I had never even picked up a drill before the first time I did set construction. Since then I have done construction for 3 sets, as well as doing home renovations.

I helped build the set for high school musical at the Scera over the summer, there I learned more there than I would have thought. we were given blueprints by our set designer to follow. Along with that, we built everything to standard home regulations.

For Mama Mia, I was given a rough sketch from our Set Designer, and that's it. I took up the challenge of learning SketchUp and creating a to-scale model. First, I created a scale model of my stage. Then upon that I made a model of my set so I could easy convey to my Team my thoughts and ideas, so our set construction can go smoothly.

The set for Legally Blonde was unique compared to my other sets, as it was a caravan set. This provided me with a very unique experience, since everything we built had to be light enough to be rolled around by just a few stagehands or actors. The centerpiece of the set was our spinning rotary. It took us almost a week to construct. It was 8 feet in diameter, rested on 13 wheels, and took a minimum of 2 people to rotate.

Through all these experiences I learned how crucial a well built set was for a smooth production. Well carpentry is not my technical focus, it has quickly become something I enjoy, and something I want to learn more about.