After our latest Jay O. Glerum Rigging Masterclass course was taught in Puerto Rico this past July, we caught up with instructor and USITT Member Jaime Zayas to ask him about the experience! Jaime has an extensive resume and works in a variety of positions in the live entertainment world. Get to know him below, and be sure to check our calendar for future Jay. O Glerum Masterclass dates that feature Jaime as an instructor.

Jaime Zayas is an actor, mime, clown, and an ETCP Certified Theatre Rigger. He was born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and received a BA in theater from the University of Puerto Rico. With over 18 years of experience in professional theater, TV, film, and commercials, Jaime brings a broad base of experience to his teaching and performances. He is also fully bilingual!

He has participated in many theater plays back in Puerto Rico and in Missouri. In 2005, he acted in the hit television series "Seconds from Disaster" for the National Geographic Channel and was contracted for specialty character work by the Walt Disney Company. His performances and talent have taken him all over the U.S., Puerto Rico, Mexico, Nicaragua, Spain, Switzerland, and Egypt.

He is also the acting Executive Director at Kinetic Tapestry, a non-profit organization that provides circus instruction, performances, and expertise around the world! In addition to teaching his circus classes at Kinetic Tapestry, he has taught circus for 10 years in St. Louis for Dayspring School of the Arts. Previous to that, he taught theater and circus in the public schools of Puerto Rico. Whether he’s teaching students circus tricks, or guiding new riggers through safety procedures, he’s an engaging instructor who loves to bring out the best in his students, no matter their level of proficiency.

Your bio boasts over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry! Give us a quick rundown of the path that took you here today. Where did you start and how did you get here? 

When I went to school for mechanical engineering, I was offered a work-study job as the lighting tech for the university's theatre venue. I accepted, and they trained me. After four years there, I switched college campuses and received a BA in theater from the University of Puerto Rico while attending circus school at the same time. After that, I went to work for Disney Parks in the Entertainment department and did freelance lighting design. In 2009 my wife and I started our own circus and theatre company in St. Louis, and that’s where I am today.

What makes rigging for circus performances unique from theatre or other live entertainment? 

In circus, you must consider that you are working with a lot of dynamic forces and shock loads, which sometimes are hard to pre-determine. But with experience and with help from other professional riggers you can plan your design effectively.

What’s your favorite effect or trick you’ve worked on? What made it an exciting challenge? 

Rigging a long truss over the audience to make Mary Poppins flying entrance with OntheFlyPros in St.Louis. As part of a great rigging team, I helped install the anchors and knots. It was challenging because there were no exposed beams, and we had to take ceiling lights out to feed our ropes. It went well.

What’s something every rigger should have in their toolbox? 

Learn how to splice rope. Learn how to make knots.

Where can beginner riggers learn more about rigging? 

For the theory part of rigging, there are many great books and online resources. For the practical aspect, you can take various hands-on workshops. I really encourage learning by working alongside experienced and knowledgeable riggers.

Tell us about your company Kinetic Tapestry! What sort of work do you do, and where in the country do you work? 

We are storytellers. We use a combination of theatre and circus to tell stories that uplift our audience. We also have a training facility in St. Louis where we teach circus arts to people of all ages.

Theatre tech is always changing and growing! How do you stay up to date with new tech and standards in the rigging world? 

By staying connected with other riggers around the world. I do so through different social media rigging groups. Sign up for newsletters from ESTA, USITT and others. Attend theatre tech conferences when you can.

Are there any frequently asked questions you get as a rigging educator? What’s something every rigger should know? 

I always get asked how to successfully discuss safety issues with producers and performers. A rigger needs to be able to share their concerns in a respectful manner but be conscious of the reasons a rigging idea may turn dangerous.

As a theatre tech and performance educator, what’s something you’d like to share with early-career artists about making it in the professional world? Is there anything you wish you had known when you were just starting out? 

Be a SWISS Army knife. Be knowledgeable and reliable in your area of work, but learn a little about the other aspects of tech. I believe this helped me get jobs. I was able to talk the language of the sound, lights, and other tech designer as we worked in a production. Be willing to learn from others always. It is good to be a jack-of-all-trades but I would warn about being a master of none. 

How did you get introduced to the Jay O. Glerum world of rigging? What made you want to become a rigging instructor? 

I learned rigging under other riggers while working. When I was getting ready to get my rigging certification, I purchased the Stage Rigging Handbook by Jay O. Glerum* to make sure I knew the terminology in English, since my education in tech theatre was in Spanish. I enjoy teaching and encouraging others. I like teaching people about safety because that grows respect for our trade. I also learn a lot from others while I’m teaching.

What was your experience like as the instructor of our first Jay O. Glerum Masterclass presented in Spanish? 

In Latin America, we do not have access to this kind of training and tools, so it was very humbling to be teaching the class in Spanish for the very first time. It was a fun challenge to translate the content into Spanish.

How did it feel to teach a class in Puerto Rico? 

Superb. I got to teach on my island! Industry legends who have been doing tech in Puerto Rico for years were very grateful for it. One of the students did attend a Glerum Masterclass in the 90s! As we promoted the workshop for Puerto Rico, we got some emails from riggers in Costa Rica and Mexico wanting us to bring it to their countries as well.

Your work has taken you all over the world! Where were some of the most exciting international performances you’ve seen or been a part of? 

Most of our international work is with communities in need. We do free shows and circus workshops for kids in orphanages, refugee camps, and other places. Egypt was fun and it was an honor to perform during the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. 

Tell us about your work as a mime and clown! What about this style of performance appeals to you? 

I love the clown. It connects with the audience in a way that no other performance does. Like Marcel Marceau once said, “It’s the heart of man, it’s the soul. But it has to be perfect. It can’t be merely entertainment. If you are strong, if you are deep, you are going to make an art that will touch people.”

*The Fourth and most current edition of the Stage Rigging Handbook is co-authored by Shane Kelly.