Behind the Fog: The Tech Students behind Lafayette Jefferson's Production
- Nathan Ensley
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
By Nathan Ensley, Associate Editor
Modern show choir has transformed into a spectacle, evolving long past the dancing and singing of traditional show choir.
Now, some larger productions feature smoke, bright lights, massive LED screens, and various props to enhance the show. Lafayette Jefferson in Lafayette, Indiana, is a group at the forefront of modernizing show choir.
In recent decades, the program has become renowned for their on-stage costume changes. In 1992, Lafayette Jefferson introduced the first-ever fog wall costume change in show choir. The following year, First Edition added lighted risers to their set, with both of these elements becoming annual staples for decades to come. This novelty group, innovating long before the modern trend of flashy show choir productions, continues to create. Behind that innovation is a dedicated student crew who prepares for hours to ensure these technical stunts go off without a hitch.
Over a month before their first competition, the crew meets during First Edition’s winter camp. With just the help of tech directors and a few parent volunteers assisting, the students built the entire set. This year, the students built plexiglass boxes entirely themselves, and just two tech students designed their lighting. While many other large Indiana groups have trended toward using large LED screen backdrops, Lafayette Jefferson once again used a physical backdrop this year. The program has eight specially designed wooden panels as their backdrop, four for each varsity group. One side of the panel features a colorful design related to the show, with the other side featuring a sparkly surprise. During the chaos of the fog wall, a crew member pulls a pin, flipping the panels and revealing the side full of shiny sequins for the closer.
Ahead of the show, in addition to fixing anything that broke from the previous show, Lafayette Jefferson’s crew, FEX-Tech, has lots to prepare.
“We heat up four peasoupers, make sure the dmx cables are plugged in, test the lights, prep our CO2, and even more before the show,” senior Addison Jacoby said. “It takes about an hour and a half for us to prep for around a 30-minute stagetime (loading, performing, unloading)."
On days with multiple performances, this is complicated by additional preparation.
“Between shows, there are a lot of tasks that must be done to make sure that we are ready for the next performance, including troubleshooting malfunctions, refilling fog machines, and prepping our set pieces,” Senior Brianna Hainje said. “These are jobs shared by everyone on our tech crew, so most of us do something slightly different at each competition.”
Once the setup is complete, it’s time for the show to commence. Each tech member assumes their assigned role, which remains consistent throughout the competition season. The student tech crew helps in a variety of roles throughout the show, including lighting, moving props, and handling microphones; however, their big shining moment is the fog wall, which has different implementations each year and with each group.
In 2024, Lafayette Jefferson conducted a full group costume change hidden by the fog wall. During the change, fog emerged from the wings and underneath the risers, while lights flashed in all directions. This concealed the group’s on-stage costume change, allowing the group to remain on stage for the entirety of the show. FEX-Tech even got some stage time during the change, retrieving jackets while suited up as Ghosts of First Edition’s Past in all black, a white mask, and goggles.
“Honestly, going on stage as a slenderman and them telling me to ‘interact with the audience’ was kind of scary at first because I could not see anything through the fog and the goggles,” Jacoby said.
After the tech team got more comfortable with the change, they let their personality shine: waving to the audience, pointing to them, and sometimes even doing a bit together on stage. Later in the show, tech members get more time on stage. Six crew members crossed the stage in their goggles and masks, again interacting with the audience as they collected gloves and sleeves in laundry baskets.
In addition to the ensemble remaining on stage throughout the show, even the witches in First Edition’s 2024 show did not enter the wings.
“The three witches technically never left into the wings as they remained hidden behind our large towers,” said senior Lighting Designer Samanty Manzanero. “These witches changed on stage and climbed inside these towers, where once the tech opened the doors simultaneously, green bright lights loomed over them.”
Timing this reveal took some time to get perfected. This door opening had to be precise, as closing the doors again was a challenge. However, after working together on the headset and having people switch around, the crew became consistent with opening the three doors simultaneously for a dramatic witch entrance.
Lafayette Jefferson’s mixed group, First Edition, has only thirty-two members. FEX-Tech helps First Edition fill the stage to contend with groups with over fifty members.
“FEX-Tech honestly is the cherry on top of a talented choir and band,” Jacoby explained. “The choir only has 32 people, but with our nine cubes, four light towers, and four backdrops, we help fill the stage even more.”
This stage presence is further enhanced in this year’s closer when tech members standing behind the backdrop’s wooden panels hit the panels to the beat of the song, creating a mesmerizing effect.
Under the direction of Mark Myers, First Edition had a historic season this year, taking three grand championships, their most in three decades. FEX-Tech also earned two best crew captions as they lent a helping hand to First Edition’s unprecedented season. Tech crew members again made on-stage appearances to assist with First Edition's dynamic staging, with several crew members moving boxes throughout their second number.
"Tech often goes on stage to help the choir, as seen in our latest show where around seven tech members (all different) got on stage and lent a helping hand," Manzanero said. "They know to keep calm under stress, which can be hard for others, and try their best to fix anything they can."
Despite the success, Jacoby emphasizes that connecting with the show choir community is more important to her than the awards and accolades.
“Honestly, my favorite part about being in tech is the community it has brought me, both through show choir and through people who are in other tech crews,” Jacoby reflected. “I love talking to other tech crews and tech dads, hyping up each other’s sets.”