Students in the theatre tech cocurricular work alongside the Hotchkiss Dramatic Association (HDA) to make mainstage productions happen.
Led by Mr. Derek Brashears, resident designer, and technical director, HDA Tech designs and builds sets, manages lighting and sound, and arranges costumes and props. Mr. Brashears often brings in advanced theatre tech students and outside specialists to work with the cocurricular. He said, “It’s awesome that so many students are interested and involved in tech.”
Ms. MK Lawson, instructor in theatre, and Mr. Brashears began working on the technical aspects of Chicago over the summer. By the time students arrived on campus, set and costume designs were complete and work could begin right away.
The fall tech crew built a variety of props and set pieces, including a three-level platform for the live orchestra and custom borders framing the stage.
Mr. Brashears said, “We decided to make the band visible to tap into that vaudeville aspect of the production while also incorporating elements of the jail, which you can see with the bars on the sides. Ring lights conjure up the narcissistic selfie culture that speaks to these characters.”
Designing and running lighting is a crucial part of HDA Tech work for each performance. Kris Lambert ’25, the lighting director for Chicago, used an AutoCAD layout to design the placement of the lights. He said, “Lighting design plays a powerful role in commenting on the fame and allure of celebrity culture. As the lighting designer, I assigned a color to each character. Billy Flynn is blue, Velma is purple, Roxie is pink, and Mama Morton is yellow.”
This fall, HDA Tech met five times a week in Walker Auditorium. Charlotte Schils ’26 said, “I’ve learned how to use power tools like circular saws and jigsaws, and I’ve met new people I don’t think I would have otherwise. We work and learn together to build a safe and functional set for the stage.”
As students in the cocurricular gain experience, they can work toward roles such as lighting, sound, and technical designers in mainstage productions.
