Dana Freeman is studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Performance at Purchase College, SUNY. where she believes learning extends beyond the classroom, and is more than just teachers and textbooks. Learning can be looking at the back of a sound console in bewilderment to plugging in cables, lifting speakers, or getting feedback on drafting. Even more than technical knowledge, she says, "I’m hoping to gain skills like learning to collaborate with others to create something larger than the individual." 

In addition to the two scholarship recipients for sound, there are five special mentions in the category: Melli Monk, Irene Wang, Ari Klopfer, Lacey Vailikit, and Jesslynn Hurtado.

Live Design: What brought you to this scholarship?

Dana Freeman: I found out about the scholarship through word of mouth. I reached out to sound designer Evan Cook, who spoke at my Intro to Sound Design class, to ask questions about sound design as a career and he happened to recommend applying for the scholarship. What drew me to pursue the scholarship was a lingering but persistent thought that maybe I could make it and the desire to see more people like me in theatre and design. It was a whirlwind of a process and I had to gather all the materials within a week but the scholarship seemed like a perfect fit for me, my interests, and what I represented.

Live Design: What drew you to design?

DF: The idea of being able to making choices and the effect those choices would have drew me into the world of design. A sound effect to clarify the setting, a deliberate piece of music, or even silence can enhance or emphasize a moment in a scene for the audience and its perception and enjoyment of a show. By choosing what to do or not to do in conjunction with the other design teams, we directly customize and influence the experience of the audience, and make a play come to life.  It can be the difference between a good play and a great play!  Having this direct influence on a production drew me to design and is what keeps me coming back. 

LD: What are some of your career goals?

DF: One career goal of mine, more generally, is to explore how I can tell stories through sound. Sound is a unique and powerful medium that can create the world of a play as well as connect with the audience emotionally. I think it’s important to use sound and theatre, in general, to speak to experiences that connect us as humans rather than the things that divide us. My career goal is to continuously utilize sound as a medium to make people think and begin to consider the themes and ideas of a production. It would be naive to think that I would change people’s entire lives or minds but I believe art is an invitation and I’d like to use sound to invite the audience to engage with a show.

LD: How can the industry better serve underrepresented communities?

DF: The industry can provide new opportunities and continue to support existing opportunities (such as this!) for underrepresented communities, by providing financial support and mentoring, educational and networking opportunities. Educational support as well as so much information is gatekept and is hard to access unless you know the right people within the industry or have vocational opportunities available to individuals of underrepresented communities. 

LD: Who or what are your influences in terms of people or events?

DF: Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe is a show that’s influenced me as an artist. It’s a one-person show based on the premise of a little boy who makes a list of every brilliant thing that makes life worth living for his mom after her suicide attempt. The little boy grows and the list grows as well and the play is more of an experience rather than just a show that you sit and watch. The audience is intrinsically part of the show as you shout out parts of the list or even are asked to play some of the characters in the show like the dad or vet, etc.  It made for a deeply heartfelt, extremely funny but also intensely sad, all-in-all very intimate show that changed what I thought theatre could be. And the music! The music that ran throughout the piece was used so intelligently to add humor in some moments and add chaos in others but always, it added layers to the characters in the story and created nuance in who they were. The mother was incredibly depressed but loved '60s soul songs and sometimes they would just sit there and sing songs and laugh and smile. I saw that show and I felt like it changed something within me. Every Brilliant Thing taught me how incredibly important the audience is for the dynamics of any show but also what you can do with the audience. It taught me about hope and growing up and inheritance and getting help and love and so much more. It reminds me of music and how it can both reflect how we are feeling, distract us from what we are feeling, or a little of both. The show made me think and wonder deeply and I still think of it even now. A truly wonderful piece of theatre.

LD: What challenges have you faced?

DF: I grew up internationally in six countries (Honduras, Armenia, the USA, Perú, Indonesia, and Germany) so some of my challenges have been related to moving around so much. I don’t really have a sense of where home is, my friends are scattered across the globe, and while I hold a U.S. passport, America often doesn’t feel familiar to me. But being a Third Culture Kid (TCK) is so integral to who I am that without that fact, I would be a very different person. It gave me unique experiences and perspectives and allowed me to meet special people that have made me the person I am today. Like most things, it’s a mixed bag: full of challenges but also of rewards. 

LD: Do you have a bucket list item?

DF: I’d love to safely go skydiving (note the emphasis on the safely!)

The Diversity In Design scholarships are named for Pat MacKay, former publisher of Theatre Crafts International (TCI) and Lighting Dimensions and founder of the LDI trade show. She is a USITT Fellow and has mentored multiple generations of industry professionals. The Diversity In Design Scholarships were introduced in 2019 to support the diverse and unique voices in the field of entertainment design and are presented to undergraduate students.

The Diversity In Design Scholarships are sponsored by Lightswitch, in their effort to support the next generation.

 

Article written by Hannah Kinnersley and sourced from LiveDesign