The Essence of Collaborative Art
Josh Rosenberg was standing on top of a ladder in the Shadowbox Theater, applying a final coat of paint to a “fake” ceiling suspended over the set of "11:59 PM."
The show, directed by C. Julian Jiménez, Chair, Professor, Communication, Theatre & Media Production, opened March 25. Learn more here.
“'11:59 PM' was created through an ensemble-driven devising process with QCC students, rooted in our shared experiences as members of the CUNY experience,” said C. Julian Jiménez. “Together, we explored the many realities of student life by asking what it truly means to learn and persist within this system. The piece grew from theatrical exploration and honest conversation, allowing the ensemble to shape the narrative from their own lived experiences. We examined both the strengths and the challenges of being a CUNY student: the resilience it demands and the community it fosters.”
“Though many of my stagecraft students go on to four-year schools, most are prepared to go straight into the workforce,” said Josh Rosenberg, Production Manager/Technical Director, Communication, Theatre & Media Production. “Recently, a former production student went on to manage a show in Douglaston then connected with someone there who helped land him a job as an event planner at Bryant Park. Stagecraft is a weird and wonderful profession! It helps you understand who you are, your part in the bigger scheme of things.”
The set for '11:59 PM' is designed for theatre in the round, a layout where the audience surrounds the performance area. Scenes take place in a school hallway, a bus, a home setting, and a college campus. Stagecraft students assist with the design, hang and focus lighting instruments, mix sound, and construct scenery. Every Queensborough production includes practicum, a requirement for students to participate in project-based guided learning and attend pre-production meetings, technical rehearsals, and performances.
“Stage craft has always been the essence of collaborative art,” said Josh Rosenberg, who, over the course of his 12-year career at Queensborough, has designed a total of 40 sets for both the Queensborough Performing Arts Center (QPAC) stage and the Shadowbox Theater. “In just two years these students have collected scores of stories about their stage experiences which are ultimately stories about them personally, their growth and positive outcomes of problem solving, a vital skill to have in life, no matter what you’re faced with.”
“This show is spoiling me because I know that for future projects, I won’t be blessed with such an amazing and bright cast,” said Jadiah Murray, Assistant Director. “I came into this thinking I would choose a scene from an already developed script, and that would be my only task, but instead we had to build an entire play from the ground up. Because my cast and management crew are so brilliant, a burden that would’ve been shared between two people is now split between ten, which has made this process more stable and much faster. Also, Professor Jimenez is a phenomenal mentor. I cannot thank them enough for bringing me along on this ride. They are truly amazing.”
Josh Rosenberg has held design and technical positions at some of the most renowned artistic institutions in New York City, including The Public Theatre, Columbia University, Clark University, New York City Dance Alliance, and Broadway and Off-Broadway houses. He was also a Fabricator,
Automation/Hydrolics Operator at the Metropolitan Opera House, where he worked for 13 years before joining Queensborough. “I was one of 400 people in the production scenic shop and averaged a 70-hour work week. It was a rewarding job in many ways, but the time came to scale down the pace and gain more control over my schedule.”
Not to say that student productions don’t carry demanding hours, especially during the run-up to opening day/night when there are several dress and technical rehearsals, some of which take place on weekends.
“I don’t try to teach my stagecraft students just any one thing. I want to teach them everything!”
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