How do you bring a vision to life? Learn about the subtleties and complexities of producing live theatre here, and how immersion is one of its greatest strengths.
Read set designer and teacher Benjamin Keegan Arnold’s experiences navigating the field of theatre arts and keeping artistic passion alive through your career.
Recently, Billy Agustin (Content Writer) sat down for an interview with Benjamin Keegan Arnold and discussed his professional life while working as a teacher and set designer.
Q: What form of art do you specialize in?
Arnold: The art I specialize in is theatre arts. Specifically, set design and lighting design.
Q: When did you start doing theatre and when did you become interested in it?
Arnold: I started technical theatre in high school, then I took a media technology class where we did a lot of live television. And that’s what got me hooked on doing tech stuff.
Then, when I was in college, I started in film school while also working at a theatre and I got a job when I was nineteen assistant directing That got me hooked on directing and set design.
Actually, my dad used to design the sets for that theatre that I got to work at, so he’s the one that taught me how to do cool set designs and how to build and all that.
Q: What made you decide you wanted to pursue theatre as a career?
Arnold: Well, I always really enjoyed it. I feel like acting is a good way to get out your artistic creativity. It’s a really good way for me to put it out there, on the stage. Same thing with set designs, I just always want to push the limits of what a set design can be and what you can do in the theater. I enjoy making sets for bigger spaces but what I really like is designing sets for smaller, intimate theaters.
That’s really what my favorite thing to do is. That way, I can convey my artistic vision a little closer than normal. So, you’re not sitting fifteen rows back, away from the space. You’re walking into- whatever you want to make the space.
There was this show I did that took place inside of a barn. So, instead of the barn just being on the stage, the audience actually had to walk through the “barn”- across mulch, on the floor, to get to their seats. I like creating an immersive environment because I feel like then, the audience can really see the artwork that’s being put up.
That’s more the artistic side of it. The professional side of it was that I never want to become a teacher. I said, “Nope, that’s not going to happen. I won’t be able to teach students who don’t want to be there.” That’s still one of the big things for me too- it’s just tough to connect to students who are like, “Oh, I’m just doing this for a credit.” But, I got a contract to work at a private school for building their sets for their shows. I got to work with some of their theatre students and got to show them how to build. These kids went from not even knowing what a power tool is to being able to build a flat, and being able to paint it. with the picture I wanted on it. I was like, “This is a cool feeling. Maybe this is what my dad felt like when he was teaching me how to do this. Maybe I want to do that for a living.” So I quit my job, I got certified, and it was the best decision I ever made in my life.
Q: What is one of your favorite and one least favorite thing about working in theatre arts?
Arnold: Well, one of my favorite things is seeing something come to life. From script all the way to an audience, sitting in a seat, watching it. When we did “Jungle Book”, it was that immersive experience, where they walked into the jungle, through the vines to get to their seats and they were actually sitting on the floor. That was one of my favorite things to start, and seeing pretty much our exact concept from what we started with actually on stage was just a really cool experience. My least favorite thing… I did a show in 2016 where I went in with the idea of “I’m going to challenge myself.” I’ve gotten a lot pickier [with] the theatre that I want to produce as I’ve gotten older. My criteria is:
Does it challenge me?
Is it something I’m passionate about?
Are there people there that I want to work with?
So, I really set off on “Does this challenge me?” I did a show called “Company” and I loved the show. It was a great show, with a great cast and everything. But I felt like the challenge was too big for me. Seeing the final product, I thought it was good and I had a lot of fun doing it, but I wasn’t prepared for it yet. It was just a little bit too big of a show. Because we didn’t have enough people audition for it, I had to cast myself in it and I didn’t want to be in it because I was like, “I’m directing this, I don’t want to throw myself into it,” but I had to.
The show was too overwhelming for me. And just going back and looking at it, it could have been better. I think that was one of my least favorite things that happened, but I grew as an actor and a director and an artist because of it.
Q: Do you have a story you want to share about your experience working in this industry?
