As the curtain rises on Green Hope Theater Company’s adaptation of the 1980 film “9 to 5,” one person stands backstage, the technical director of the play, and the set designer. That person is Ria Rohilla (‘24).
Rohilla was initially drawn to theater after seeing their friends’ involvement in productions during their middle school years. Rohilla developed an interest in building sets of the productions and managing backstage, rather than being on center stage. They’re no stranger to involvement in the fine arts department, participating in chorus for a short time in middle school.
Rohilla started off their high school transition by working as a set crew member for Green Hope’s Theatre Company, dipping their hands in the props department during their first year. During their sophomore year, Rohilla decided to invest more of their time into being a technician on set; taking on the role of a technician worked out as the logical next step forward for them, as they were able to participate in technical direction for the theater classes as well. Their technician role started in Theater Two and continued through to Theater Four, spanning two years.
For Rohilla, experiencing a fun and collaborative environment was easily the best part of working as a technical director. The process from starting off with ideas on paper to presenting them on stage was an exciting aspect for Rohilla. “It’s really awesome sharing that with the audience and just doing some really cool unconventional things.”
Green Hope’s musical “9 to 5,” will be Rohilla’s 15th theater production at Green Hope. When asked about what they’re most excited for people to see in the musical, they highlight the tremendous skill sets and talent of their fellow cast and crew members. To Rohilla, it made for an environment where everyone on set was committed and motivated to be there. “It’s such a fun show because it really does have some awesome themes on individuality and friendship with these really over-the-top characters.”
Though “9 to 5” will be their last production here at Green Hope, Rohilla plans to be involved in a theater community when they go to college. They stated, “I don’t know if I would do it as a full time career, but it’s definitely something that I’ll still participate in.”
