By Coty Markee-Culbreth
Scenic Carpentry/Technical Apprentice
(This blog post is part of a continued series created by our apprentices about why they love theater)
Truly, it’s hard to say why I love the theater. It’s sort of always been there. Ever since I was born, I had a camera in my face because my grandmother documented my entire life until I was 10 years old. So when I was 6 and was told I could be in a stage play as Fox #2 in The Wind in the Willows, I thought it was nothing but fun and exciting. I love the feeling you get when you are backstage waiting for the production to begin. That first step you make onto the stage and the moment when you finally see the audience – the people that paid, or just took the time to come see all the time/work/passion you put into the production. As I grew up, I continued to observe the theatrical world around me. That is how I found the tech side.
I like to try everything at least once, so when given the opportunity, I tried everything I could. What really stuck for me was Sound Design. That it is possible to create the world that surrounds a show with simple sound effects and music choices, amazes me. With this apprenticeship, I hope to really develop my skills and become a more well-rounded and talented technician and – even actor – by being able to work with all the professionals that will be traveling in and out of the theater this season. Theater is something that has always been, and always will be, in my life, forever.
*GSC Blog posts are the select opinions of individual employees and may not necessarily reflect the views of Gloucester Stage as a whole.