Lighting designer, theater senior Amber Grunwald brings the backstage to center stage

The curtain falls, and as it does, the audience claps and cheers. The actors emerge, taking their bows. Another successful production - this is the magic of theater.

That is, unless you ask Amber Grunwald.

"I think it's a magical place - backstage - and a lot of people don't realize that. It's unfortunate," said the theater arts senior. "I would rather be behind stage than on stage. It gets overlooked a lot what the designers and technicians actually do."

Yet it is overlooked no more - Grunwald joins the ranks of five other Fine Arts seniors when she was named the theater department's Senior of the Year.

"I didn't expect it at all. I didn't even know they did it," Grunwald said.