At the start of his stage crew tenure in sixth grade, current Sixth Former Desmond Heneks helped create the splendiferous chocolate factory set bristling with red and white candy canes, shining in custom peppermint colored lights for the school’s production of the musical Willy Wonka.
He has concluded his immaculate career by helping design and paint a ragged, rusty 1900s Harlem apartment set for Haverford’s largest production: Ragtime.
“As a small sixth grader coming into the space for [the musical] Willy Wonka, his first task was painting pieces of the set,” Director of Centennial Hall Mr. Stephen ‘Dex’ Woodward said, chuckling. “Most of the paint ended up on the scenic elements, but a very good chunk ended up on him, too.”
While his initial experience was amateur, Heneks would grow proficient in many areas of stage crew work.
“He showed early on that he has a really good focus and attention to detail. Over the next several years, he bloomed into a ‘jack of all trades,’” Mr. Woodward said. “He got experience in set construction, electronics, wiring custom speakers for Cuckoo’s Nest, and figuring out how to make an old computer screen look like a new TV.”
The demands of stage crew allowed Heneks to operate independently only after a few years from the beginning.
“My first show with Desmond was The Addams Family,” Centennial Hall Technical Assistant and Venue Supervisor Mx. Victoria Gill-Gomez said. “[By this time] Desmond was already doing technical work and programming at a level you don’t usually see at the high school level. [He] was working at an undergraduate or even professional pace.”
Very quickly, Heneks would grow from a mere assistant to a full artistic collaborator.
“In the professional realm, scenic and lighting designers have a constant conversation about how the work influences each other. For the show Enron, we talked about which lights to buy and where to install them on the set—that was Desmond’s decision.” Mx. Gill-Gomez said. “It was cool to see him move beyond the teacher-student dynamic and jump the line into being a true collaborator.”
Beyond Haverford musicals and plays, Heneks has also been involved with helping Centennial Hall’s professional clients.
“Centennial Hall hosts rental clients who use our student crews because they are familiar with the space, the consoles, and the fly system. Desmond has been a regular fixture working with these outside clients to make their shows a success,” Mr. Woodward said. “That bridge to the professional world isn’t very long. We set high standards, and Desmond has risen to them with high professional decorum.”
“It’s the people that I’m gonna miss the most. You know, I’m hoping to stay in contact with the kids, and Vic, Dex, and Kay.”
DEsmond Heneks ’26
Mx. Gill-Gomez agreed.
“We recently worked together on the Haverford Dance Center’s recital. Desmond was on the fly rail (the individual who manually controls the curtains), and we didn’t have any other student labor on that. Desmond showed a high level of respect and professionalism,” Mx. Gill-Gomez said. “When [professional] clients come to talk to me, I often say, ‘Go talk to Desmond, he’s doing this job for you,’ and they feel comfortable having that conversation.”
Centennial Hall’s professional clients are often excited to work with Heneks.
“We have some dance clients who specifically ask for Desmond by name. He signs up for almost every call—this kid is always here. It’s impressive,” Technical Assistant and Assistant Venue Supervisor Mx. Kayla Strine said.
Working on Haverford productions as well as for professional clients’ requires much work. Nevertheless, Heneks believes the Stage Crew’s sense of family helps everyone pull through.
“I think it is the long days where you get to see the best and the worst of everyone [that] makes this community special,” Heneks said. “Even when this community is at its lowest energy, people are burnt out, and it’s 10 p.m., and we’re just trying to all go home, we have each other, and that helps us get through even those tough days.”
Mx. Shrine agreed.
“There’s a very special bond in the stage crew because the demands are insane. You are all collaborating on something bigger than yourself,” she said. “To see a group led by someone like Desmond, who believes in it so strongly, is incredibly special to witness.”
While Heneks controls the spotlight for actors and dancers, he himself has not received a spotlight of his own. However, it’s not that he wishes to be hidden or wants to be known. Instead, he understands the larger responsibilities of his role.
“There’s a misconception that stage crew people just ‘don’t want to be seen,’” Mx. Gill-Gomez said. “It’s not that. It’s that they see how they can support the story and the other people on stage. The stage crew supports the ensemble, and the ensemble supports the main cast. [Stage crew] makes everyone feel special and uplifted.”
Heneks will miss the family he has made in Centennial Hall.
“It’s the people that I’m gonna miss the most. You know, I’m hoping to stay in contact with the kids, and Vic, Dex, and Kay,” Heneks said. “Just being able to come here every day and having a community of people I’ve known for so long, I’m going to miss that a lot.”
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