November 1, 2012
My name is Isaac Sawle and this is my second year as Technical Director for the MPA Theatre Arts department. “So you’re the tech guy?” Is a question I’m often asked. While that is in some ways true I’d call it a bit of a mischaracterization. I do have a hand in almost every area of any event you see in the Nicholson Center or the Black Box. But it goes beyond just turning lights on and off, and often I’m not the only person involved.
I have three main responsibilities in my Technical Director role. The first is managing the technical needs of the events in the Nicholson Center. Running lights and sound for the many choral, musical, and other types of events can be a big job depending on the requirements of the event. Running the mixing board that controls the wireless mics, speakers, and stage is typically the main priority during these productions, but there is also the matter of handling the lighting changes and at times projections and other effects.
The second role I fill is that of building the sets for the shows that the Theatre Arts department produces. If you’ve seen these shows you know that they are always of a high quality and this is due to the number of professional lighting designers, scenic designers, and scenic painters that the school enlists. These professionals, me included, work at many theaters around the Twin Cities and bring a level of expertise that makes our productions shine. I receive designs and am in charge of constructing them up to our high standards and under budget. If you’re ever in the building and it sounds like you hear power tools running, it’s likely to be me in our scene shop working on the next show.
My third responsibility puts me in charge of servicing or maintaining the equipment that the school uses to make our productions and events happen. I’m usually in the middle of a repair project on some part of our inventory. Currently the list includes a spotlight, some wireless microphones, and various shop equipment. Perhaps the best example of this part of my job is the new lighting control board in the Nicholson Center. Thanks to the help of members of the administrative and budget teams we were able to replace a nearly 20 year old analog board with a new, digital ETC Element 40-250. This board marks a vast improvement to our capabilities for the lighting in the Nicholson Center and I’m very pleased to have been able to help in the process. I’m also in the midst of several improvement projects in the MPA Scene Shop, including a new dust collection system that will improve air quality and general safety.
Of course all this is done in the context of an educational setting and I’ve had a handful of students who have been coming into the shop to assist. In the process they learn both theatrical and general skills that allow them insight into the way things are made, and at times unmade. This ability to understand basic components and how raw materials become end products is a lifelong skill that is useful both to the school when they help me build the sets, and to the student as they progress in their education.
In light of that I’ve also been teaching classes at MPA this year. Our Stage Management class just finished, and this week I begin a Stagecraft class that will focus on the areas of technical theatre that high school students rarely get to learn in a classroom setting. Both classes are taught with professional standards in mind, but with those standards viewed in the light of the educational setting of MPA. The students will learn new skills and in the process contribute to our arts community at MPA.
As we have the our performance of “MPOSSBLE: The Case of The Missing Letters” approaching, I’m going to close by encouraging you to come see what is sure to be a hilarious performance by our cast of Middle School students. The set is very different from anything that I’ve built before, and is sure to be impressive upon completion. Odd are you’ll never see me around the building (and if you do I’ll be covered in paint and sawdust) but trust me when I say that the productions here are unlike anything you’re going to see in any other place.
