Though only on stage for eight seconds at a time, one technical theatre student has made a lasting impact.
Senior Erin Morales has earned recognition as being one of the most talented and well-rounded members of the technical theatre crew.
“She is awesome. I think her talent speaks for herself, and she doesn’t have to be vocal. She doesn’t have to be loud. She doesn’t have to be one of these cocky people, obnoxious students,” Technical Theatre Director Timothy Domack said. “She can just let her talent speak for herself, and that is more so than people who are just very vocal. Physically, she just lets her talent speak, and people will follow her just because of that.”
Morales has become a leader in tech in recent years, but she wasn’t always as involved in the program.
“I had tech my freshman year because my dad is an actor, and I thought that I would enjoy the backstage stuff because I liked going to all his plays, but I didn’t like the spotlight,” Morales said. “I almost dropped it though because I assumed my dad could get me into the business without the class, but my friend told me not to, and I’m glad she convinced me to stay.”
By committing to the crew, Morales has changed throughout the years.
“She came in and she was really shy, and she is still a bit shy, but she has taken over some of the leadership. She has gotten really comfortable with being in the class and being with some of the people in that class,” Domack said. “She doesn’t like to rock the boat. She gets the job done, and she gets upset when other people don’t take it as seriously.”
Morales has worked on a variety of productions, including the special effects makeup, promo signs, set design and overall supervision for “Frankenstein.”
“I loved collaborating with two people I greatly admire. I loved seeing the people I care about get so invested and excited about the set. Ethan Gunter got pretty into his lab windows, and Teegan Krieger was practically giddy over lighting effects, and the three of us worked our butts off in the paint overall,” Morales said.
Although she enjoys the director Tim Burton and movies like “Memento,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Saw” and “The Fifth Element,” she draws inspiration from other sources.
“The people that have inspired me most are my father, Domack, Ethan Gunter, and Teegan Krieger. Their work ethic, dedication and innovation drives me to push myself further and harder everyday to continue on the path of becoming a better artist as well as a better version of myself,” Morales said.
Working with the crew not only serves as inspiration, but also is a main component of what Morales enjoys about technical theatre.
“It was so cool to see my ideas become real. I loved getting to see the pride and sense of accomplishment in my crew’s faces as they completed bigger projects. And the shows, when everything was put together, were by far the best part being able to share all that with the rest of our community.”
Technical theatre was a major component of her high school career, and she plans on continuing it in the future, amongst other goals.
“I plan to do this professionally, but there are a lot of other things I’m interested in, such as traveling the world and being in the Peace Corps, or being a travel photographer or owning a restaurant. Just a lot of things,” Morales said.
Though her plans for her future are varied, her future impact on the program is easily predicted by Domack.
Domack said,“Hopefully the young painters that come in after her will take her talent and her guidance and build on that because just look at what the past four years have been. Just look at what she has done for four years, and now you have to build on that because if we start going backwards a bit we are not following what she has set as an example.”