The theater cast here at Rocklin High School (RHS) is under a lot of pressure to put on the best shows. All the different groups, from the tech crew, actors, and the teacher all have to play their part in creating a spectacular production. 

Emily Masnica, Theater teacher here at RHS, is the one who controls the management side of productions. She is the one responsible for all aspects of the productions, from selecting the plays, bearing responsibility for creative directing, holding auditions, and much more. The struggle keeps mounting in the lead up to the play, with the preparation time known as tech week being the most challenging. Tech week is the final week where everything is set up, students prepare the stage, and actors rehearse their lines to the best of their ability. Ms. Masnica said that tech week is “the most stressful week of my life … It’s a lot to manage because I care a lot about how the productions I put on stage turn out and look to our community, to our school because it is a representation of our company and what we do in my class ….” She said, “a lot of the times I feel overwhelmed … I’m excited and a little bit nervous for people to see the shows. But at the end of the day, I’m just thankful to have the students that I have involved in my productions because they’re all a really great bunch of kids.” 

Tech Theater students also play a central role in making the shows happen. They handle all the behind the scenes work, from lighting to stage preparation. Tatum Borneman, a sophomore at RHS, managed her first production last year. She said, “I was very stressed. I had support around me, but I still didn’t really know what I was doing ….” . Borneman said, “With tech week it’s all really stressful. But then once you’re actually in the shows, it’s just really fun to watch it backstage…”.

The actors also play a major role in theater productions as they are the face of the production, bringing it all together. They have to prepare and memorize lines, get into character, block movements, wear costumes and makeup, and so much more. Colin Ariagga, a sophomore and actor at RHS, is very involved in the acting side of production. He said,  “It definitely can get stressful, but I feel like it’s with work that you enjoy.” Arriaga also went into depth about the feeling that it takes on the lead up to performances. He said that the most recent musical ,“was a little bit more stressful, but it’s always super exciting. I’m always super excited, like the weeks leading up to opening.” The actors go through crazy amounts of work to put on their best performances.

Everyone’s contributions culminate into a payoff of all their work, opening night. Borneman said, “Everyone is kind of stressed be

cause it’s opening night … but after opening night, everyone just feels so much better, because they got the first night over with and now they have shows left. Everyone’s always exhausted after opening night and they go home….” Arriaga said,“It’s the feeling that we did it, we pulled it all together. That’s where you see all that camaraderie come out. People patting each other on the backs, congratulating each other. It’s really cool to witness and be a part of.” Ms. Mastnica said,“We really are like a family … it’s about providing a place of comfort and community for people that maybe feel like they don’t have a place anywhere else. That’s exactly what I want my program to be.”