Arnold: Yeah! So, I think theatre can be anywhere as long as you have people who are passionate about putting it on. I worked at a theatre- and I still work there, at Lakeside Community Theatre -and it was what we called a double-wide theater, because it’s almost like a trailer with the building that we’re in. It’s not very big. But there’s a lot you can do with it because it’s a black box theater. It used to be a lot smaller because there were a lot of walls. It used to be a place where you go to register for vehicles or little league, or something like that, so it was very much an office-type building. We said, “We want to produce even better theatre than we already produce here.” So, I set out to get rid of all of the ceiling tiles, demolish walls, get a new lighting system, get a new tech booth, and redo the theater so we could have an actual, good black box theater space. I went to the city and said, “Look, we just need a grant. We can pay for half of it if you could pay for the other half of it,” and they loved our proposal. They said, “We just want art in our city. Let’s do it.” And sure enough, two months later, we renovated, we removed walls, and we had an even bigger space than we had before. Now, we could bring in bigger shows, bigger crowds, we could invite more people to be a part of our theatre family. Since 2012, for eight years, Lakeside has done that, and became a home for artists to produce their work.
Q: What was a major setback in your artistic career and what did you learn from it?
Arnold: A major setback was not following my dreams. As soon as I got out of college, I went and looked for a job and I needed a job somewhere.
I found a somewhat artistic job in interior design and I did love my job and I did feel like I got to be artistic in it, but it wasn’t conducive for my artistic expression. So, I really got to a point where I was kind of in zombie worker mode.
This was just a job, I’m just here to show up every day, work, and go home. It wasn’t something I was passionate about. My co-workers could see that and my friends could see that, and it really affected my mental health and my personality. I’m really glad that I got the contract work at that high school because then it really showed me that, “No, you can still be a teacher and have that artistic expression on a regular basis.” I left that job and I never realized how much I needed an artistic output as a career. It can’t just be a hobby that I’m doing outside of my career. I really feel like now I get to produce what I love on a regular basis. I learned that I cannot settle when it comes to a job, and if anything ever happens in my life, I know I have to pursue a career in the arts.
Q: What advice would you give to young people pursuing theatre arts as a passion or career?
Arnold: Do whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to get your foot in the door. You know, work that job as a waiter to make the money while you’re out there auditioning, auditioning, auditioning. Find any way you can to audition. Get your face out there, make sure people see you and know you. Network on a regular basis. And when you are networking on a regular basis, you have to have a positive outlook and a good personality, otherwise people are going to overlook you or not cast you things or not want to have you as a designer. Be persistent and have a good attitude.
Q: What was your goal as a teenager and have you achieved that, or how does that goal look like now?
Arnold: When I was younger, I actually wanted to be an architect. Then, as I progressed through high school, I was like, “No, no no. I like acting, I like directing.” I feel like where I’m at right now, especially with my career in teaching, I couldn’t be happier and I love what I do on a regular basis. I love my job- even the non-artistic aspect of it.
My worse day teaching is better than my best day doing interior design. I feel like there’s always room for growth until we retire. Until we’re like, we’re done, we’re finished, we just want to sit on a beach and watch the tide come in every day.
There’s always room for growth, so I’m always looking for the next big challenge for my career, the role that I want to play. I got to play Macduff in “Macbeth”, and that was a role I specifically went after because I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to do Shakespeare, and I hadn’t done a lot of Shakespeare in my day, and I wanted to do a big fight scene. I never got to do a big, bloody fight scene on stage before. It was probably one of the hardest acting jobs that I’ve had, but it was super rewarding. I hope that as my career progresses, not only as an actor, but as a director and a designer, that that’s what I continue to do: always look for something new that’s challenging, because that’s where I have fun and that’s where I learn the most as an artist.
Q: Is there anyone or anything that inspires you?
Arnold: My dad. And my mom. Well, my parents. My dad always had a positive outlook on life; one of the funniest people on the planet. Everyone wanted to work with him, everyone wanted him to build their sets because they loved his attitude and they knew what he was doing. He had knowledge of what he was doing, and if he didn’t he went out and researched it. I think that’s one of my life goals, the way I want to live my life. Just be happy and try to have fun, but also, be knowledgeable in my field and know what I’m doing on a regular basis. That’s definitely why he’s an inspiration for me. And my mom? She’s Superwoman. She’s gone through it all and still has a positive outlook and is a wonderful person. Her discipline and her organizational skills make me strive to be a better person when it comes to that, too.