Regarding Trips, Long And Strange

 Yesterday, after my portfolio review (the last of the eight required of tech and design students here at UAF), I was reflecting on things and made a comment elsewhere about how this process - the path towards my undergraduate degree - has indeed been a long, strange trip.

 As a part of that, here is a look at how my presentation has changed between my return to school in the Fall of 2010 and now, the Spring of 2016:

Fall 2010 Portfolio Review (Only the 1/2 of the table nearest the camera is my work)

Spring 2016 Portfolio Review

As an aside, the table cover shown in the Spring 2016 image is a close match to the shirt I wore for my headshot - yes, even designers need a headshot now and again - and that shirt is also my preferred shirt for interviews. So I shall be wearing it at the NUAI's.

A funny thing happened this morning. One that bemused me at least: I had sent an initial reply to one of the grad program recruiters who had recently sent me an email out of the blue. The one who, after reading my resume on the URTA site, wanted me to take a look at their schools lighting design program. In my reply I mentioned my interest in scenography. Just got a reply back. And in it, the recruiter mentions that they themselves received a degree in scenography back when Northwestern used to offer them, so they "...have a very good understanding of your goals." And this is a school that, in candor, I had never even considered.

Many years ago, back when I began this phase of my theatrical journeys, I transferred from my community college to the University of IL: Urbana-Champaign with my intended focus being lighting design and technical direction. Time and events passed, and I became more of a carpentry, properties, and scenic oriented person. Yet I still did lighting designs, now and again. Then I learned/rediscovered the concept of scenography. And realized that it was a significant part of my artistic persona.

Now that I approach interviews for potential graduate degree programs, two out of the four school that I know I will be talking to at the NUAI's will be speaking to me with large emphasis on lighting design: the school I mentioned above and one from my list of "top five." The later school is doing so because they are only currently recruiting for assitantships in lighting and costuming. After I contacted - first by phone, then by email - the school to clarify that I didn't want to miss a chance to speak with them due to having listed scenic design as my discipline on the URTA website, the recruiter there emailed back saying: "... I understand your wish to follow the path of a Scenographer, and we could possibly accommodate that, while having you fill an assistantship in our Lighting or Costume Area, we could tailor your course work to have more of a broader path.  I’ll be sure to connect with you while at URTA, and we can discuss."

So here I am some 37 years on, potentially once again having a major part of my focus be lighting as it was so long ago.

A long, strange trip indeed.







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                                                 My scenographic portfolio:

                                           https://sagecl.wordpress.com/29-2/

                                           My general, rather eclectic, Tumblr:
                                                     Semi-Random Shavings


              A portfolio of my various work and projects, both theatrical and otherwise. 



                                              My school related fundraising site:
                                   Help Me Continue My Educational Momentum