Characters and Carpentry: DU’s Student Actors Do It All
Theater students at the University of Denver not only study acting, but set design and construction as well. Those skills were on full display during a recent student production of “Into the Woods.”
The cast of "Into the Woods," on the set they built at the Byron Theatre. Courtesy of RDG Photography.
Bringing the world of Steven Sondheim’s beloved musical “Into the Woods” to life is an ambitious endeavor. In addition to its sprawling musical numbers, how exactly does one depict giant beanstalks, thick forests, and tall towers on stage?
Students in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences were well prepared to put their own spin on the “woods” for a recent run of performances at the Byron Theatre. Some cast members not only tackled multiple characters but also built the sets on which they performed. It’s all part of a holistic approach to theater education designed to prepare students for a range of careers after graduation.
“Everyone learns to do everything,” says Professor Steven McDonald, who serves as the technical director and production manager for the Department of Theatre. “They may not have an affinity for it in the beginning, but they might by the time they’re done.”
Creating the “woods”
Before students hit the woodshop, they needed a plan. The initial set design by local designer Matthew Crane, completed in December, took a more industrial approach to the “woods” while keeping an intimate feel with the audience. Instead of large, mobile set pieces hauled on and off stage, cast members and musicians worked on a static set of platforms, staircases, and ladders reaching up toward the ceiling in various directions.
“There were some people who were a little bit nervous about heights,” says Luke Sewpersaud, a fourth-year student and lead carpenter in the production. “They’d be like, ‘Is this going to be shaky?’ And I was like, ‘Guys, it’s OK. Trust me, I had a hand in this.’”
Sewpersaud, who studies both theater and communications, was one of about a dozen students who began building the set in January. He says he considered acting a hobby before coming to DU and never saw himself as a builder—until a shop class in his first year sparked a passion for carpentry. Now, he feels confident in the shop and on stage: Sewpersaud played the roles of Rapunzel’s prince and Jack’s cow, Milky White.
“There were some moments [during the performances] where I would see [the set] under the lights, and it was so rewarding to see all of the hard work that we put in,” he says.
Fourth-year student Marleigh Hickey, meanwhile, worked as the lead electrician, carrying out the vision of lighting designer Haley Hartmann. Hartmann’s design for “Into the Woods” was unique in that it used both overhead lighting and on-stage elements, like lamps and chandeliers, to create an intimate glow. A set of green string lights wrapped around a pair of ladders served as the “beanstalk” scaled by Jack.
Like Sewpersaud, Hickey fell in love with her specialty, lighting design, early in her studies. She considers lighting to be just as important to a production as the actors on stage.
“Lights can tell their own story,” says Hickey. “[A lighting designer] can use different colors. They can literally control what the audience sees on stage. It’s fascinating to me.”
Hickey also acted in the roles of Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood. She says balancing engineering and her song preparation wasn’t much of a challenge, but the costume changes were another story.
“There was a solid 30 minutes of the show where I was a different character every time I went on stage,” says Hickey with a smile. “It was a fun challenge to not only figure out how the logistics work, but as an actor, figure out the changes in those characters.”
Beyond the stage
Students at DU don’t just build sets for on-campus productions: They contribute to shows across Colorado through the Theatre Tech Internship Program. The paid program sends students to build and install sets for companies like Curious Theatre Company during the busy summer season. McDonald says it’s a valuable opportunity for students looking to find careers in stagecraft.
“One of our alumni is a carpenter at the Arvada Center. It’s not typical for them to hire brand new grads, but they looked at the fact that she had 22 builds from five different companies on her resume and said, ‘OK, you’re ready,’” he says.
Hickey and Sewpersaud, who are both graduating in June, have been a part of the Theatre Tech Internship Program for over a year. For Hickey, it helped build her resume and connect her to Colorado’s broader theatre community, should she decide to continue acting. Sewpersaud says the program opened his eyes to a range of career possibilities in the arts.
“It would be interesting to build immersive theatrical experiences for people beyond the theater,” says Sewpersaud. “Something I’m hoping to get into is the theme park industry, where they need theater-makers to bring those larger-than-life, magical experiences to life.”
If you missed this year’s production of “Into the Woods”—or if you want to experience the magic all over again—you can find plenty of photos in DU’s theatre archive. Learn more about upcoming theater events here.
