More than 40 regional members, some traveling as much as 300 miles, braved the Upstate New York winter to participate in the Upstate New York Regional Section's third annual job fair in January. Although there was the allure of a breakfast nosh provided by SUNY Oswego and a catered lunch sponsored by Syracuse Scenery & Stage Lighting Co., Inc., it is likely the main attraction was the camaraderie, workshops, and jobs.

Some morning workshops, led by Glimmerglass Opera personnel, focused on good interview practice. Assistant Production Manager Meryn Daly led a workshop on how to write a resume that will lead to a job, while Production Manager Matthew Kirby-Smith walked participants through an interview, pointing out some of the potholes that might make for a less than perfect interview.

Other workshops focused on the production side of the house. Joe Varco, pictured above, of Syracuse Scenery & Stage Lighting, below, demonstrated a variety of techniques that could be used to create architectural pieces from lightweight foam using shop-made jigs. Eric McAfee, from J. R Clancy, left, led participants in a walk through of the Waterman Theatre rigging system explaining major observation points that make up a good system inspection protocol. ETC's David Empy demonstrated features of the new EOS and Congo, Jr. control boards while fielding questions from technicians and designers concerning their use.

After a stand-up section meeting during lunch, the afternoon was devoted to job interviews. A date for the spring meeting in Albany should be set by the Phoenix 2007 Conference & Stage Expo.

To Top