Today: Mar 29, 2024

Humans of SCSU: ‘Try something, you might love it’

Max Bickley – General Assignment Reporter

Behind the scenes of every play, show, and film, are countless of people working to make everything just right. The same can be said at Southern, and of those who work behind the scenes of Southern’s plays and musicals, none spend more times making sure the light hits right than sophomore Katie Brown.

Katie Brown, a sophomore in the Southern Honors College from Wallingford, is the electrics crew head for the Crescent Players, and works as a university assistant at the John Lyman center on campus. How she got to being the director of lighting though, is a story that goes back six years to her freshman year in high school.

“I was always a bit of a theater kid, especially when I was young, so when I went into my freshman year in high school I worked as part of the crew in my school’s play,” said Brown. “Then, the next year, I became the stage manager for my high school shows and I really enjoyed it.”

After coming to Southern, and being a declared theater major, Brown felt as though working with the Lyman Center and theater department was the next step in her career. However, there is a difference in being the Stage Manager, like she was in high school, and being the Director of Lighting.

“I think what drew me to lighting is all that lighting does for a show,” said Brown. “Like, if you look at how lighting is really used, it can set the tone in a scene, hide the scene changes by directing all the light and focus on a single character, and it really impacts the perception the audience has on a show.”

In explaining the work she actually does, Brown pointed out that in the Kendall Drama Lab, the time it takes to set everything up for a show is hard work. According to Brown, for the spring musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” it took over eight hours of work to accomplish the lighting for the show.

“For the musical it took about two hours setting and hanging all of the lights, then another three hours to program the show, and then another hour or two to focus and get everything just right,” said Brown. “It is a lot of work, but to say the least I enjoy what I do.”

In her experience, as advice she would give to the students of Southern, if there is a desire there is a way.

“Honestly if you want to try something, go for it, don’t worry about whether or not you will like it because you won’t know until you try,” said Brown. “You can’t let that hesitation get the better of you, and who knows, you could wind up doing something you may enjoy for the rest of your life.”

Photo Credit: Max Bickley – General Assignment Reporter

Latest from Blog

Don't Miss

Midnight showing of ‘Rocky Horror’ engages audience

Jacob Waring — Online Editor  Crescent Players, College Democrats and other students jumped to

Shakespeare spoof auditions

Sofia Rositani — Reporter The Crescent Players, a club dedicated to theater on