unexpected obstacles while preparing for other productions, such as “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”.
“One person fell through [the set], which was a little scary,” Reisinger said. “There were also just challenges with running behind somewhat and keeping things on track.”
Despite the challenges, tech theater director William Covington said the sets were relatively simple to prepare.
“For the sake of playing, this one has actually been really easy for us compared to how shows usually go for us,” Covington said.
The tech crew reused platforms, stairs, and modular pieces from previous sets, which helped them finish the actual set in a couple of days.
“We just had to put them together into the shape that we wanted them to be,” Covington said.
Brooks and junior actress Isla Usie, who plays Carrie, acknowledged the challenges of fully embodying their characters.
“Because the character I play is such a terrible person, I’m just trying to watch the movie, read the script, and think thoughtfully about how I’m going to portray that,” Brooks said.
The cast and crew of “Seussical,” which was directed by freshmen, also faced similar challenges. Freshman Jazzy Garcia, who played Gertrude, said learning the music and lines was a big adjustment. However, she was ultimately happy with her role.
“I was going for Jojo, but once I got Gertrude, I was like, ‘Wait, this fits me so much better than Jojo,'” Garcia said.
Freshman Amelia Hollis, who played Horton, said the preparation process was intense where they only had a few days to learn the music and some of the lines before audition.
Garcia said the most memorable moment of the production came during the final performance. While they were under the platform, Hollis bumped her head and split open her eye right before the performance.
“She went out on stage, performed, and then got help,” Garcia said.
Reisinger said although the students working on all three musicals have faced remarkable challenges, they are confident everything will go according to plan.
“It’s been a pretty smooth process, and I think the cast knows their parts really well,” Whitman said. “I think they’re ready for the energy that the audience will bring.”
With “Seussical” and “SIX” completed, the only remaining musical production is “Carrie.” Reisinger and Whitman expressed confidence that it will be ready for performance on schedule.
“I feel that things will be much more prepared than maybe they have felt in years prior,” Reisinger said. “I think everyone is pretty on top of things and organized, and I’m excited for how it’ll turn out.”
