Former CEU student designs sets for theater

This archived article was written by: Melissa Spencer

The curtain goes down closing night at the Geary Theatre, for the audience it’s over, but for Tim North, it’s just beginning. After a show closes, the theatre department has one night to take the set down and get the stage cleared. The next day work begins on a new set.
Former CEU student, North is now an employee in charge of set design and construction, as well as teaching a few classes.
When he was in eighth grade North took a theatre class and became interested in building sets, but he wasn’t allowed to help build sets until he was in ninth grade. “I’ve always liked to see my work on stage, but I’m not really comfortable in front of people so I guess that’s why I never got into acting.”
North attended Olympus High in Salt Lake City where he improved his skills. Many of the sets he built are still in use. Olympus High Director Robin Edwards said, “Tim is one of the best techs I’ve ever worked with. We really enjoyed his work, and we still do.”
A box set, the most common kind here at Eastern Utah, starts out as “flats,” or wooden frames covered in fabric. These are put together to create walls and then painted. After that details like crown molding are added.
At CEU North does everything from lights to sound to painting. “Tim knows so much stuff. He always knows exactly how to get everything to look just right. And he’s a very funny guy, he always keeps me entertained while we work.”
Dr. Corey Ewan, a theatre department intructor said, “Tim is a very self motivated person, we never have to baby-sit him. He has great vision and he works well with the director to give them what they want. When we want something done but don’t know how to do it, he can always figure it out.”
When the curtain goes up on the next stage production take a look at the set, a lot of time was spent putting it together.