Since its inception in the mid 1990’s, Disney’s Broadway musical, The Lion King, has recurred throughout my life. I grew up fascinated with puppets and when Julie Taymor’s production hit theatres during my high-school days, I was enthralled.
Background
Proud Union Stagehand
I began my career in professional theatre and lighting while a student at Michigan State University. In addition to my studies, I also spent 3 of the 4 years on campus working alongside members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local #274 on professional touring productions that visited our venues. After graduation, I set out on tour, and in 2013 I transferred my membership to Local #14 in Albany, Schenectady, Troy, NY. I am a current student of organizational leadership, passionate about energizing the future, building diverse professional communities, and crafting unique solutions to challenges through unconventional practices. I look forward to finding a way to combine these ideas to help further the IATSE community.
Entertainment Electrician
I received my ETCP Certification as an Entertainment Electrician in 2016. Studying for the exam helped me to learn new skills and better understand concepts that are at the core of electrical and lighting elements throughout the entertainment industry. I continue to look for new development opportunities and plan to renew my certification in 2021. I believe that I have become a better and safer working technician through this program, and that I have positioned myself to find new learning opportunities as a result. I feel fortunate to continue building an understanding of my craft and will bring this knowledge and these credentials with me throughout the rest of my career.
Growing up in a suburb of Detroit a career in professional theatre was never a thought and Broadway seemed like such a far-off place. Fast-forward a few decades, and I have spent more than 12 years touring the world with 10 different productions. I have also spent 3 years collaborating with artists and managing the lighting systems at a 4-venue experimental performing arts center outside of Albany, NY, and 18 months working as the production electrician for 14 productions at a major regional theatre in the San Francisco Bay Area. As I approach my second decade of professional work in this industry, I am amazed at the whirlwind and excited to see what awaits on the horizon.
Other Theatrical Work
EMPAC is where the arts, sciences, and technology interact with and influence each other by using the same facilities, technologies, and by breathing the same air. EMPAC is dedicated to building bridges between our human senses, to modes of perception and experience, to creating meaning in a physical environment, and to the intangible world of digital technology.
The beautiful, historic Geary Theater — rising from the rubble of the catastrophic earthquake and fires of 1906 and immediately hailed as the “perfect playhouse” — was A.C.T's home since the beginning. This 1040 seat theatre would be a source of countless projects during the time I spent in the San Francisco Bay area.