2008 Woodie Awards
Kevin Saunders: from MJC to Cirque de Soleil and back again
Tiara Johnson
Issue date: 10/12/06 Section: News
The hangar-like work space in back of the Champion Building across Tully Road from Modesto Junior College East Campus is stuffed to the brim with everything one would need to create a set for a play; flats, lighting equipment (including drums, gels, and sticks), sound equipment, nuts, screws, bolts, washers, drills, saws, sand bags, braces - even a box of hard hats on the floor.
This is the playground of Kevin Saunders, production specialist for the MJC Theater Department.
Blanketed with dust, it seems as if the workshop and its contents have not been moved for years.
But throughout the year Saunders sifts through all these things, shifts them around, paints them different colors, and uses them to create - well, magic.
"At first everything was in about five different areas; five different putty knives in five different places. It was crazy," Saunders says. "I try to put things that are alike in the same place and stocking flats and organize them by size."
The ceiling above the work area has paint that is cracking from the summer heat and falls down when rain hammers on its metal roof, which leaks. The building is either too hot, due to lack of air conditioning, or too cold, because there is only one heater mounted to the ceiling. The lighting is horrible, with only a few hanging florescent lights. The only natural light comes from the open garage doors. Yet despite all these elements, Saunders is able to get everything done in time for productions at MJC and surrounding theaters.
Most of Saunders' work takes place during the evening, but he uses the day to prepare and load equipment into his truck to take to where ever the show will take place.
As production specialist, Saunders constructs the sets for theater and dance productions-including painting flats and props, building props, welding bars together and transporting the necessary equipment to the space the production will take place.
But creating dreams and bringing to life the visions of directors starts with paper work and intricate planning. The process starts with his reading the play, after which he is able to start planning the large props-tables and such- and to work on the set design, attempting to keep the play close to the period needed. After his design is planned Saunders shows it to the director and then starts to order his equipment-plywood, steel, paint, and the hardware that is needed to hold everything up.
This is the playground of Kevin Saunders, production specialist for the MJC Theater Department.
Blanketed with dust, it seems as if the workshop and its contents have not been moved for years.
But throughout the year Saunders sifts through all these things, shifts them around, paints them different colors, and uses them to create - well, magic.
"At first everything was in about five different areas; five different putty knives in five different places. It was crazy," Saunders says. "I try to put things that are alike in the same place and stocking flats and organize them by size."
The ceiling above the work area has paint that is cracking from the summer heat and falls down when rain hammers on its metal roof, which leaks. The building is either too hot, due to lack of air conditioning, or too cold, because there is only one heater mounted to the ceiling. The lighting is horrible, with only a few hanging florescent lights. The only natural light comes from the open garage doors. Yet despite all these elements, Saunders is able to get everything done in time for productions at MJC and surrounding theaters.
Most of Saunders' work takes place during the evening, but he uses the day to prepare and load equipment into his truck to take to where ever the show will take place.
As production specialist, Saunders constructs the sets for theater and dance productions-including painting flats and props, building props, welding bars together and transporting the necessary equipment to the space the production will take place.
But creating dreams and bringing to life the visions of directors starts with paper work and intricate planning. The process starts with his reading the play, after which he is able to start planning the large props-tables and such- and to work on the set design, attempting to keep the play close to the period needed. After his design is planned Saunders shows it to the director and then starts to order his equipment-plywood, steel, paint, and the hardware that is needed to hold everything up.
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CLAUDIA HAINES SAUNDERS
posted 10/21/06 @ 9:06 PM PST
THAT'S A GREAT ARTICLE ON OUR SON KEVIN! HIS GRANDMOTHER, ELEANOR MC KNIGHT HAINES WOULD BE SO PROUD AS WE ARE TOO! THANK YOU FOR SHARING HIS STORY WITH THE STUDENTS AT MJC!
CLAUDIA HAINES SAUNDERS
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