Manchester grad talks about career in theater
Kelsey Edwards and her dog, Maggie May, in front of the set for “Thanksgiving Play.“ Maggie May spends time in the theater and is loved by many. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Edwards.
by Sara Swanson
Kelsey Edwards, a 2017 Manchester High School (MHS) graduate, was recently hired as the Technical Director of Aquinas Theatre and The Circle Theatre at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. While young to be hired into this role, her education and experience in theater, including her time at MHS, helped prepare her for it. She agreed to be profiled and give advice for current Manchester students who might be interested in going into a career in theater!
Edwards was hired as technical director at Aquinas in August of 2022 and began September 1. The job entails many things, but some of what she is responsible for includes keeping track of who is using the theater, drafting all builds before the build of the set, building the sets and moving them into the theater, keeping track of all designer needs and wants, and ensuring that the set is safe for all techs and actors to use. Her favorite part so far is building the sets. She loves seeing them come together.
Thankfully, she hasn’t faced many challenges in the job — although one she has faced is that because she is very young to hold the position she holds, sometimes people second-guess her. She stated that to overcome it, she works hard to show people that she does understand what she is doing.
Her theater involvement started at MHS serving as sound assistant and then lead sound engineer in theater productions. She also served as the auditorium manager during her junior and senior years. She was involved in all the productions from her sophomore year through her senior year including “Almost Maine,“ “Beauty and the Beast,“ “Anything Goes,“ “When the Lights Go Out,“ and “Footloose,” as well as talent shows. Outside of MHS, Edwards spent three summers at Interlochen Fine Arts Camp as a carpenter, as a stage manager, and her last summer as a stage manager and carpenter. She also stage managed with The Penny Seats Theatre Company in Ann Arbor.
Although she was involved in theater before college, she didn’t know she wanted a career in it. It did, however, lead her to deciding to help out with the theater program at Adrian College halfway through her first semester of college. It was then she truly fell in love with theater and decided to major in Theatre and Communications.
Edwards wants people to know that theater is a lifestyle and that if you choose a career in it, just remember it’s something that will be a huge part of your life. She states, “Don’t be afraid to take this route, because if you love it and you work hard, you can accomplish your goal.” She also recommends that students interested in theater try any position they can!
The set of Metamorphosis features a pool. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Edwards.
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