Arts Student of the Week Paige Ioerger

For someone who has always been interested in theater, Paige Ioerger knew at an early age that acting was not her calling. "I did a little of it when I was young," Ioerger said, "but I've stepped away from that. I have a little bit of stage fright, so I can't really do the onstage thing. But I did a little bit when I was younger."

In elementary school she had small roles, singing in the chorus of shows. "I did that for 'The Little Mermaid' when I was in first grade, and then I did the same thing for 'Beauty and the Beast' in fourth or fifth grade," she said

Ioerger has fond memories of visiting Jesters Dinner Theater in Longmont with her parents, where she saw "Beauty and the Beast'' and "The Secret Garden." And then in ninth grade, working to get community service hours towards graduation, Ioerger served as a technical assistant for her sister's elementary production of "Aladdin."

"I did the technical side of it," she recalls. "I helped with props and things like that." That experience sparked an interest in working behind the scenes which Ioerger brought with her when she was admitted to Niwot High School last year, her first year working as a theater tech.

As a junior, she provided video on both "Peter and the Starcatcher," and "Mamma Mia," and this year, moved into a more prominent role with the production of "Noises Off!"

Jason Watkins, the theater manager at NHS, has been impressed with the energy and commitment Ioerger brought to the fall show. "Paige is our outstanding Student Technical Director for our upcoming show, 'Noises Off!'" Watkins said. "She is single handedly in charge of all aspects of the show from calling when it begins, all light and sound cues, and cuing the stage crew for all scene changes."

As Technical Director for the show, Ioerger was in charge of making sure each department ran smoothly and on occasion she called the lighting and sound cues. "We make sure that the people on stage look good and sound good, and the set looks good. I think that's the simplest way to explain it."

Moving the elaborate set was one of the most challenging aspects of producing the show. "I work with my stage managers to spin the whole set around, which is a very daunting task. I work with those people to make sure that we don't hurt anybody, and we don't break anything, and we spin everything with precision."

"Paige has been an outstanding leader for this production," Watkins said, "and has earned the respect of all the crew members and cast alike. Due to Paige's due diligence, this show has been relatively easy for me to focus on the little details to make the show even better."

Before coming to NHS, Ioerger attended Colorado Preparatory Academy, an online K-12 school. At Niwot High School she has found a strong support system. "I love it here. These people are close to family. They're just... they're amazing."

After graduation, Ioerger plans to attend Front Range Community College. "Paige is considering going into nursing upon graduation," Watkins said, "and I know the leadership and manager skills she is exhibiting in Tech will give her an excellent boost in her career." But in the meantime, she continues to enjoy her work in the theater. "I'm really into 'Into the Woods' right now, because my little brother,... that's one of his favorite shows. And we can sing all the songs, screaming at the top of our lungs."