Theatre and Live Production
Before my work in warehousing and logistics systems, my professional foundation was in theatre and live production. That background shaped how I think about systems that must function correctly under pressure, with limited tolerance for failure and no opportunity to “retry” once things are in motion.
This page provides context for that formative period and why it still matters.
Training and discipline
I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts with a concentration in technical design and production. The training emphasized preparation, coordination across disciplines, and execution in environments where technical systems directly affect human experience in real time.
Unlike many academic programs, theatre production treats technical work as inseparable from operations. Lighting, scenery, rigging, and crew coordination must function together, often with minimal margin for error and under strict time constraints. That mindset proved durable.
Live systems under pressure
My early professional work included lighting design, programming, and operation for theatrical and live-event productions, as well as hands-on technical roles supporting touring and resident shows. This work involved maintaining and troubleshooting complex technical systems where failures were immediately visible and publicly experienced.
Operating in these environments reinforced several principles that continue to influence my work:
- Preparation matters more than improvisation
- Failure modes must be anticipated, not explained afterward
- Clear roles and procedures reduce risk under pressure
- Technical systems exist to support people doing the work, not to impress them
Live production environments do not reward cleverness. They reward reliability.
Scale, logistics, and touring
My time with Bandit Lites, Inc. combined live production with large-scale logistics. Touring lighting systems introduced concerns that would later feel familiar in other domains: inventory, transport, standardization, documentation, and readiness across constantly changing environments.
This work sat at the intersection of physical systems, technical control, and operational coordination, and quietly introduced many of the same constraints found later in warehouse and RF environments.
Technical crossover
As live production systems became increasingly computerized, my role expanded into maintaining and supporting the technical infrastructure behind them. That included networking, servers, custom software, and internal tools used to coordinate equipment, schedules, and people.
This crossover period, particularly during my time at Dollywood and later at Bandit, marked a gradual shift from purely theatrical work toward broader systems responsibility, without abandoning the operational mindset learned on the production side.
Why this still matters
Although my professional focus has long since shifted to IT, integration, and cybersecurity, the habits formed in theatre and live production remain present:
- Respect for operational reality
- Emphasis on observability and preparation
- Discomfort with unnecessary complexity
- Preference for systems that behave predictably under stress
Live production taught me that systems do not exist in isolation. They exist in service of people, schedules, and environments that do not pause for debugging.
That lesson carries forward.
This background is included for perspective. My current professional focus is described in the Warehousing and Logistics Systems section.