ETSU: Ian Shockley Shines As Student Lighting Designer

From East Tennessee State University:

February 9, 2022

JOHNSON CITY – For ETSU student Ian Shockley, long before the director
calls “camera, action,” there’s lights.

A love for theater and, specifically, a deep passion for lighting design brought the
Jonesborough resident to East Tennessee State University after graduating with honors
from David Crockett High School in 2019.

Now in his junior year, Shockley is about to make his own debut. Next week, when
the ETSU Department of Theatre and Dance presents the drama “Straight White Men,” it will mark Shockley’s first mainstage show as a lighting designer.

And he can’t wait.

“Lighting greatly affects the mood of the play,” Shockley said. “For ‘Straight White
Men,’ the setting is a family room in suburban Chicago. It’s also Christmas, and there
are a lot of lighting situations to deal with.”

When creating a design plot for a show, Shockley says the first step is to dig into
the script. What is given? What is needed based on the actions of the play?

“It’s about visibility and getting the mood and the feeling of the show right while
also supporting the actors on stage,” he said.

“The space we are working within is amazing,” adds Shockley, referring to the Bert
C. Bach Theatre, a state-of-the-art intimate, black box facility inside the new Martin Center for the Arts. The Bach Theatre opened in fall 2021, and “Straight White Men” will be the second show performed there.

“The black box space is very flexible and gives a lot of creative freedom.”

Shockley is a theatre design/production major and has received a range of experiences
during his time at ETSU. In addition to working in the scene shop and costume shop,
he was the lighting programmer for last fall’s production of “Men on Boats.” He also serves as technical director for the Patchwork Players, a student-run theater
organization that produces shows and programs throughout the year.

“One of the greatest things about the technical theater program at ETSU is that you
get a lot of one-on-one help,” he said. “Not only do you get access to this wonderful
creative space, but you get the chance to be mentored by talented faculty like Melissa
Shafer.”

“Ian came to ETSU with a solid foundation in stage lighting production through his
active participation in lighting within local community theater,” said Shafer, a professor
at ETSU. “What the ETSU Theatre and Dance department has been able to offer Ian is
a focus on the aesthetics of lighting. ‘Straight White Men’ is his first collegiate
lighting design and, with the opening of the Martin Center for the Arts, Ian has state-of-the-art
equipment to work with and learn on, much like a chef working with top quality knives
or a painter with the best brushes. It is a joy to watch him develop as a designer.”

Shockley has done design work for other theaters and says his plans after graduation
include working for a regional theater or performing arts company, or possibly a touring
show.

This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.