When hundreds of students, families, and staff pile into North Atlanta’s theatre on March 20 and March 21 to see an incredible production of Mamma Mia!, their attention will likely be drawn to the talented actors and actresses under the stage lights. What they may not notice, however, is the very set that those actors stand on—something so vital to the show, yet so easily overlooked. Long before those lights came on, the Dubs’ theatre tech crew had spent countless hours measuring, painting, and assembling the various set pieces. While the work itself may not take center stage, without it, the show could not go on.
The process begins, of course, with building the set itself. Theatre tech students, with a truckload of materials and some last-minute Home Depot trips, handcraft that structure into the backdrop of the show. Everything has to be precise, sturdy, and look as if it was taken straight off of a Greek island, sometimes leading students to stay after school for hours each day cutting and constructing pieces. One of these students is junior Emory Clay, who has participated in this controlled chaos since her sophomore year. “It’s really cool to see the set come to life.” She said, “It starts as a pile of wood, and before you know it, you’re in Kalokairi.”
Once the wood is cut and nailed together is when the real star of the show emerges: paint. Paint transforms what were once wooden structures into true Mediterranean architecture. Students spend hours mixing colors, layering paints, and, of course, detailing the set pieces with intricate designs, truly bringing them to life. That addition of color is vital to truly bringing the pieces to life, at least according to junior Elizabeth Adams. “Painting is probably my favorite part of the process,” she said, “it really brings it all together.”
While theatre tech may involve a lot of independent pieces and processes, it is ultimately about teamwork. Collaboration is a vital part of the production process, with set pieces needing to fit together seamlessly. Students rely on others to keep the process moving along, and to eventually be able to put the pieces together, forming the finished set. Spending countless hours together nearly every day after school is bound to bring people together, something that sophomore John Henry Collins is especially grateful for. “Nothing really works unless we work together,” he said, “seeing the finished product on stage is going to be insanely rewarding.”
When the lights go out and the curtains rise, the endless hours spent by the theatre tech team will be evident. Pieces showcasing hours of hard work will be the backbone of every scene, demonstrating the time and work put into the background. While their work may be primarily behind the scenes, every carefully built piece helps bring the story to life.
