On stage, students in costumes bow to thunderous applause, large smiles plastered on their faces fueled by an intense rush of adrenaline. Invisible to the audience, students dressed in black stand offstage, equally tired and equally relieved. These students perform the secret magic required for a play; they are known as the Stage Crew.

Just as there is more to acting than memorizing the lines and putting on the costumes, there is more to Stage Crew than the performance, according to Stage Crew Adviser Richard Winship. Leading up to a production it can take five or six weeks of staying after school five days a week, Winship says. There are numerous productions each year, each with their own individual set.

“[Creating a set] is about the requirements for that specific show,” Winship said. “It’s up to me to come up with something that fits with the concept and is interesting. As soon as I have the concept [it] is a matter of putting it down on paper so it can be transformed from what is in my head to reality.”

Sophomore Ben Kalish, Stage Crew member, says his love for Stage Crew stems from his brother, who was a member before he graduated last year.

“My brother used to do Stage Crew here, so the summer before my freshman year he started to bring me along,” Kalish said.

“I really liked it, so I just kept doing it all through last year, and I hope to [be a part of Stage Crew] until I graduate high school.”

Kalish says that he especially enjoys the construction side of Stage Crew, as it builds on his skills and furthers his knowledge.

“There are two parts: production and construction,” Kalish said. “My favorite part is construction because it’s something I can always improve on, [and] it’s a lot of fun to be able to build something from scratch.”

The process of building a set is no easy task, according to junior Emma Isaacs, who has been a Stage Crew member since freshman year. Isaacs says that Stage Crew builds platforms first, then moves onto the frames for walls.

“We paint [platforms] and put them up or [just put them up] depending on how easy it is,” Isaacs said. “Then the set gets painted [and] dressed with everything that needs to be done. Then lights get hung and focused [and] lighting queues get decided.”

While the commitment is substantial and the work can be tough, Winship says the members of Stage Crew have become incredibly close.

“We work really hard but we also have a lot of fun and when you work hard [for] long hours with people, you tend to know them really well,” Winship said. “We spend a lot of time together so we get to know each other’s different characteristics and sometimes they’re great, sometimes they’re irritating. It’s just like being in a family.”