For sixty years the theater department has been an important staple of the Lutheran High School community. Dating back from Denver Lutheran all the way to now, alumni, teachers, and even members of Parker with no affiliation with our school have enjoyed Lutheran’s productions. The program’s rapid growth not only allows for higher quality productions, but also more opportunity for the students. To do this however, directors needed to make some changes, specifically, the role of a techie. 

In years past, techies have been involved in every step of production from lighting, to set designs, and prop pieces. However, as the theater program gets larger, with nearly one hundred student participants, it has needed to find ways to not only allow more students to participate in what they love but find a way for them to succeed. 

“We want to give our students every opportunity to learn, grow, and pursue as many new avenues as we can. To do this we have to constantly grow and expand our program and class offerings,” the director, Ms. Lietzau, says.

The tech crew was split into three different groups: costume, props, and run crew.  This allows each member of the tech crew to learn the intricate details of their role. They not only become an expert, but they have the opportunity to work in whichever job they feel most passionate about. 

The props crew is in charge of researching, finding, and making all the hand-held objects used in the show, as well as the furniture. The run crew is the one behind the stage during the show, making sure everything runs smoothly. They are responsible for the lights, scene changes, and even the sound. 

The real change in tech this year, however, is the costume crew. Before this year many of the costumes seen on stage were made by volunteers who graciously spent their time making the clothing. However, this year, students are partnering with the costume staff and volunteers. 

“There are 52 actors, each having 2-3 costume changes. That’s roughly 150 costumes (500 individual costume pieces) needed for this production,” Ms. Lietzau says. 

With this intense demand for creative and intricate costume designs, it was a no-brainer to get the techies involved. Students are in charge of designing and creating all the armor, seven suites, for the prince and knights. They have also designed many lead costumes and assisted in building some of the dresses including, but not limited to all the overlays for the ballgowns, and cut and sewn costumes for the pages. 

“We want to empower our tech students to be even more involved, get even more creative, and have a hand and voice in creating something amazing,” Ms. Lietzau says. “Ultimately we want to give our students as many opportunities to learn about the various aspects of theater as possible… all the while serving God as we do so.”

Cinderella, the very first product of this new system will be shown March 3-12, 2023. Come support LuHi theater, and learn firsthand why our school’s theater is so magical.