I joined technical theater as a nervous girl looking to find her community at Galloway. The sports world had stopped fulfilling me long ago. Thinking of stepping foot on the stage for all to see me sent shivers down my spine. Art classes wrecked me with nerves. With a little encouragement from my parents and a lot of time spent being in awe of the set at Galloway shows, I was inspired to join technical theater.
I’ve called tech home for the last four years. I walk into tech at 3 pm where I promptly plop my backpack down before singing in and chatting with my friends. When 3:15 rolls around, I anticipate someone urging me to walk onto the stage where the theater company does check-ins. After returning to the safe haven of the couches, I greet Ms. Whalen and Ms. Cates with a smile. We begin our days with a meeting discussing our plan of action for the day. After going over what everyone is doing, we disseminate into our respective areas. I retreat to the costume shop with Katie, Aven, and Ms. Cates while the others spill out into areas of the theater doing their craft. We gather midway through the afternoon to spend time together with snacks aplenty from the snack basket. When we wrap up our day after 6 pm, we leave the theater as a mass as we walk together into the sunset where we say our goodbyes in the gravel lot. This ritual has been repeated day after day for four years.
While this ritual has gone away in the midst of the Coronavirus, the most important part of tech remains strong. Our community continues to exist. Albeit in a different format than before. We meet online where we frequently cannot see many faces, but the humbum of us gathering reminds me I’m at home.
This home did not occur overnight. When I first entered the theater company, I was slightly scared of the seniors. They were so tall, confident, and prepared for life. I felt like I would never be one of them. These seniors welcomed me into the theater company with open arms as they showed me the ropes of what it means to be a techie. Grace explained to me where everything in the costume shop belongs, how theater dinners work, and gave a lowdown of the theater community. She created an environment of acceptance and inclusion.
The techies who came before me understood the importance of ensuring tech remains a sacred community. I watched as seniors talked with everyone in the company creating an environment of inclusion and respect for all. I wanted to have the attributes and character traits they possessed.
I’m now in position as the senior. I’ve watched as the theater company has grown and transformed. I understand the importance of cultivating a community that values everyone. I walk into tech where I greet everyone I see as a simple greeting can make someone feel incredibly valued. I chat with all I can as I sympathize with their problems and provide advice and assistance where I can.
All too frequently our conversations turn towards the sexism we encounter in tech. It deeply saddens and disappoints me to know I’m part of a culture that possesses sexism. I look around all too frequently to see signs of sexism abundant in the air. I wish for change only to realize much of what I hope changes relies on some graduating.
The small, demeaning comments create an environment of tension for all as no one knows how to navigate the conversation of repairing the damages these instances have done. The larger actions of boys obtaining many leadership positions while girls lack leadership troubles many as they don’t know how to obtain leadership. These instances occur far too often in technical theater world as a whole and at Galloway.
The three different stories presented below represent the girls in technical theater at Galloway. They are a mish mash of all our stories, showcasing how we do not stand alone, we stand together. We advocate for change so each one of us can advance.