Technical Theater Jobs Are Viable Option for Students
Joselyn King Trending
A young person with an appreciation for theater doesn't have to aspire to be a stage star to have a thriving future in theater, and they can even remain local to work, according to the head of Wheeling Park High School's theater program.
Katie Redd teaches applied technical theater and stage design at WPHS, and she also serves as head theater coach and director of the school's upcoming spring musical -- "Into The Woods," which runs May 2-4 at the J.B. Chambers Performing Arts Center at the school.
She is encouraged that many students came in to work on stage set up during their spring break. They did set-building, painting and even some artistic sculpting.
"It shows people there's more than one way to be a part of the theater, " Redd explained. "You see kids wanting a career in technical theater and stagecraft, and that is an area of need right now.
"Stagehands and stagecraft are needed in this area. Pittsburgh has a big need for them. Morgantown and our own community have a need for stage builders."
Several of Redd's students have gone into technical theater, or have plans to do so. Many students in the school's art program have become integrated into the theater program after art teacher Russ Schultz became involved with set design for their productions.
"Through the partnering of the art and the technical theater classes, I think it has kind of expanded everybody's world view about what kind of professions and skills are offered," Redd said.
She added the best part of her job is "seeing it all come together for them (the students)."
"It gives them a place to be and to be themselves, and I just love teaching theater," she explained. "The kids can really thrive backstage. I love seeing those moments when they really feel like they've gotten it after all their hard work, then seeing how much they love it when the set goes up.
"And just being able to communicate with my colleagues so we can bring this opportunity to the community. It really fills my heart with joy."
Redd was once herself a theater student at WPHS, learning under new Wheeling Hall of Fame inductees Fran Schoolcraft and Bill Cornforth, and memories of her time on stage continue to fill her mind.
"It molded me, and set my path in life," she explained. "So to come back here, I know exactly what it feels like to stand here on the stage."
Julie Schultz previously was the music and theater teacher at Bridge Street Middle School, and she said there appears to be more freshmen coming into the theater program at WPHS.
"We had such a strong group last year in the Bridge Street theater department that they wanted to continue that at the high school level," she continued. "A lot of the kids who took theater at Triadelphia Middle School also are taking part.
"It's very exciting. I think it's very important to have the middle schools feeding the programs at the high school -- whether it is theater, speech or the arts. It's important for kids that when they transition up here that they be involved with what they loved doing at the middle school level."
She said students have been coming up to her to ask if they have to take theater classes to participate in theater productions.
"They say, 'I like to build, I like to get messy and I like to paint. Can I come help?" she said.
Schultz indicated they are always welcome.
Among the students working on the finishing of the set was junior Sophia Robertson-Villamagna, who did much of the sculpting and painting work on the props seen on stage.
While she isn't necessarily interested in a career in technical theater, she does see herself working with stage production when it comes to makeup and hair styling.
"I like the people. You can be yourself around them," Robertson-Villamagna said. "I think of it as a way of art, because we are always coming up with creating new things."