Who am I? What do I look for out of life? Those questions won't be answered here on a web page, but maybe you'll get a little taste. I like my friends. I'm usually blunt. I started life in Louisville, KY. My interest in theatre started at a young age I when to see a lot of theatre as a child. I was blindly unaware how lucky I was to be in a town that supports all of the major arts. I grew up with an under appreciation for the music, dance, visual arts and dramatic theatre that I was being exposed to. When I was thirteen I went with a friend to watch a rehearsal he was in and they grabbed me and put me to work at the sound board (I had grown up with frequent visits to my friend's recording studio). My two sisters, my older sister and my twin sister, had already started attending the Youth Performing Arts School for voice and orchestra respectively. So decided to pursue the technical side of theatre. I went to YPAS for all of my high school years. I was part of a class of 15-18 freshman students in my program, but was one of two to complete all four years there (of my group) in 1991.

I went on to get a job as a furry dancing lion ! I went on to get a job at Kentucky Kingdom Amusement Park (KKAP) in between semesters at college. I started as a furry lion dancing in shows and moved up to handling schedules for 23 employees and running up to seven shows a day as either a stage manager or an audio technician.

I dropped out of college! (For a while) Because of many reasons I dropped out of college after four semesters. While I was working at KKAP, we contracted a company The Production Studio, Inc. (TPS) to build the sets. I was impressed with their standards of quality and their good attitude. When my contract ended with KKAP I applied to work with TPS. Truthfully, I bugged them until they brought me and a friend in as overhire carpenters for a few days. My friend and I busted out the entire weeks work in one day to prove how we could kick ass. I have remained associated with the production studio ever since. I started as a carpenter, then the go between for the carpentry and paint, but then I found that I was good at shopping. I work mainly with Robbie Doenges the owner keeping the shop stocked and helping with the office duties, phones, computer work like computer entries,filing, deposits, etc. I moved more into the production assisting type work and then assisting Robbie for the most part while maintaining the shopping and other duties as needed still helping with on site load-ins and outs. The majority of my work had less to do with keeping everyone with what ever they might need to keep running.

I got a phone call in 1993! I got a phone call in 1993 to run the sound board of the Pamela Brown for the Actor's Theatre of Louisville's 93 Human Festival (ATL)which was suddenly short a sound person. It was quite a blast. I was taking over a show that was already open and several that were in tech. The designers that I got to work with were both very good. The work was very challenging and exciting.

I helped found a short lived theatre! I helped found a short lived theatre called Theatre for a Cause. As a not for profit we raised money for charity. I was helped a lot by a company I had worked off and on with, called Q2Q Lighting. The Theatre for a Cause lasted for two seasons. Then it came to a end, because of dwindling audience support and many other reasons. After several years I decided that my career was going very well, so..

I got an education!

So I enrolled at Ithaca College and graduated in may of 1999. At Ithaca I worked as a shop assistant and did production assignments in the areas of props, electrics, carpentry, and sound. I was able my junior year of school to spend a semester in the London program studying theatre history and modern London theatre. London was a life changing event beyond description. During the summers I remained with TPS, and one summer with Williamstown Theatre Festival (WTF).

I ate McDonalds for four meals a day and I lost ten pounds!

At WTF I took a position as a properties assistant for no pay, but ended the season with a paying position as a properties master for one of the two main stages. The work was very intense. So intense that even though I ate McDonalds for four meals a day and I lost ten pounds by the end of the summer. I made many friends and contacts there and ran into old friends including one from YPAS who was now pretty well established in NYC.

How I relax!!!

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This page was authored by John Seth Leach
Site last updated 6/7/04click here to send me mail