Have you ever thought about who’s behind the theatre and choir shows? Sure, many people take to the stage, but for them to perform, they need to be seen. Junior Riley Petersen plays a role in lighting up the stage for all performances at BHS and shares her experiences doing so.
“I do most of the lighting for events,” Petersen said. “I am currently working on the lighting for the Madrigals Dinner, and after that, I will go on to doing lighting for our show choir’s stage crew.”
Stage crew has its own benefits and down sides that come with the work.
“Some pros are I get to work with all different kinds of equipment and learn as I work,” Petersen shared. “I’ve met some really cool people, and by the end of the year, it is like a family.”
However, the workload comes with long hours.
“I’m at school till 9-10 p.m. most days and getting homework done on time is hard to do,” Petersen said. “I have a knee condition and sometimes the heavy lifting is hard on my knees.”
Petersen does not let her condition deter her from continuing her hobbies.
In the future, she hopes to be a lighting designer, specifically focusing on concert lighting.
“[I] have a few opportunities open to me already for when I graduate,” she stated.
But Petersen does other things outside of tech lighting!
“I really like to go on hikes in the forest during the summertime, and I go camping a lot with my family,” she said. “When I can, I like to play D&D with my friends!”
Outside of social gatherings, Petersen finds peace in playing and making music.
“I play a lot of instruments, mainly piano and guitar; however, I own about 11 instruments,” Petersen said.
Petersen is also a big fan of listening to music, sharing the self-titled album “Deep Sleeper” by Deep Sleeper and “In Rainbows” by Radiohead.
At the end of the day, Petersen can be seen behind the lights of most school performances, and shared the following quote she learned from former BHS student Casper Sumner:
“It’s not fog, it’s hazer.”
