A curtain call for theater and engineering

By Bryan Hay

There’s always been a kinship between theater and engineering, with both disciplines seeking to tap creative powers to turn abstract concepts into shared experiences to elevate the human condition.

Like two veteran actors, Lafayette engineering and theater have come together this semester in a production of Between the Lines, a musical based on the novel by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer about a struggling teen who finds comfort in her favorite book and the power to change her own story.

Directed by Melissa Livingston, assistant professor of theater, Between the Lines opens Nov. 5 and runs through Nov. 8 with performances in Williams Center for the Arts.

The production has been supported by Helm fellows Carly Rodrigues ’27 and Michael Staunton ’27, both mechanical engineering majors. The fellowship is named in honor of Jeff Helm, associate professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, who designed the sets for, and acted in, more than a dozen productions during his time at Lafayette.

“What I really want is for students, particularly engineering students, to realize there’s a lot of engineering that goes into the entertainment world,” says Alexander Owens, adjunct professor of theater and production manager/technical director, who has been mentoring Rodrigues and Staunton since summer.

“We can look at Cirque du Soleil as a great example. We want theater to seem magical. We want the audience to think this is easy and it all just came together. But there are 20 people on the stage, and probably 50 or more people behind the scenes, who have actually made that magic happen. And some of those people are engineers. There’s a whole universe for engineers in the world of entertainment.”

In Lafayette’s production of Between the Lines, Owens and the student engineers have been focused on building a set anchored by bookcases.

Carly Rodrigues ’27 assists Alexander Owens, adjunct professor of theater and production manager/technical director, in building the set for Between the Lines. | Photo by JaQuan Alston

“The set itself is pretty static,” Owens explains. “It’s mostly these bookcases, which give you the ability to think about the worlds the books represent in this fantasy. We’re utilizing projection and lighting, and some moving bits like furniture, and a section of the stage that will roll out at various moments to create the rest of the world.”

Owens, Rodrigues, and Staunton have collaborated on breaking down the set design into various pieces and components, discussing construction techniques, materials, and costs, contacting vendors, and mapping out construction schedules.

“It’s really about project management and how we’re going to execute the show as a whole,” Owens observes.

Through the experience, Rodrigues has come to appreciate the commonalities between engineering and theater.

“Both engineering and theater are very technical and benefit from each other,” she says. “I didn’t realize until doing this how technical theater actually is behind the scenes, and all of the people required to create the bigger picture. In engineering, you’re working with people from different disciplines, and everyone has different skills. It’s the same thing with theater.”

Carly Rodrigues ’27 says the Helm fellowship has come to appreciate the commonalities between engineering and theater. | Photo by JaQuan Alston

With a lifelong interest in theater, Rodrigues has largely participated in it as an actor. Now, through her experiences in the Engineering Division, she’s considering a career in entertainment engineering, perhaps working on animatronic design at a theme park.

“With theater, I get to work on human interaction with engineering,” she says.

Staunton has enjoyed applying his engineering skills on the production in ways that are not mathematically constrained and are freed by pure creativity.

“We still need those constraints, the things you wouldn’t even think about, such as the safety of the cast,” he notes. “As an engineer, you have to know how they’re actually going to use the set and be able to plan around and account for that.”

Like Rodrigues, Staunton was drawn to the Helm Fellowship for the opportunities to focus on the creative side of engineering.

“It gets you away from the spreadsheets and allows you to really focus on the actual impact we’re going to have on an individual actor, the entire cast, and directors,” he says.

Michael Staunton ’27 was drawn to the Helm Fellowship for the opportunities to focus on the creative side of engineering. | Photo by JaQuan Alston

Working alongside faculty and 15 other students who work as shop assistants, constructing, painting, installing the scenery, and fine tuning the lighting, sound, and projection has provided a rich interdisciplinary experience, validating Rodrigues’ and Staunton’s decision to come and learn at Lafayette.

The goal, to have them see how a stage production unfolds from start to finish, has been achieved, Owens says.

“With an opening night looming, Carly and Michael have put their engineering training and creativity to use to create a magical experience for everyone who attends Between the Lines” he says.