For many aspiring music and theatre majors, Augustana’s performing arts programs are a main draw for the college. Between the multiple Mainstage and Black Box shows put on every year, and the well-known Augustana Choir, the school boasts a plethora of performance opportunities for its students.

But what if you want to sing in a choir, but aren’t up for the Augustana Choir’s time commitment? What if you love theatre, but aren’t able to be onstage? For many students, these more well-known activities aren’t viable options.

That’s where behind-the-scenes roles in theatre and additional music ensembles come in. Often, options like these are not as celebrated as their more attention-getting counterparts, but they are equally important because they provide performing arts opportunities to different types of students.

Those who are not familiar with the music department at Augie may only have heard of the Augustana Choir, a touring choral ensemble directed by Dr. Jon Hurty. However, there are several other music ensembles available to students, including the Jenny Lind Vocal Ensemble, the Augustana Chamber Singers and the Augustana Concert Chorale.

Concert Chorale, like the Augustana Choir, is a mixed ensemble, made up of soprano, alto, tenor and bass voice parts. Unlike Augie Choir, however, it is not a touring ensemble, meaning that it does not perform all over the world.

Ben Holmes, who has directed Concert Chorale for the past four years, said Concert Chorale can afford to be less selective than the Augustana Choir because of this fact.

“The number of students in [the Augustana Choir] is based on the choice of the Director of Choral Activities,” Holmes said. “But there’s not really a limit to the number of people who can be in Concert Chorale because it’s not a touring ensemble.”

Because of the specific demands of a touring ensemble, the Augustana Choir just isn’t accessible to all students. Concert Chorale’s lower commitment and lack of selectivity make it an important alternative option to its fellow mixed choir.

“[Concert Chorale] allows students who don’t necessarily want to tour an opportunity to perform and sing,” Holmes said.

Meanwhile, over in the theatre department, behind-the-scenes roles like run crew, stage managers, designers and tech operators serve a similar purpose, providing alternative ways that students can participate in theatre.

Senior Andrew Doughty, who assistant stage-managed “The Pitchfork Disney” and “The Philanderer” at Augustana, spoke about how being on crew allowed him to utilize his personal strengths.

“Being an organized person, that’s where my talents are,” Doughty said. “On the crew side of things, I get to use that, instead of feeling like my acting skills are inadequate.”

As an assistant stage manager, Doughty still got to be fully involved in productions without the same stress that comes with being in the spotlight.

“You still have the same time commitment that the actors do,” Doughty said. “But, you don’t necessarily have the kind of pressure you might have if you were acting. I didn’t have to memorize lines, so that did save me.”

However, if you’re looking for something with a low time commitment, stage management might not be the way to go. Stage managers have to devote an extensive amount of time to making the show run smoothly.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other less time-consuming roles. Run crew, who work vital jobs backstage during the show, are often only needed around the time of tech week. If you don’t have the time commitment to perform in a show or stage manage, run crew still allows you to contribute to the theatre.

Crew and tech roles in theatre and music ensembles like Concert Chorale provide an important function at Augustana. Not everyone can be onstage in a show. Not everyone can be in the Augustana Choir.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of that. While these programs may be underappreciated, they fill an important niche in the campus community and should be celebrated as equally viable and necessary options.

After all, what’s the point of a liberal arts school if you don’t have options?