For seniors Emm Fickes-Wagaw and Evan Spezzano, theater has never been just about what happens on stage but rather what happens behind the scenes. 

While the audience focuses their attention on the actors under the spotlight, these two seniors have spent the last four years dedicating themselves to bringing every production to life through countless hours of preparation, problem-solving, and leadership. 

Whether it’s designing lights, running sound, managing crew members or helping calm the chaos backstage minutes before the curtain—Spezzano and Fickes-Wagaw were the backbone of LFHS theater. Their dedication, creativity, and impact on the department earned them this year’s title of The Forest Scout’s Thespians of the Year. 

The pair’s journey into theater tech started unexpectedly. Spezzano first became involved back in sixth grade at Lake Bluff Middle School, after encouragement from his band teacher Mr. Beeze, who served as the Head of Technology for productions. That one suggestion quickly turned into years of involvement and leadership.  

Fickes-Wagaw’s story started a little later, during freshman year, after she followed a friend to the strike of Rhinoceros. At first, it was simply something new to try, but the atmosphere and the people who cultivated a sense of community, she was immediately pulled in. 

“Right then and there is when I slowly fell in love with the process of creating shows,” Fickes-Wagaw said.

What began as curiosity, soon became a passion for both seniors. Over the past four years they have become known for taking on nearly every role possible within the department. Fickes-Wagaw spent much of her time working in stage management, sound design, and board operation, while also helping with projections, set design, props, paintings, and construction during set builds.

“During set building, I tend to mix up lots of paint colors and work on any building projects that need a pair of hands,” Fickes-Wagaw said.

Spezzano similarly became one of the department’s go-to leaders, often designing and running lights or taking over as stage manager. His calm manner under pressure and technical skill made him someone the department could constantly rely on when things inevitably went south backstage. 

“I’ve had consoles, lights, mics, speakers, you name it—cut out on me right before we start the show, or even during the show,” said Spezzano. “That’s what really strengthened my ability to deal with making game-time decisions and thinking proactively.”

Although every production left an impact on them, there were certain shows that stood out above the rest. 

For Fickes-Wagaw, The Brightest Thing (The Squonk Show), became the production where theater tech truly started to feel like a family. The crew grew close not only with each other, but with the actors as well, creating an environment that completely changed how she saw theater. 

“We had so much fun backstage and ended up really connecting with the actors too,” said Fickes-Wagaw. “I started looking at shows less as a script set in stone, and started looking at them like a collaborative project with the main goal of having fun.”

For Spezzano, last year’s winter production of Babette’s Feast had the greatest impact due to the amount of creative freedom he was given through designing the lighting for the show.

“It was a weird, moody show, and I could pretty much do whatever I wanted with the lights,” Spezzano said.” I had a lot of fun creating all the different cues and testing out which ones worked best.” 

Beyond the technical skills they developed, both seniors remarked that theater taught them lessons that extended far beyond the auditorium. 

Mr. John Wanninger, director of the Freshman-Sophomore Play and the Spring Musical, has worked with Spezzano and Fickes-Wagaw for many years behind the scenes, building strong relationships with each senior.

“I would say both Evan and Emm have been absolutely crucial to the success of our theater program over the last four years. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the program would not be the same without them,” said Wanninger. 

For Fickes-Wagaw, the biggest lesson was communication. She said that one of the biggest challenges within the department over the years was making sure everyone worked together effectively, especially during stressful tech weeks. 

“Communication is key,” Fickes-Wagaw said. “Every mechanism of tech runs smoother with the addition of effective communication.”

Fickes-Wagaw noticed how smoother productions developed when people simply communicated openly: asking for help, giving respectful feedback, or simply cueing someone in. 

To help improve the environment backstage, Fickes-Wagaw started introducing small pre-show traditions to lighten the mood and encourage conversation and teamwork among the crew. 

“Our comms (headsets) would be like a battlefield every show,” Fickes-Wagaw said. “My main contribution to getting over our in-fighting was to ask a pre-show question to get the mood lightened and communication rolling.”

Despite the stress that comes with live theater, both seniors say the memories and relationships they built became the most meaningful part of the experience. 

Fickes-Wagaw’s favorite memories came from helping actors acquire microphones before performances, a role that allowed her to connect with both actors and crew members in a unique way.

“Their dedication, commitment, talent, hard work, and everything they do make everyone’s job easier; they make our productions better,” said Wanninger. “They have really raised the bar on what it means to be a leader in the tech crew.” 

 “It creates an environment where all walls are broken down, and I really get to know people,” said Fickes-Wagaw.

For Spezzano, the annual Talent Show became one of his highlights every year. This year, he served as the lead student technical director, a role that came with pressure but also gave him the opportunity to work with students from all over the school. 

“You really get to see people come out of the woodwork and show off their talents that not many people would otherwise know about,” Spezzano said.

Corey Holmer, Educational Technologist at LFHS, has worked with Evan and Emm for the last four years, but mostly with talent show-related things for the last two. Holmer says that Evan and Emm are two of the hardest-working people. 

“They know how to communicate, they check their emails, and they are always on top of things,” said Holmer. “The thing I’ve been the most proud of throughout the years is their leadership; they make the theater department what it is within the tech side of things.”

As graduation approaches, both seniors are preparing for life beyond LFHS while carrying the lessons the theater gave them into the future. 

Fickes-Wagaw plans to attend the University of Minnesota, where she will major in Sociology of Law, Criminology, and Deviance. 

Spezzano will attend Marquette University, majoring in Information Systems with a minor in Cybersecurity. 

Although Spezzano said he will not continue theater tech in the same capacity moving forward, he has left behind an undeniable impact on the department alongside Fickes-Wagaw, two students who have left a legacy that will continue to last long after they graduate.

“They don’t want to see a failure; they want to succeed, and every year they have been the kind to make sure they are laying down the groundwork, so it’s ready to go when they’re gone,” said Holmer. 

When asked what advice they would give to incoming freshmen or anyone stepping into the roles they did, both seniors emphasized the importance of being willing to learn.

“Ask questions, be inquisitive,” said Spezzano. “Don’t be afraid to not know something; people are willing to help you learn.”

Fickes-Wagaw shared a similar message while also adding one final piece of backstage wisdom:

“Have as much fun as possible,” Fickes-Wagaw said. “And don’t touch the sticky snowflakes!”

As the final curtain closes on their senior year, the impact that both Fickes-Wagaw and Spezzano made on the LFHS Theater program will continue shining behind the scenes for years to come.