Growing up I was a theater kid through and through.

If I wasn’t at school or at work there was a 99% chance that I was in rehearsal. Sometimes this meant performing in plays and musicals with my high school drama club and other times it meant improv and musical theater classes, stage managing, and “teching” (i.e. running light and sound boards for shows) at a theater near my house. While I was thankful for my theater family at home, I didn’t plan to get involved with theater at Harvard—that is, until I saw an advertisement in the Harvard Class of 2021 Facebook Group this Spring looking for an Assistant Stage Manager.

I decided to take the job on a whim and, slowly but surely, theater has become one of my favorite things I do on campus. The first show I worked on was called “Operation 1600” and was about a group of goofy criminals working together to pull off a heist on the White House. Initially I was just supposed to stage manage, but when the Director couldn’t find a student to fill the last role I ended up in the cast too! It was hard work but I loved every minute of it. I missed my days of writing rehearsal reports and wielding my weapons of choice: spike tape (used to mark where set pieces go) and a clipboard.

This semester I decided to try something new: technical directing a production of “Romeo and Juliet.” Where stage managers are responsible for scheduling and sitting in on rehearsals, taking notes, writing reports for the production team, and a myriad of other responsibilities related to the show as they pop up, technical directors focus on planning and building the set and managing the different technical aspects of the show. We open after Thanksgiving Break and there’s still lots to do to get ready, so I’ll be in the shop most nights this week cutting wood and assembling different set pieces, painting, and helping hang lights. The community of people who do theater at Harvard is really tight-knit and I’ve met some of my closest friends on campus through late nights in the different theaters on campus.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been doing theater since you were 5 or you’ve never set foot on a stage before, there are so many experienced students and Harvard theater staff members eager help out that you’ll pick up the skills in no time. I’ve never built a set before and this semester I learned how to draft paint and lumber orders, use a circular saw (among other tools), and build a balcony. Out of the hundreds of ways that you can spend your time at Harvard, working on shows is truly a one of a kind experience. The community is robust and welcoming and I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to make theater a part of my life on campus!