I am a fairly new addition to the McCracken County theatre department and I’ve been involved in the production of the musical “Hello, Dolly!” that our school has put on this year and it has been an experience that I will never forget. My role on the tech crew is running lights, which is admittedly a pretty simple task but showing up after school for the past few weeks to help put the set together, getting to know members of tech crew and work with members of the cast in a more professional setting has been very interesting. My only regret is that I waited until senior year to get involved in this department because working with all of the students, Mrs. Bowden, and the technical director, Alex Dycus, has been a very fulfilling experience for me and I would’ve loved to have been a part of it for my whole high school career.

Getting to sit in on a few rehearsals has opened my eyes to how much work goes into any live theatrical production, the director,  the technical work, and the cast all come together to create something so complex and well thought out. I had not considered how many different people and things had to work in such detailed ways to make the show turn out as good as it does and it has caused me to appreciate every live production I have seen even more than I already had.

The general atmosphere from my experience has been very enthusiastic and positive and working with the cast and crew in the afternoons is something that I have looked forward to during the school day for the past few weeks. The show coming to a close is bittersweet as I know that I will have more free time but I will miss the fast paced, high energy environment on set. If you are in any way curious or interested in being a part of the theatre department, or really any department in our school, do not hesitate to sign up for things and put yourself out there because you can discover new hobbies and talents, and begin new friendships that may last a lifetime. Waiting until my last year of high school to involve myself in activities that interest me was a mistake that I regret and anyone, especially underclassmen, who want to try something, be ambitious and don’t be afraid to involve yourself because you may find something that you really love to do.