On March 7 at 5 p.m., the Carlmont Technical Theater Association (CTTA) prepared the Performing Arts Center (PAC) for a Naviance training session for freshman parents.
“We are helping tech a counselor event,” said sophomore Katie Hill. “Basically, CTTA does the lights and sounds for the show.”
CTTA oversees the majority of events that utilize the PAC, from small presentations like faculty meetings to large productions like the school musical.
The training session was a smaller job for CTTA, so only four club members were present to prepare and work with the stage equipment. The number of club members who show up tends to vary across events.
“Some events need two people, some events need thirty,” said Jillian Yong, a senior and the current CTTA club president. “It just depends on the event and what [the productions] need.”
In general, setting up the PAC involves a variety of jobs both backstage and onstage. Club members each have their own set of tasks to complete in order for a performance to run smoothly.
“We’re controlling the lighting onstage and controlling the curtain,” said Hill. “We adjust the lighting settings to make it look good for the audience and turn on microphones for interviews.”
In addition, CTTA set up a concession stand selling candy bars and cookies in the PAC lobby. The funds will go towards replacing old theater equipment, as well as purchasing new tools for the club.
Aside from setup and cleanup, CTTA got to take a short breather during the Naviance session itself.
“Tonight’s event is more busy in the beginning, more busy in the end, and almost less busy during the event itself,” said Geoff Horn, the theater manager and club advisor.
Overall, the session proceeded without any major issues, thanks to CTTA. The club will have its next meeting on March 14, where they will discuss their next batch of productions to work on.
Horn said, “We had a couple curve balls when we walked in — some things we didn’t expect — and that’s normal, of course. You always have to expect the unexpected. We’re doing pretty good.”
