Under the glow of work lights and the steady sound of music echoing through the theater, students move between rehearsal rooms, costume racks, and half-built sets as the musical Curtains slowly take shape. Paint-stained hands adjust scenery, voices warm up in the wings, and dancers mark choreography while technicians solve last-minute problems, each piece coming together to prepare Poway High School’s next musical for the stage.

Itis shaping up to be one of the most technically demanding and collaborative shows the theater department has ever produced according to Nicole Hernandez. Following closely on the heels of the fall production Clue, students from drama, choir, orchestra and technical theater have come together to bring the fast-paced murder-mystery musical to life.

According to theater and technical teacher Hernandez, the scale of the production has been especially impressive. The tech team has a huge amount of work they have to accomplish in order for this production to go, she said.

 “There are over 150 costumes, six sets, multiple prop weapons, and they’ve literally created a life-size dummy of one of the cast members. It’s been really impressive to see the tech team pull together and create all of these things,” Hernandez said.

The musical’s complexity extends beyond the stage visuals. Balancing singing, dancing, acting, and technical rehearsals has posed a challenge, but students have risen to the occasion. 

“It’s been tricky juggling all the different components,” Hernandez said, “but the kids are working really hard and handling it really well,” she added

Following the fall play Clue, the cast and crew quickly transitioned into rehearsals for the murder-mystery musical, which demands extensive coordination between performers and technicians.

Balancing the many elements of a musical has been one of the main challenges during rehearsals, as students manage singing, dancing, acting, and technical preparation at the same time. Hernandez noted that despite the demands, students have continued to work through the process while developing leadership skills, particularly among senior designers who are guiding underclassmen in each technical area.

“From the tech perspective, the show’s complexity has required constant problem-solving,” Kai Chrispeels, a staff member working with the technical team, said.

“Things go wrong, we problem-solve, and then something else goes wrong and we problem-solve again. The amount of technical complexity demanded of the tech students is really high, and they’ve stepped up to make the show work,” Chrispeels said.

 The production also highlights the behind-the-scenes work that audiences may not always notice.

 Set construction and prop design play a major role in shaping the world of the show, especially in a musical with so many moving parts. 

Costume designer, sophomore,  Addison Lee, expresses the overlooked part of musicals.

“The set can be a little underappreciated, but they do a lot of the heavy lifting to make the space look right, and props work closely with costumes and other departments to keep everything consistent,” Lee said. 

With its large-scale collaboration and detailed technical demands, Curtains reflects the effort of students across theater, choir, dance, and technical theater as they prepare to bring the production to the stage.