Senior Matthew Belo has played a vital role in the tech crew in KO’s performing arts program since his freshman year. Matt has been extremely dedicated to the tech crew and is now the Head of Sound.
“I manage pretty much all of the actor mics as well as the mics for the orchestra and all the music,” Matt said, explaining his role. Some might even consider Matt as Technical Director Paul Merchant’s right-hand man. It’s his job to make sure everyone gets heard. So much that goes on behind the scenes often isn’t considered by the audience, which is why our tech crew plays such a significant role in these productions that their work is seamlessly integrated into performances.
Matt joined the tech crew his freshman year for the fall play. “It was ‘Hyper Focus,’ which was pretty fun,” Matt shared. “I just did it from there because I thought it was pretty fun. I was a stagehand when I started. But then I sort of did all types of stuff. I did some flying stuff, which means controlling the curtains and drops and stuff like that. Then I did some sound and lighting after that. I would say I’m definitely a jack of all trades kind of guy.” Now Matt has remained with tech crew each year, immensely contributing to both the Upper School fall plays and winter musicals, as well as helping out with assemblies and other art productions such as concerts.
Since tech crew is an after-school activity mainly in the fall and winter, Matt clarified that the schedule is pretty similar to other sports. “It’s pretty time-consuming,” Matt notes. “It’s longer hours during the last two weeks leading up to the show.” As the tech crew works under the leadership of Mr. Merchant, in collaboration with Director of Theater Kyle Reynolds, they work to plan for changes in lighting, audio, backdrop/sets, and more throughout the performances. The tech crew also does lots of preparation in building, decorating, and moving sets and various hanging backdrops and signs.
Matt explained that he works with a team of two other students designated to sound. Freshman Timothy Bateson puts the mics on the actors, sophomore Che Shah controls sound effects, and Matt reiterates that he is generally making sure that everything is picked up and heard. “I probably have mastered doing sound, knowing how to configure everything and run a smooth show,” Matt said.
This confidence and mastery didn’t come without some bumps in the road though. One notably embarrassing time for Matt was at the State Of The School when there was an “A Chorus Line” performance. KO alum Els Morris ’25 and Matt were above the stage, controlling the signs and fly rail together. “There was the ‘Chorus Line’ sign with all the lights,” he explained. “I was supposed to bring it down, but I brought it all the way up, and it crashed at the top. But, I brought it back down after, and it was mostly fine, and I don’t think anybody really noticed.”
Matt explains how there are definitely times with the sound system where something goes wrong and/or doesn’t work properly. “You have to find a workaround or try to figure out how to fix it as quickly as possible.”
An additional challenge in Matt’s tech crew journey was when Roberts Theater flooded in 2024. “ I was part of the team that fully rebuilt the Roberts Theater,” Matt recalled. “It was a journey, I will say that. That was a crazy year because we had to replace the whole floor, which was a pretty big project. Then we had to get brand new lights and sound equipment as well because it was all drenched.”
As Matt’s time at KO will soon come to a close, Matt shares that he would like to continue this interest in the future. “I’ll probably continue it as a hobby,” Matt said, “maybe at a local playhouse or somewhere when I’m at college. I think that would be pretty fun.” When giving final remarks, Matt explained that he has enjoyed his time with the tech crew so far and feels as though he can’t complain. To anyone who might be interested in the tech crew, Matt suggests trying it out. “It’s a lot of team building and just a lot of togetherness,” he reflected.
