Whitefish native takes theater tech to the next level

Micah Groschupf has made an art of theater technology. Now he’s making it a career as well.

Groschupf graduated from Whitefish High School in 2012. Earlier this year he became a full-time employee of the Whitefish School District as an in-house technician for the Whitefish Performing Arts Center.

“It took a long time to get here,” Groschupf said. “But it was worth it.”

When the Performing Arts Center opened in 2007 Groschupf was a middle school student in the same building, located in Whitefish Middle School. He may never have even set foot inside the center, except that he was a school band member and the band concerts were performed there.

“I essentially grew up on this equipment on this stage,” he said.

When the center first opened, the tech support was largely volunteer. Much of the work was done by high school students who were interested in the experience. Groschupf recalled being on stage for the first time with the band and being overwhelmed by the lights and wires — but also interested in how it all worked.

The next year when Groschupf started at the high school he had the opportunity to work backstage. His long-term goal was to go into computer science, and he thought working with the technical aspects of the theater might give him some valuable experience going forward.

Groschupf was part of the high school band and percussion program, which again gave him access to the stage as a performer. He found that the more he learned about the technical workings of the center, the more band director Mark McCrady relied on him for help setting up for shows.

“It was just something I was good at,” Groschupf said. “I wasn’t really told to do it, I just saw the need and knew I could fill it.”

IN 2009 he began working as an intern with the Alpine Theatre Project during the summer season. It was a position he held for four years. He also found himself volunteering more and more during the school year to work lights and sound for different shows.

Ultimately “being on stage got me,” Groschupf said. He abandoned his early computer science aspirations and committed to living in the theater world. He now functions as the master electrician and head audio engineer (depending on the production), as well as taking care of the janitorial needs for the Whitefish Performing Arts Center.

It’s a vast skill set that has opened many doors all over the valley. Since graduating high school, Groschupf has worked as a technician for festivals, schools, churches, bars and other theaters.

However, he is happy to call the Whitefish Performing Arts Center home.

“It’s really remarkable that we have these resources in Whitefish,” Groschupf said. “And to be able to get this experience as a hometown kid ... I’m really lucky.”

GROSCHUPF’S PASSION for the behind-the-scenes work is obvious, and he laughed when asked if he ever missed being on stage.

“My heart is in theater tech,” Groschupf said. “I’m more than happy to deal with actors and musicians and directors and dancers, but I don’t want to be one of them.”

He added that he feels much more comfortable backstage than he ever did as a performer. But he also noted that this “side of the coin” isn’t without its challenges.

He has found that his age often works against him.

“Being young is sometimes an issue,” Groschupf said. “It can make life harder when I’m working with older people who maybe don’t know me well.”

He said every company and cast presents unique challenges as well. He said he’s learned not to take things too personally. He tries to keep a good attitude while meeting the production needs and focusing on the work.

“It’s sort of an, ‘I’ve got to make this work’ attitude sometimes,” Groschupf said. “There’s always more than one way in theater tech to get to the finish line.”

GROSCHUPF SAID even after working at the center for so long, he’s still constantly learning something new. One of the attractive things about technology, on and off stage, is that it changes and evolves rapidly. That means a lot of opportunities to play and experiment in the theater world.

The capabilities of the Whitefish Performing Arts Center now are much greater than they were just seven years ago when it opened. Groschupf said one of the benefits of working with the different companies that use the facility is having the chance to learn from the leading professionals in the field from around the country.

For example, he noted that just last month he learned “how to make kids fly” for Alpine Theatre Project’s production of “Peter Pan.” The company brought in a professional team to rig the flying apparatuses and train everyone on the use of the equipment.

That’s the kind of hands-on training Groschupf lives for.

“Doing this work and being here; it’s a vibe,” Groschupf said. “There are no clocks, there are no windows. I lose myself on this stage.”

LOOKING TO the future, Groschupf said he doesn’t know what’s next. He said he might be open to pursuing a higher degree or moving to a larger city at some point down the line, but has no real plans to leave the center any time soon.

“The theater becomes your family. It becomes your whole life,” he said. “You have to drop everything else to be part of this world.”

“I’ve reached my goal getting to be part of this theater, and now the theater giving back to me. I have an amazing thing here. The world comes to me.”

Entertainment editor Stefanie Johnson can be reached at 758-4439 or ThisWeek@dailyinterlake.com.