Curtain to Cue: The Crew of Theater Production

16 October 2025Fiona C, Hope ‘26

Every spotlight, sound cue, and scene change is part of a carefully orchestrated dance that brings a show to life. Theater Production is a crew of students who make sure it happens flawlessly. From the first cue to the final bow, our backstage crew is the heartbeat of the Brentwood theater. With students settling into the Brentwood routine, the Killy Theater has been buzzing as assemblies, musicals, and concerts are finalized in the busy school calendar. These first few weeks have been thriving with excitement as we learn the ins and outs of the theater, explore new tools, and prepare for the Cinderella musical.

We handle it all: the lighting crew shapes the mood with every spotlight and color fade, the running crew keeps the show moving by swapping sets and managing quick changes, and our props master ensures every item is in an actor’s hand where it needs to be. From beautiful set transitions to seamless deck sounds, it is a mix of precision and creativity that transforms an empty stage into a world of storytelling. These are just a few of the roles within Theater Pro that require knowledge of the Killy Theater’s inner workings.

As one of her students in the arts, we are in the best hands of HBF (Ms Hilary Britton-Foster) as she has been preparing to take on these important roles during shows by creating fun and interactive games that help us learn about the theater. On a Friday afternoon, we played Tic-Tac-Toe in teams to learn the stage positions. Ryer B, Whittal ‘26 commented, “It was a really fun and interesting game to be able to not only have fun but learn the different parts of the stage! ”, after playing a competitive game of Tic-Tac-Toe with his classmates.

Alongside honing our skills, we are actively preparing for our upcoming musical, Cinderella, which involves building and collecting props to bring the story to life on stage. In the first block, the students work on reading the script and getting started on the physical props. Numerous students, such as Co-Captain Declan K, Rogers ‘26, and Hui Wern, Alex ‘26, collaborate to create a prop in the musical by working with woodworking tools to cut out wooden sheets! Gracie B, Mackenzie ‘26 shares her experience with the musical: “Being part of the production of Cinderella has been a steady experience and I’ve enjoyed reading over the script a lot!”

From working backstage for shows to students running the technical aspects of Thursday assemblies, Theater Production’s hard work often goes unnoticed. Our school’s long-standing reputation for putting on awe-inspiring shows would not be possible without the work that students and our teacher, Ms. Britton-Foster, put into it behind the curtains. HBF reflects on Theater Pro and how it is a place “where creativity meets collaboration – it’s solving puzzles under pressure, building magic behind the scenes, and working as a team to make the impossible look effortless. In our class, we learn by doing, laugh through the challenges, and celebrate every success together. It’s a place where hard work and fun go hand in hand”.

The lights, the sets, the music, and most importantly, the people, are what make Theater Pro truly special.

Fiona C, Hope ‘26

Where Students Choose To Be