As audience members watch performers during Urban theater productions, they may not think about the people controlling the spotlight or managing sound effects. These people are members of tech crew, the team that works behind the scenes to help school plays run smoothly.
Tech crew’s primary responsibilities include running the lights, creating sound effects, constructing sets and fabricating costumes for productions. “Tech is [like] a big puzzle, and there’s a lot of magic that [has] to happen,” said Nicole Apostol Bruno, Urban’s costume designer and supervisor.
Students work on school productions and various other events held in the Performing Arts and Community Center (PACC), including concerts and MultiCulti-led events. Tech crew offers various levels of student involvement, such as run crew, which helps move props and set pieces backstage during a production, and a larger student leadership position, called the director’s team, that works on productions.
Tech crew’s behind-the-scenes nature can lead to less acknowledgement of the group’s efforts. “I feel like most people don’t know how much work it is to get prepared and then do a whole show,” Naomi Kaplan ’28 said.
However, tech crew is beginning to gain more recognition: this year, Urban has formed an official Technical Theater course, separate from work on productions, which goes over aspects of tech such as lights and sound.
“I’m excited that we’re moving into an era where … [theater] tech is a thing that people are thinking about and taking seriously,” said Harper Lind ’27, assistant technical director and production manager.
Because students spend so much time on their work, tech crew has formed a closely knit and welcoming community. “What’s really nice about Urban is how familial the entire theater company is,” said former Urban student Gale Woodbridge ’28, who did run crew for Urban’s 2024 production “The Princess Bride” and costumes for “Grease,” Urban’s 2025 musical.
“My first year [teaching], … there was an established squad of seniors [in tech crew] that were really essential in making me feel welcome,” said Technical Theater Director Claudio Silva.
Woodbridge shared a similar experience. “As a freshman, it [was] hard to break into established communities within Urban,” she said. “I made a lot of my really close friends through Urban theater tech.”
Tech crew offers opportunities for students to join the group regardless of availability or prior experience. “I really try to make [tech crew] accessible … [and] try to engage students where they’re at, ” Silva said.
Since it encompasses many fields, including technology, carpentry, visual arts and fashion, tech crew allows people of different interests and learning styles to participate. “I think there’s a lot of room in theater tech for both visual arts people and non-visual arts people,” Kaplan said.
Whether it’s taking the Theater Tech class or getting involved in school productions, there are many ways to explore tech crew. “The more folks we have, the more we can do,” Silva said. “Come ask me about it. My door is always open.”