Tech Week Isn’t Supposed to Be a Nightmare—If Everyone Does Their Job
by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder
Let’s talk about tech week. The dreaded, sleep-deprived, caffeine-fueled final stretch before opening night. It’s the part of the process where tensions run high, mistakes feel catastrophic, and somehow, everything that was working perfectly in rehearsals suddenly breaks down. Ask any theatre student or professional, and they’ll tell you: tech week is brutal.
But here’s the thing—it’s not supposed to be.
Tech week doesn’t have to be a nightmare. It’s not inherently stressful. The exhaustion, the late nights, the panic? That usually happens because somewhere along the way, someone didn’t do their job. A properly run production shouldn’t be spending tech week fixing problems that should have been addressed weeks ago. Instead, it should be about refining, adjusting, and locking in the final details—not playing catch-up.
Tech week exists for one reason: to add the technical elements with the performances. It’s when lighting, sound, costumes, props, and scene changes are worked into the show so that by opening night, everything flows seamlessly. But tech week is not meant to be a time for actors to still be figuring out their blocking, for designers to still be building, or for the stage manager to still be learning the show. Those things should already be done.
A well-prepared production treats tech week as a polishing phase, not a construction site. It should be about refining cues, testing transitions, and making small adjustments—not creating an entire lighting design from scratch or realizing for the first time that a scene change takes two minutes instead of 30 seconds.
The solution? Everyone needs to do their job—before tech week even starts.
Actors: Be fully off-book, locked into your blocking, and responsive to direction. Your job is to adjust to the technical elements, not hold up the process because you’re still unsure of your cues.
Designers & Crew: Stay on schedule. Lighting, sound, costumes, and set pieces should be functional and tested before tech week. If you’re still making major changes, it’s too late.
Stage Managers: Communicate clearly. A well-organized stage manager can make or break tech week. Keeping everyone on the same page prevents unnecessary delays.
Directors: Make decisions early. Waiting until tech to change blocking, pacing, or scene transitions only creates confusion. Those choices should be finalized weeks before tech begins.
Theatre is a collaborative art, and when everyone does their job, tech week isn’t something to dread—it’s something to fine-tune. It should be about cementing the production, not surviving the week. So the next time you hear someone complain about how stressful tech week is, ask the real question: Is tech week stressful, or is someone just unprepared?