The Newman University Theatre Department recently found itself in need of someone to fill the technical director position and assist in matters of stagecraft, lighting and sound.
Associate Professor Mark Mannette, chair of humanities and theatre director, hired alumnus Lucas Farney ’20 having seen his commitment to the stage firsthand.
Farney has taken the role of part-time technical director and has already been hard at work — finishing the theatre department’s “One Community, Many Voices” set and moving on to the set for the music department’s upcoming show, “Come Alive.”
Farney is thrilled to have this position and believes it will be incredibly beneficial to him both as an artist and as someone stepping into their next phase of life.
“It’s rejuvenating to have this job,” said Farney. “I find it therapeutic. A lot of times in life, you feel like you can’t control things, but with this, you directly control things by working with your hands.”
He hopes to accomplish as much as he can in his time as a newly appointed staff member of Newman.
“What excites me most is the chance to come back and do a lot of the things I wanted to do while I was here as the Newman Theatre Club president, Sloppy Joe captain and a student worker, but wasn’t able to because I had so many obligations and so little time.
“I really want to organize everything in the theatre: the stages themselves, the shop, the light booths, etc., and take stock of everything we have for the future. In a nutshell, I hope to help the theatre run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.”
Farney feels that the hard work and dedication he put into the “Inferno” set ultimately prepared him for this job. He also believes that his degree helps him understand the various elements of theatre.
“My degree is in general theatre, (covering) technical theatre and performance theatre, and I believe that technical experience makes a performer appreciate what tech people do. It’s a different experience. While the acting is more psychological and emotional, stagecraft, lighting and design are more technical and physical.”
He is thankful for the opportunity to continue to be with his friends on campus as well as his mentor, Mannette, as he continues to develop his artistic and technical craft.
“Moving forward at Newman, I hope to just do as good a job as I can. My main aspiration though is to move to California and try to make it out there; but first I want to save up some money, pay off some student loans and just get myself ready in general for such a big step.”
