Jake - Techin' Up a Storm

Jake (left) looks on fellow Signature in the Schools cast and crew
as they film a series of videos during boot camp.

Moving over to the technical side of things with the Veni, Vidi, Vici team, we have our Assistant Sound Designer and Operator Jake. A very knowledgeable and diversely talented young man, Jake brings with him a plethora of experience and enthusiasm to the MAX Theatre stage.

"I am a senior at Wakefield High School and have been doing theater for three years now. Acting in Wakefield’s numerous productions of West Side Story as Diesel, Rebel Without a Cause as Mr. Brown, and then my favorite roles as Lancelot and the Knight of Ni in Wakefield’s production of Spamalot. I used to think in my grungy awkward middle school years that being an actor was easy work. And it is if you are aiming for an okay show. But if you want a passionate compelling show you need to work for it. You need to find your connections with your character and their idiosyncrasies. You memorize your lines like your life depends on it. If you’re doing a musical then you have to put in sweat and frustration to get the choreography and songs right. It's not as easy as people perceive it and it has truly changed the way I look at myself and others around me.  

Abby and Jake film a scene in Shirlington.

I will always love acting but it isn’t my preferred method of expression in theater. What I really love about theater is being a part of the technical crew. It's a passion I can see myself doing in the future and am applying to colleges for it at this very moment. I started to help make the set on West Side Story but didn’t have a huge hand in the actual crafting of sets until I worked with Encore Stage and Studio. I have had a hand with every set of Wakefield's productions ever since my first show. Even if I am acting in a show I really want to help with the set because without it the atmosphere of any performance will be dull.

Building the Rolls Royce for Wakefield's production of The Great Gatsby is what solidified this passion for me. My father, who is a master carpenter, and I built the body of the car in my backyard. It took around 25 hours to complete the whole construction process of the car. Once it was done being built, we had to paint it. So we took it to our set shop in Wakefield and I taught the other crew members how to grind, prime and paint.

I am confident that being a part of a crew is what I want to pursue and am really thankful that I am in Signature in the Schools because it truly is a wonderful opportunity. I am learning about sound (which is something I have rarely dabbled with) so I am pretty pumped about the 20th anniversary of Signature in the Schools because I know it's going to be a good show."

Be sure to check back in the coming weeks to hear more from the amazing 20th Anniversary cast and crew of Signature in the Schools. For more information on the program be sure to check out our web page. Tickets for this year's production will be available soon through the Signature Theatre Box Office at 703 820 9771.

Posted in: Jake,Senior,Signature in the Schools,Sound,Tech