In the midst of their biggest production ever, Tarzan, Alden High School’s performing arts team is looking into the future. The arts have been gaining more and more attention over the last few years with more elaborate productions like Wizard of Oz, A Christmas Carol, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Little Shop of Horrors, Spook House, and now, Tarzan.  Attendance numbers have been climbing as each production’s overall showmanship grows as well. This is one of the many reasons Alden CSD has begun updating outdated equipment in the Wilson R. Conrad Memorial Auditorium. Behind each production has been a very dedicated and hardworking group of students that aren’t typically acknowledged publicly;  Stage Crew members.

Alden High School’s Stage Crew, under the direction of Mr. Masci, operates as a specialized group who learns more than just technical theater along the way. One unique aspect of Stage Crew is that they learn incredible real-world skills like effective communication, leadership, and more. Many students may not think about Stage Crew as an option in High School. Commonly, they’ve found that this is partially because high schoolers don’t know what to really expect. In summary, Stage Crew is responsible for designing, building, practicing and running productions at Alden High School. This mission is accomplished specifically by having students in roles like Stage Manager, Scenery Design Manager, Lead Technician, Technician, Stage Crew, and more. However, you don’t necessarily need a specific set of skills to join. Alden High School’s Stage Crew leaders are excellent at developing new members on their own. Whether you’re the Lighting Technician designing lighting for scenes or a painter painting the unique scenery, each person’s role is incredibly important to the production.

Joining Stage Crew as an underclassman is a good idea. The most effective model for Stage Crew is someone who develops with the team over the years.

Typically, Stage Crew members work on both the Play and Musical as well as any other events sponsored by Theater Club or Vocal Music Club. Recently, Mr. Masci has announced that he is seeking new members to join the team.

“We’ve had a great run over the last several years” he says. “We have been able to develop a ‘well-oiled machine’ with our current stage crew. Most of them I’ve had the pleasure of working with since their middle school days. Unfortunately, we haven’t overly focused on attracting new students to the team while the others have been developing. Now, during the biggest production we’ve seen, is the best time to act. To ideally have a new group, shadow these ‘veterans’ would be the best opportunity” Mr. Masci said.

Mr. Masci explains that this is a very time-consuming activity. He says, for most people, “this is their sport” when referring to all of the hours his group puts in behind the scenes. He encourages anyone who is interested to let him know as early as possible. He adds that the pressure is on to replace a few key members like Trevor Lezynski (Stage Manager), Emily Beres (Scenery Design Manager), and Alex Bielawa (Asst. Stage Manager) as they prepare to close out their final season of performances in their graduating year.