Arts Student of the Week Kaiya Brown

When spotlights illuminate a theater set on opening night, the audience is usually unaware of the work that has gone into making sure that the world they see on stage provides a safe environment for the actors and technicians working the show.

According to "Safety and Health in the Theater: Keeping Tragedy out of the Comedies...and Musicals...and Dramas," an article published online by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2009 (the most current data available) there were 1,190 injuries to individuals in occupations related to the theater.

Even during the performance, there are many things that might go wrong. As a stage technician, Niwot High School junior Kaiya Brown is keenly aware of those possibilities. "There are plenty of difficulties that arise during shows," Brown said. "Sometimes it's the light board acting up, and sometimes it's set pieces falling apart."

The technicians who work behind the scenes manage these problems as a team. "The most important things in these moments are communication," Brown said. "In each one the way that we solved it was working with each other and not getting overwhelmed. Some of the most difficult things to solve are when people are at each other's throats or upset. That's when I care the most and I want to make sure that everybody gets along and feels safe."

Problem-solving has played a large role in the classes Brown has taken at NHS, which include Technical Theatre, 2D Design, and Drama 1. NHS technical director Jason Watkins, who selected Brown as this week's Arts Student of the Week, spoke highly of her skills. "Kaiya is your proverbial jack-of-all-trades," Watkins said. "She can paint, sculpt, design lighting and even knows how to cut plywood!"

Brown was very interested in acting in elementary school and middle school, but when she learned that she could work backstage, she thought that would be an amazing opportunity. In her freshman year she took both Beginner Theater and Beginner Technical Theater, and found that she liked the technical side better than being on stage.

Brown has been a part of the technical program at Niwot for three years. As a technical theater student she has developed many skills: she has operated light boards, acted as a student technical director, operated a spotlight, filled in for stage crew, designed some of the set pieces, (including the rose stand for "Beauty and the Beast") and worked as a house manager. She has even sold roses and made signs.

"Most of the students in tech have spent their three or four years studying one or two things," she said. "I strive to learn every single part of our backstage technicalities. By the end of my four years, I want to have been able to manage, run lights, run sound, work backstage, and design some set pieces as well as painting. Next year I hope to spend the whole year working on sound, and this year I've spent the whole year working on lights. Outside of tech, I want to learn everything and lots of people say that I bite off more than I can chew or that I try to take everything on at once. I think it's exciting."

Watkins has enjoyed watching Brown develop those skills. "I have had the pleasure of knowing Kaiya for three years," he said, "and her energy knows no bounds. Always cheerful, a friend to everyone, and a stylish dresser, Kaiya is always a beaming star of energy."

Brown's interest in technical theater is driven by a desire to grow as an artist and designer. She wants to learn every technical aspect of theatrical productions because she may want to go into technical theater in the future. Even if that doesn't happen, her experience has given her a greater appreciation for films, plays and musicals. Brown enjoys anything that lets her create art and work with her hands, and theater tech is one of the best opportunities for that. Watkins observed, "Hiding in that artistic facade is a brilliant mind, always observing and questioning."

Brown has a passion for anything that has to do with artistic expression. She is interested in photography, watercolor, acrylic, ink and many other mediums, plays the violin, and enjoys singing. In addition to her theater work, she is also a member of the Chamber Singers. "Though I'm not very good," she admitted, "I hope to be in jazz bands next year. I love singing and songwriting. It makes me feel so magical and free."

She has worked on several shows for Niwot High School. "My favorite show so far would have to be 'Little Shop of Horrors.' The set was so bright and colorful, and it let me experience what it would be like to work in a more film-based theatrical setting. I also loved being able to have that first year of tech and learn how to paint and build sets and operate a spotlight. Outside of what we've done, my favorite musical is 'Hadestown.'"

Brown is considering a variety of options for her future, some of which involve theater. Others involve taking a more scientific route. She is interested in becoming a scientific illustrator and loves painting and drawing bugs, animals and flowers. She also paints portraits. "I know that I want to go into something where I can use my hands and put things together or make something pop out on a page."