Kent State University at Tuscarawas theatre professor Bill Auld makes people fly – literally. Auld travels the world working as a professional performer rigger, designing, rigging, choreographing and executing performer flying effects. Auld has been doing “wire work” for twenty years and is one of only a few hundred people in the world with this skill.
Auld’s talents for theatrical rigging have recently taken him on a whirlwind trip to Mumbai, India, to work on a TV production. While his trip lasted only a few days, he rigged in eight systems and supervised a dozen technicians flying eight aerialists from a grid over a stadium and a live audience of about 3,400 people.
“Along the way I have made a few friends in the circus community and that’s how I got to India earlier this semester,” said Auld. “An artist team, Imaginaerial, was contracted to go over to India on very short notice and perform multiple routines, and they reached out to me to come along and make sure everything was both structurally safe and also properly executed.”
The production was for the 25th anniversary show of ZEE TV, an Indian cable channel. After the production wrapped up, Auld hopped on a plane and made it back in time to teach his classes the next day at Kent State Tuscarawas, where he has taught theatre for seven years.
“I try to be not just an educator, but someone who leads by example for the students at Kent State Tuscarawas,” said Auld. Working professionally allows Auld to bring real-life lessons to his students, including the value of finding a niche in today’s market. “Being technically proficient is great, but that won’t suffice for you in any job market for the long term if you don’t couple that with positive attitude, one that fosters growth and support for others, not exclusively for yourself,” said Auld.
Kent State Tuscarawas is located at 330 University Drive NE in New Philadelphia.