Class of 2025 graduate Broc Vierzba was selected for the New York Experience from a group of six Technical Theatre Career Pathway award finalists by Hennepin Arts Spotlight Education. He visited New York in late June.
As a finalist in the Technical Theatre Career Pathway, he used his skills in stage management, lighting, and audio to help build Spotlight Showcase.
Hear from Broc about his New York experience:
What was the experience like?
If I were to sum it up in a word, it would be inspiring. Being able to go to New York was already a dream, but then to be able to work with professionals on Broadway to learn was far beyond what I could ever imagine myself doing. Seeing the processes that they use was highly inspiring, and makes me excited to work on another production with the knowledge and ideas I've gained. Besides the theater aspect of it all, everyone I spent time with, from the other experience winners, the chaperones, and every professional that used their precious time on us, were amazing people, and connections I hope to retain as I go forward into the future.
What was your biggest takeaway from the experience?
Going to New York and getting to experience first hand the world of Broadway, both from the audience and backstage, taught me that behind the glamour of it all there are still people working on it all. Everyone had their own lives, experiences, and thoughts that they brought to each production, much like our own small theater in Saint Francis, but on a (literal) larger stage. Mistakes are not extinct on a Broadway stage either. After talking with technical teams, I learned that there are times a show needs to hold in order to fix issues, including on nights where the entire theater is filled. It was very humanizing and helped remove the fog that made me believe that I could never reach such heights.
Favorite moment?
Easily going backstage on the Broadway production of Aladdin. I was shadowing the stage manager during the show, so I was able to see and meet many amazing people while getting an intimate look at all of the technical elements of the show. I was able to ask the stage manager questions, which gave me a great look into professional stage management and helped me learn better processes as a lighting designer. Going into it, I really wanted to know how the magic carpet worked, and after successfully guessing how it worked, they showed me. The mechanics of it all were mind blowing, but unfortunately that is a Disney secret that I must keep.
What are your future plans?
I will be going to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities to pursue a bachelors in Computer Science, while also working within their theaters to both build my skills and work. I will also be training with the lighting designer from Spotlight Showcase to further improve and build my resume. In the future, I would like to use my skills as a theater technician to work at high schools like ours to inspire students to achieve even more.
About the program
Graduating senior students with interest or experience in technical theater are invited to apply for the Technical Theater Career Pathway. Select students are invited to an interview where a panel of theater professionals determine six Career Pathway Technicians who are assigned to professional mentors and work on creating Spotlight Showcase and surrounding pre/post show events. The six Career Pathway Technicians have the option to be considered for the Technical Theater New York Experience and a scholarship that may be used toward training that leads to a certificate or higher skill level after completing high school.