All-female tech crew sets the stage for Bismarck High School’s mid-winter play

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - Students at Bismarck High School have spent the past several weeks getting ready for their mid-winter play.

“Mamma Mia!” opens Thursday.

And while the actors and actresses on stage will catch your attention, there’s another crew that’s worked just as hard to get ready for opening night.

The tech crew built the entire set from the ground up. And although they’d prefer to stay behind the scenes, their work is good news, and there’s something else that makes this group extra special.

It’s crunch time for the tech crew at Bismarck High.

“We have to paint the sides of it, so it doesn’t look like Styrofoam even though it is Styrofoam,” explained BHS senior Ava Boyer.

They’re busy putting the finishing touches on the set for their mid-winter play, “Mamma Mia!”

“I have to put shingles on the roof,” Boyer added.

Those shingles are red solo cups. They’re painted, then cut in half and glued one by one to the roof.

Meantime, Rachel Lang is busy building a water fountain out of Styrofoam. Her plan is to build a real, functioning fountain.

“I have a little basin that I’m working on right now. We’re going to line everything so it’s waterproof. And we’re going to put a water pump in the bottom,” Lang explained.

Styrofoam is also being transformed into rock walls.

“Seeing the final result is really amazing,” said BHS junior Srividhya Igathinathane-Sahiram.

All these props were designed and built by an all-female tech crew.

“I just like building. I like creating new things,” said Boyer.

“It’s kind of just fun to work with wood and foam. And even though it’s a mess, it’s fun,” added Lang.

Freshman Ella Krueger prefers working behind the scenes.

“I like it back here,” she said.

For Krueger, it’s the perfect way to be involved without being the center of attention.

“I really like watching the plays. And then I was like, the sets always look like really cool,” Krueger said.

Now, she can proudly say she had a hand – or two – in creating this year’s set.

“Mama Mia” opens Thursday. Performances are set for 7:00 Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in the auditorium at Bismarck High School.

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