Making Use of My Unusual Talents

Ever since I was a freshman in high school, I've been really interested in working on the stage. Not in front of the lights and the crowd, but behind the scenes making all the magic happen. I spent 4 years of high school doing Living Stations at St. Ferdinand's church working on lighting and 10th-12th grade running crew for the Seneca musicals. I loved the energy and the action! The little things that brought it all together for the audience and made it a real experience.

When I got to college I was lucky enough to get a work study job at the Performing Arts Center on campus. Whenever I wasn't studying or in class, I was at the theater putting up lights, mopping floors, hanging curtains, or running sound for a show. I spend most of my weekends and many of my weeknights backstage or behind a booth listening to speakers or rehersing lighting cues with the wind ensemble.

I was worried that once I graduated college I'd lose this important part of my life, because how many opportunities are out there for amateur stage hands who can't commit full time to a theater? Luckily for me, I found the perfect place!

The Strand Theater in Zelie just opened this summer, after more than 20 years of being closed and falling into disrepair. With a lot of hard work and love, it's been restored into a beautiful theater that we've been using every weekend since it opened last month! We've had live bands, classic films, and Debbie Reynolds! This past weekend, a local guitar school put on two concerts, each featuring 10 bands, all under the age of 18! They were great, and the theater was just about sold out!

I've been running projection and lighting for some of the larger shows, as well as taking my turn at the concessions booth during movies and other events.

I love working at a small theater like this because they appreciate all they help they can get, so my small contributions of time are welcomed whenever I can give them. There aren't many people my age who know the difference between sound and light cables, or how to focus a stage light without burning your hands. I guess college taught me something after all!

I needed something to get involved in now that college with all it's built in activities are over and this has been a great way to stay busy and see a lot of great movies and performances. I love that I can help out in my own community and still doing something I really enjoy! I wish all little towns could have a theater like this!

This weekend we're showing Casablanca! "Round up the usual suspects" and come out and see the Strand!

Hopefully I'll get back to this soon with all the rest of my happenings in the real world. It's amazing though how much time work takes up when you've got a full time job. Weekends just never seem long enough any more!