Tech week only happens twice a year for CET, but it remains one of the most pivotal parts of the theater experience. Food plays a huge role in this, from the bonding and camaraderie to the friendships that can develop simply from sharing a meal.
During tech week, cast and crew meet every day after school, and stay late into the evening, breaking at 4:30 p.m. to have dinner. Seniors are called to eat first, then juniors, sophomores and finally, freshmen. When the upperclassmen leave the theater to go get food, the underclassmen get a taste of what things will be like once the seniors have graduated.
Typically, it is an upperclassman who leads cast warmups before dinner. However, once juniors and seniors are called to eat, an underclassmen must step up into that role. Freshman Rosie Matish assumed the position of leader after the grades above them had left for food.
“It’s kind of stressful, but it is also really fun,” Matish said. “I feel like you have a lot more freedom, and you can do what you want to do. It’s kind of chaotic, because there’s not a lot of us, but the underclassmen get a lot more confident because we all know each other.”
Ebie Lamb, president of the CET student board, finds that mealtime during tech week allows her to have a break from the usual anxiety before a performance.
“When the shows actually happen, everyone’s stressed,” Lamb said. “But during tech week there are still hints of fun every once in a while, and it’s really nice to have that.”
For Lamb, the best part of tech week is getting to choose who to sit with. She tries to eat with a different group of people every night, as a way of welcoming new members into CET. Lamb hopes that CET will create a community of people that act as one big friend group. By having meals together, everyone on cast and crew is given that opportunity to bond.
Lamb remembers what dinners were like last year during tech week for “Cabaret.” There were so many kids involved with theater, that they didn’t all fit around the tables at dinnertime. Many students resorted to eating on the floor in groups. This “habit” held true throughout tech week for “Museum.” Seniors and freshmen alike sat in circles on the floor, laughing over the smallest things while stuffing their faces with delicious food.
At CET, dinner is not just a time to get nourishment before a show, but also a time to come together and try new foods. Bee Whalen, a member of props crew, strongly believes that people in CET can learn more about each other through what meals they provide.
“Tech week pulls in sharing parts of people’s home cultures through the dishes they bring in, since everything’s homemade,” Whalen said. “I think it gives a nice insight into what people do everyday with their meals, and what people might do on special occasions.”
No matter the show, tech week meals have proven to be an essential part of the CET experience. They provide bonding opportunities, stress relief and a chance to discover something new about fellow cast and crew mates. While homework piles up and anxiety levels mount, tech week dinner offers a moment of peace.
