Backstage, Big Impact 

Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, the Upper School student body gathers in Dorrance Auditorium. As the lights dim, two students in the back adjust the soundboard. Students rarely take a minute to think about the work senior Gracie Smith and sophomore Zain Shah put into morning meetings and senior speeches. Every time the student body meets in Dorrance, Smith and Shah are working to make sure the lights, sounds, and graphics are up to par. These two students may work behind the scenes, but their efforts are what help keep our community meetings running seamlessly.

Gracie Smith has been working in the sound booth since the end of last year. She is very involved with the musical theater program at PCDS, so when the opportunity arose, she was excited to learn more about the technology that goes into producing a show. Some of the responsibilities include setting up for morning meetings, senior speeches, and any other event in Dorrance that requires lights or sound. Smith typically runs the lights, and Shah manages the sound, but they both know how to work everything in case one of them is absent. A new role Smith has been given is setting up for senior speech rehearsals, where she arranges the microphone, podium, and anything else the speaker needs.

There are not too many challenges working in the booth, but small things are bound to happen. On one occasion, a lack of communication meant that Gracie had to set up projections, sound, lights, and music on her own. 

Smith shares that working in the sound booth has taught her “that [she] can do more than [she] thought [she] could.” This experience has broadened her horizons and has allowed her to get more comfortable with the tech side of theater.  Additionally, she loves “helping the seniors bring their senior speeches to life.”

Without the effort that Smith and Shah put into their work in the soundbooth, students’ time in Dorrance would be completely different; their work behind the scenes keeps the PCDS community running smoothly.