When audience members take their seats at the Miles Playhouse for an Archer production, they watch the actors get on stage, the sets move and the lights change, but what they do not see is what goes on behind the curtains — the work of the tech crew.

This year’s upper school play “Blue Stockings” marked the end of the theater tech crew days for seniors Madison Tyler and Megan Escobar. Both Tyler and Escobar have been a part of tech in various Archer productions since they were freshmen.

“I started tech in ninth grade for ‘Spring Awakening’ and then I kind of fell in love with it,” Escobar said. “I got into it with a couple of my friends, and me and Madison were the only ones that stuck with it.”

Arts Department Chair Reed Farley said that both Escobar and Tyler have been a crucial part of the success of Archer productions and the development of technical theater at Archer in the past few years. He described the two as role models in theater productions and concerts.

“They don’t show their stress, they have a joyful approach, they have fun, they love what they do and they’re happy to help in any way possible,” Farley said. “They’re leaders, but they don’t lead with authority, they lead through collaboration—which I think has been key to their success.”

Megan Escobar

Escobar said she has loved her time as a tech crew member, particularly because of the sense of community these different productions have.

“I started doing tech mainly for the plays and the musicals, but then I did the dance show twice, all the spring concerts and the Drama Queens showcase,” Escobar said. “I love working with very creative people, and it’s a way for me to be a part of the productions and the shows without actually having to perform because that’s frightening.”

Her fellow tech members, who she referred to as techies, are all from different grade levels, but Escobar feels very close to them.

“Every tech person that I have worked with has been so considerate. We do a lot of work, but it’s not seen. It’s really genuine work. We are doing it because we either love it or we want the show to look fantastic,” Escobar said. “They’re [all] just selfless; they’re powerhouses. It’s awesome.”

As she leaves theater tech behind, Escobar reflected on what tech has done for her and fellow crew members.

“I was really, really shy and really unsure of myself in ninth grade,” Escobar said. “It brought me out of my shell a lot, and I think that’s what it does for a lot of girls because a common theme amongst techies is that, for the most part, we are all shy, but [we] all have so much to offer.” 

Escobar said she feels happy even though her time is “kind of over.”

“We started with just me and Madison, and this year we have thirteen girls on tech, which is the largest that we’ve had,” Escobar said. “That’s very exciting, and I hope people do it and continue to do it.”

Madison Tyler

Tyler turned to tech after not being able to take the Introduction to Film class during her freshman year.

“I turned to theater because I was like, ‘It’s close enough.’ I’ve grown throughout the process and I gained a voice,” Tyler said. “[I learned] that I can go into the arts and that I have a valuable contribution to it.”

Tyler took on the role of Assistant Director for this year’s upper school play after being stage manager for multiple productions.

“Usually, as a stage manager, I’m just writing down what the director says the blocking is — that’s how the actors move — but as an assistant director I was actually telling the actors how they move, ” Tyler said. “You bring so much of your own life experience to it and what you have gone through because that’s what you are pulling on to be able to give other people advice on how they should embody actual people.” 

Tyler described tech as an art form that has given her a voice and taught her to trust her gut and intuition.

“Ms. Pov would just be like, ‘Okay, Madison, time for you to say your piece and everything’ and at first I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is right, but maybe we can do this,'” Tyler said. “Being able to trust myself is one of the biggest things I learned.”

Tyler expressed a desire to be either a film director, producer or writer. Archer tech and the theater community have made her feel “confident” that she can succeed in those areas.

“I think that doing this show has given me the opportunity to see what that world looks like and it also even opened up my world to theater and showing that I could have a career in that too,” Tyler said, “I’m very much of like, ‘I don’t believe it until I see it,’ and I’ve seen myself doing what I want to do in the future.”

Farley added that the arts program will miss their “indispensable support across the board.”

“We will miss them tremendously, and again, it’s the way in which they lead that I treasure the most and will miss the most,” Farley said. “I just really hope that the students who follow in their footsteps have observed that and understand that.”