This Friday, November 4, at 7:00, the CHS musical, 'Anything Goes,' will grace the Nantkes Auditorium stage. While the audience may only see the cast members, this show wouldn't be possible without the backstage crew working in the shadows. 

The tech crew and the art club have built and painted the set over the past few weeks. For this year's production, the tech crew built a cruise ship-inspired set, full of wooden pieces decorated with intricate designs.

Art Club advisor Cindy Campbell says the paint job was inspired by "The Titanic" and "The Great Gatsby." The set's Art Deco look is full of fancy designs in a range of colors that incorporate the necessary elegance for each of the individual staterooms.

Stage Manager and tech leader Jonathan Reiff says that building these set pieces was loads of work. However, he says that his favorite part of participating in tech crew for this show was building the cabins of the cruise ship. He says that they were very intricate and odd-shaped set pieces to make. 

Reiff also shared about the challenging, more time-consuming set pieces to build, such as the upstage platforms on which the cast will be performing. He says they were massive items that took loads of planning, but the preparation paid off in a sturdy, fun-looking set piece that provides levels for the cast's 30+ members.

However, the tech crew doesn't just build and create the set; they captain the backstage as well. Reiff says that during a performance, the techies will assist with items, such as lav switches and costume changes. The backstage crew also takes care of any problems during a show, requiring quick thinking to help the show go on. He says he has been part of the tech crew for about 5 years after starting as an 8th grade while his sister was also a part of the high school crew.

Reiff says that his favorite part of being in the tech crew is all the different people you meet. Getting to meet the cast and sound tech is a wonderful learning experience for Reiff. He says, "you meet so many new people - people you didn't even know until that moment, and they were just down the road all this time. It's a joyful experience filled with memories that will last a lifetime, a show that everyone puts on together to entertain the audience."

All in all, the musical tech crew has worked really hard to make this set; they have worked just as hard as all the other students involved in this year’s musical. Make sure to attend this musical and witness all the hard work these students have put into the show; you definitely do not want to miss it!

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