Theater
In 8th grade, one of my teachers asked me to be the student director for the middle school musical and from that moment theater has brought a wonderful balance to my otherwise science-oriented life. I love working in the hectic, hushed, backstage rush, as well as enjoying the spectacle as an audience member. In high school and college, I was nearly constantly involved in a show. I started with stage managing, then moved into more technical things, like lighting and prop design in college. In grad school, I took a break to focus on figuring out research, but as an audience member had new tickets on my desk by the time the previous ones were used. However, when I hooked up a video camera and microphone to a computer for workshop interviews and it oddly made my entire week, I knew I needed to get back into the theater. I started helping with the CenterStage Theatre Company—a youth-oriented group in Colorado— by the time the first production was over I felt like I have been there for ages. It was one of the harder things to leave when I finished grad school and left Colorado. I fed my hobby as an audience member in Fairbanks during grad school and am a current season ticket holder at Baltimore’s Hippodrome. I hope to get into back into the hands-on, backstage aspect of theater soon!
Being that I was usually otherwise occupied backstage, I don't actually have many pictures (or good ones), but the memories are strong.
Fiddler on the Roof Jr. was that first show I ever worked on in 8th grade). It had a fond place in my heart when I did it again in Colorado with CSTC. Each has unique memories, like flying babies and 10 pages of set moves in Act I!
Sometimes you just have to wear new glasses (which you don't need, they’re a friends), because if you put them down backstage, someone will sweep them up for a prop, and you already have a set in your hair.
A steampunk-style Into the Woods was the last show I worked on with CenterStage Theater Company in Colorado. I also did a more traditional fairytale-style version of this show while I was in undergrad with the JHU Barnstormers.