Mrs. Rachel Nardecchia is the new auditorium manager and tech director for the high school. She was hired this summer and has already made a remarkably positive impact in her short time here. 

“I run tech crew,” Nardecchia said. “I run every single event that happens in this [Chelsea High School] auditorium or the one at WSEC. I’m helping Beach figure out what we are going to do with that space over there.”

She has numerous responsibilities at the different auditoriums around the district and is juggling a lot to maintain the many different spaces.

“I started in August and I spent the first month I was here just fixing things,” Nardecchia said. “There was so much broken stuff in there [CHS Auditorium].”

Mrs. Rachel Nardecchia got the job at CHS after years of schooling and experience elsewhere.

“I majored in theater,” Nardecchia said. “They didn’t have a tech program there [University of Detroit Mercy]. Everybody had to pick a tech field to work in. And so people fell in love with it.”

Nardecchia wants to prepare students as best as she can for secondary education in theater, design, and tech. She has high hopes for the school. She also understands the importance of a strong theater program for students from her experience at other high schools and middle schools. 

“I wish there were classes because then we could get a lot more done,” Nardecchia said. “I would love to have an actual theater department with acting classes, tech classes, and scene study. Basically every other high school around here has one. If we could do that, it would be so much more involved.”

Beyond bolstering student participation and engagement, having more help with all the tech responsibilities would be a huge help. Tech crew has lots of duties such as building the set, lighting, sound, makeup, costumes and more. Since most of the work falls on them, they are always in need of help.

“We want to get projection going, too,” Nardecchia said. “There’s a whole world of projection design where you can create images or videos, and it’s pretty amazing. It’s very up and coming.”

There are many aspects of theater to love including the box office. “I know that that might sound bonkers,” Nardecchia said. “ But there is a whole theater management world that involves creating posters, doing marketing, selling tickets, concessions, and all that kind of stuff.”

The components of Nardecchia’s job are endless, and with so many responsibilities, it can be hard to balance family life with work. 

“A lot of times they [my kids] come with me,” Nardecchia said. “I’ll bring them here and they help.”

This just goes to show her commitment to her job, and the hard work she is willing to put in. The drive to work is something very important in the theater world. Nardecchia was even running around the shop working while getting interviewed. Theater is a career for students who have a drive like Nardecchia.

“If you don’t have to do it, then don’t,” Nardecchia said when quoting one of her professors. “If it isn’t your blood and you don’t need to be in the theater, then do something else because you will burn out.”

For students who are looking to go into theater, Nardecchia is a great resource. She has been through the acting major at Detroit Mercy and has loads of advice for those looking at as a possible career.

“Really you have to be okay with disappointment,” Nardecchia said. “There is a lot of competition, and the days are usually long. It doesn’t matter if you’re here, New York, L.A. They’re all 16 hour days, 18 hour days. You really have to care about it.”