The MCHS fall play crew are the people you don’t see who prepared behind the scenes for Radium Girls.
The fall crew was busy getting ready for their shows on Oct. 26 and Oct. 28. They were working on Radium Girls, an impactful story that happened throughout history, especially for women and workers’ rights.
The director of the play, Ms. Christina Duris, chose this team of people for her crew because she believed they would execute her passion for the project properly. There are many different crews that all go into production, including stage, marketing, sound, props, and hair and makeup.
Choosing to be in such a club that has such a commitment as this can be difficult, and many may have their doubts about it.
Stage Crew is one of the many crews that play a huge role in a production. They move sets on and off the stage as well as designing and figuring out what sets would look best for each scene in a play.
Freshman Ava Rockrohr, part of the stage crew, was preparing for Radium Girls as it was her first year participating in an MCHS play.
“I like it being busy because it gives me things to do, ” Rockrohr said. “I also like the anxiety that comes with putting on the show, it sounds bad, but it’s really fun.”
Rockrohr loved her experience with putting on the play in middle school which made her want to continue during her freshman year.
“I like lifting things. I also just love being under the red light while moving things on stage,” she said.
When people think of the plays, they automatically think about acting but that’s not all that the club has to offer.
“I got into drama club because I loved Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen but I didn’t necessarily want to be on the stage acting,” she said.
Rockrohr believes that the silliness and goofiness backstage, having Duris as a director, and the people overall, just made her first year in fall play a wonderful experience.
“I’m excited for the play to happen but I don’t want it to be over, and people should do it next year,” Rockrohr said.
One crew that plays a huge part in putting on a production is the sound.
Sound is really important because it’s the reason people can even hear what’s happening on stage. They do a lot of the behind the scenes work that includes sound effects, the use of the microphones and more. They also had to coordinate music playing as people spoke on stage. Although it may seem like a boring job, it can be interesting and fun.
Junior Ethan Minch is one of the people who chose the opportunity to be a part of the sound crew.
“It was kind of one of the crews that I’ve always wanted to get into,” Minch said. “It was just more or less just a dart that hit the wall.”
He said sound crew is challenging, but fun.
“I guess it’s just improving at a certain skill set and being a part of a production that everyone gets to see and enjoy,” Minch said.
Participating in plays can also help many for when it’s time for real-world experiences and working a job.
“I want to work with circuitry and electronics after high school,” Minch said.
Being in sound will give him the experience he needs to prepare him even more for that job.
“Who knows? Maybe I could work in some sort of auditorium,” he said.
Although Drama Club is a great place to meet new people and engage, it can be quite time-consuming.
“I am kind of happy that I can focus more on my classes,” Minch said.
One of the main reasons why people even knew about the play is because of the marketing crew.
The marketing crew plays the role of reaching out to the school body and letting them know about the show. Marketing creates posters, reaches out to students and teachers, and also contacts radio stations and important offices to try and get the word out. Not only do they reach out, but they also design the overall merchandise for a production.
Senior Kailyn Cundari, who was a marketing manager, deeply enjoyed her time working with a team.
“I like being able to mandate things. I feel like it’s a different experience working with a team, rather than just working on one,” Cundari said. “I enjoy understanding what my crew can and can’t do because it’s kind of a challenge.”
Cundari has loved theater since she was a kid, especially the behind-the-scenes, but the story of Radium Girls is important to her.
“I think it’s incredible that our school is doing a story on such a serious topic where women have been ignored throughout history,” she said.
Since the story has been shunned throughout history, not a lot of people know about it.
“I think it’s amazing that we have a piece of media that can bring the situation to light, in an entertaining way, which attracts a lot of our audience,” she said.
As a marketing manager, Cundari had many responsibilities.
“I have contacted different news companies, mayors, and everything to try and get the word out,” she said.
Cundari has also had to design many of the posters around the school, as well as the artwork and merchandise for the play.
The week leading up to a play can be busy.
“It’s tiring and can drain you easily, but in the end, I like it, even if I only get like 2 hours of sleep!” Cundari said.
There can be a lot of emotions when it comes to putting on a production as important as this.
“I’m excited for the play to happen but I’ll be devastated when it’s over,” Cundari said.
Minch had similar feelings.
“I enjoy hanging out with my friends and I’m sad that I won’t get to congregate like this again,” he said.
Not only does MCHS put on a fall play, but also they also have children’s theater and a musical where many people can participate in the cast or crew.
