Senior Gianna Houck joined the stage crew at JC for the first time with the production ‘Hello, Dolly!’ After that, she was hooked.

Gianna said her set crew career truly started in middle school. She said, “I decided to join Tech Crew for my first show because I had participated in Tech Crew in middle [school] and fell in love with it.”
After participating in multiple JC shows, Gianna was asked to be the Stage Manager for the theater department. She expressed her excitement about this opportunity and said, “It has always been a dream to be a Stage Manager.”
Although Gianna has always loved being on the stage crew, she also once tried her share at being on-stage instead of behind it.
She said, “I actually decided to try acting on stage and discovered that I truly belonged backstage. That’s when I was asked to become the Stage Manager and be on Set Crew.”
As a stage manager, Gianna has many responsibilities. In relation to the jobs she has to make the JC theater productions worthwhile, she said “Some of the jobs I have as the Stage Manager are sending out the rehearsal schedules every week, communicating with absences, organizing the set changes and transitions, and leading the Set Crew during the shows.”
Gianna said that throughout her many years in the Stage Crew, her favorite show is the most recent production Legally Blonde. She said, “It’s my favorite because there are many incredible set pieces that create such an exciting and fun environment for the show.
However, even though Legally Blonde is Gianna’s favorite production thus far, it is also her last. She said, “I am so excited and thrilled that Legally Blonde is my last show at JC. It is an outstanding show with many entertaining characters, songs, and sets.”
Gianna revealed that her favorite part about her years in stage crew has to be the relationships that she has made with her fellow students. She said, “My cast and crew will always have a special place in my heart and have made me enjoy theater the most. I have made so many close and meaningful relationships all because of being a part of theatre.”
Other than her friendships, Gianna has also made meaningful relationships with her teachers and the leaders of the JC theater program. She describes her work with show directors Mrs. Julie Parrish, Mr. Larry Hensley, and Mr. Ed Lake as a “wonderful experience.”
She said, “They have pushed me to be my best and have given me the most support and trust throughout all my years in theatre, on stage, and off.”
In the future, Gianna plans to continue her theatre journey by working with stage crew in college. She said, “I am planning on minoring in Theatre Production at my college, the University of Delaware, as well as working on Set Crew or being a Stage Manager for the University of Delaware’s Theatre Department or a community theatre.”