San Marin’s Technical Theatre (Tech Theatre) is a part of the Visual and Performing Arts department.
It can be considered community service or an eighth period elective held after typical school hours. Students in Tech Theatre are able to experience the behind-the-scenes production of the arts department.
Tech Theatre teacher Steve Hess has been in the Tech Theatre industry for over 20 years, and has been teaching the class at San Marin for three.
Students usually put in 100 hours or more prior to a performance. They are put into six different teams, with each team being in charge of a different behind-the-scenes speciality. The teams include costumes, stage management, lighting, sound, set builders, and front of house management.
Each team has a different schedule, including weekdays and weekends, and during tech week, the week before a show, many students put in additional hours to ensure everything is complete.
Senior Giselle Shih has been in Tech Theatre for four years and is on the stage management team. Stage management is in charge of managing each of the sub-teams: lights, sound, costumes, and sets.
Usually, stage management members put in 10 to 15 hours a week. Members from stage management check in with leaders of each sub-team to make sure work is being done.
Junior Jocelyn Cepeda is a second year tech theatre student who was on the costume team for the spring musical, Hadestown. Her team is in class on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays and are in charge of making costumes from scratch for the actors.
Senior Dylan Fish is on the sound team, inspired by his dad who set up lighting and sound for events across the U.S. Set builders are in charge of building all the sets and props for the musicals and plays from scratch.
All of the students learn how to record performances and become familiar with the ins and outs of the PAC.
