Scenes were stopped and restarted mid-song. Lighting cues were adjusted down to the second. Costume racks crowded the wings as actors rehearsed changes that had to happen in less than a minute. During tech week for this year’s winter musical “Pippin,” every detail was pushed toward precision in the days leading up to opening night.
Much of the work that had been practiced separately throughout rehearsals came together for the first time in complete runs of the show. That integration also heightened the stakes for performers.
The majority of the pressure of the show builds around quick changes: moments when actors have only seconds to change costumes before returning to the stage. These changes were carefully practiced in advance, but during tech week, timing became critical.
Junior Jack Sobolewski, who plays Pippin, explained that quick changes are rarely simple. Recalling a past production, he described a moment when an actor had to be transformed into Cinderella’s ball gown.
“That was literally six people trying to get one person into a dress. It’s one look to another, but it takes an entire village,” he said.
For performers, the mental preparation also intensified once technical elements were added. Freshman Alice Hoffman, who plays Fastrada, described how she prepared before stepping onstage.
“I take a deep breath, shake out my body, and put myself in the character’s shoes…I ask, ‘What would they do?’ and make bold choices,” Hoffman said.
The layout of Strayer Theater added another challenge. The wings sit close to the audience, which requires actors to practice staying alert and quiet even when they are off stage. During tech week, when cues were tightly timed and carefully rehearsed to remain seamless, even small distractions could disturb the flow of a scene.
“It’s hard to fully get into your zone. You’re tucked into the wings, trying to support each other without making a sound,” Sobolewski explained.
Behind the scenes, tech crew members experienced the production differently. As lighting and sound were refined, they watched scenes repeatedly, noticing details that audiences may never see. Former tech member and sophomore Jiwoo Won said that repetition
built appreciation.
“We usually get to see the musical at least five times and it makes us love the musical more and more,” Won said.
By the end of tech week, the separate elements of music, lighting, movement, and costume had moved together into one, shaping the polished production audiences ultimately saw onstage.
