From May 1-3, Tenafly High School showcased its production of Chicago, the celebrated musical that tells the story of America’s Jazz Age in the 1920s. The vibrant performances from the actors and the exciting music on stage has led to the show becoming the buzz of the school, and the center of attention among students and staff.
However, what truly brings the show to life is the striking design and dramatic lighting on stage, which pulls the audience into the setting and makes them one with the characters. The tech crew, led by co-stage managers Selah Jain (’25) and Adar Serok (’25), is the creative group behind the stage design and visual execution of school productions and, of course, of Chicago.
The tech crew’s preparation for Chicago started in mid-February, following the school’s previous production, One Acts. After the first two weeks of choosing the cast and managing the group, the tech crew got right into work with the stage design.
“We build all these platforms for the bandstand, and after all the construction of the jail cells, that’s when we begin our painting process and the actual designing,” she said. “Usually, we’ll do a digital design before we get to work. We map out all the dimensions, and then we get all the materials before we actually start building.”
According to Jain, who is also the lead scenic artist of the production, the experience of working on Chicago was more unique than others, as although there were fewer sets to move around, it was a visual show that put a heavy emphasis on the use of lights and shadows.
“The lights definitely play a big role, and I think it really adds to Chicago,” Jain said. “For example, those big letters spelling out Chicago, that’s such a central thing to the play, but they have no real purpose other than just for an aesthetic, versus other shows where we had to build an entire house and a whole room, and that was only for one set.”
To polish out the final production for the play, rehearsals for the tech crew and the cast took place at the same time. In the beginning, the two groups prepared separately, with the tech crew discussing its plans for painting and building the set while the actors practiced their lines or carried out their dance rehearsals. During the final days before the play, Jain oversaw the performance and figured out the best blocking positions for the actors and lighting on stage, all while managing the crew.
“When we get closer to the show during our dress rehearsals and our upcoming days, we focus on lighting cues,” Jain said. “So during the show, I have to call over a hundred cues based on different scenes and different light changes.”
Ultimately, show day was the most exciting and nerve-wracking moment for both the cast and crew, as it was the culmination of their months of practice and preparation. The crew busily gathered around the empty school at the call time of 5:30 p.m., two hours before the start of the play, anxiously making sure that everything was in place.
“We’ll sweep the stage, we’ll prep all the cameras, and we’ll make sure nothing is wrong with the lights,” Jain said. “We’ll test our mics, we’ll do our sound check, and that’s when the actors are really preparing to get on stage. And then, once the house is open, you have 30 minutes until the show will start.”
However, once the curtains flew open and the lights lit up, Jain and the crew worked with a sense of calm, overseeing the production with a precision gained through their countless hours of practice.
“It’s this really overwhelming but exciting feeling that overtakes you, and you kind of just go into autopilot because you know how much you’ve done, and you can only just go on that instinct and not overthink it,” Jain said. “And then once the show starts getting called, you realize how much fun you’re having and the energy in the audience. We had a standing ovation after the first announcement, and it was such a thrill and it makes you so excited, and all those nerves go away.”
Witnessing the results of the crew’s efforts responded to with laughter and praise from the audience, Jain was once again filled with a sense of jubilation, one that she can only get from seeing her crew’s creative endeavor come to life.
“I think there’s something so rewarding about being in the tech crew and seeing something come to life for a cause, along with the love and effort put into the show,” Jain said. “I think that’s what makes me so appreciative of being involved and having my role. It just really made a mark on my experience here at Tenafly, and I really couldn’t imagine these last four years without it.”
