I was the Lighting Designer, lead programmer, and carried out many of the roles of Master Electrician for this production of Bring It On (by Lin-Manuel Miranda et al) through Village Theatre Kidstage (Everett)’s Student In Production Program in July of 2018. Below are some production photos from the show.
Photo Credit: Sam Freeman, Directed By: Aaron Cooper, Costume Designer: Rebecca Strom, Hair & Make-up Design: Sterling Tull, Scenic Design: Elizabeth Barrett
My experience with this production of Bring It On was another helpful venture into taking the reigns in a controlled environment. Each department was run/designed by students, with the guidance of mentors. But unlike my undergrad the guidance of mentors was not at my fingertips 24/7. It was through check ins and a few rehearsals that the mentors provided guidance, which was extremely helpful when those moments did occur but was regardless both a more challenging and rewarding project. The hands off approach by the mentors provided me with experience in focusing essentially alone, setting up intelligent fixtures, troubleshooting focus issues, time management, troubleshooting haywire fixtures, and prioritizing on a day to day basis. Stacking all of these tasks onto one person definitely made the process challenging for me (and made me realize the value of assistant or associate designers), but working through it mostly on my own was a valuable experience. And every mistake along the way led to self discoveries that I have already begun to apply in other projects that I tackle.