Clemson University Choral Ensembles
December 1st, 2009 at 8:00 pm - The Department of Performing Arts introduces its new choral director, Justin Durham, in a program of Learn More...
Clemson University Symphony Orchestra
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:00 pm - Popular orchestral hits fill this winter program, from the “Waltz” and “Polonaise” of Tchaikovsky’s Learn More...
The Spirit of Christmas
December 8th, 2009 at 8:00 pm - The Spirit of Christmas takes you on a magical journey to a winter wonderland of fun and festive che Learn More...
Tony DeSare, vocalist
January 14th, 2010 at 8:00 pm - Singer, pianist, and songwriter Tony DeSare has earned critical acclaim for his performances at the Learn More...
Die Fledermaus
January 21st, 2010 at 8:00 pm - Strauss’ opera "Die Fledermaus" is produced by Teatro Lirico D’Europa which presented "Tosca" during Learn More...
Hard Work Pays Off For This
Performing Arts Grad 
Just 16 months after graduating, Michael East can say that hard work does pay off. Michael is a project manager for Technical Theater Solutions (TTS), a Charleston-base firm that offers production management, scenery engineering, scenery construction, scenic and lighting maintenance, architectural theater consulting, and touring production management for the arts and entertainment industry. Among their clients are Walt Disney Cruises and the Spoleto Festival USA. “I’m extremely fortunate to do what I am doing so soon after finishing my degree,” said the 2007 Performing Arts graduate.
Michael, who worked part-time for the TTS while attending Clemson, didn’t expect an opportunity like this so fast. “I had hoped to land this kind of job in 10 to 15 years after graduating, not one.” But he was in the right place at the right time with the right skills and experience.
But Michael’s route from Clemson to Charleston wasn’t direct. It passed through California, where he was studying in San Diego State University’s prestigious graduate theater production program. During his second semester in the program, Michael and a fellow classmate convinced Rhys Williams, the head of TTS, to let them engineer and build a piece of automated scenery for the upcoming Spoleto Festival.
“It didn’t take much convincing,” Williams said. “The company was facing a number of challenges with the Spoleto project. At the time, we didn’t have the workspace or the personnel to engineer and construct the piece. They offered to do the work in California, which meant we didn’t have to rent additional shop space in Charleston. But most importantly, because of his prior work at TTS, we knew Michael could do the job. It was a ‘win-win’ solution for us.”
The pair designed the mechanical hand used in the musical theatre show, Monkey: Journey to the West. “The 16-feet long hand lifted a performer, rotated, and lowered on top of a performer during show. “It was a great opportunity,” said Michael. The Washington Post heralded Monkey as “the hottest ticket of the Spoleto season.”
After the Spoleto project, Williams offered Michael the opportunity to work full-time for TTS. “It was a tough decision,” Michael remembered. After weighing the pros and cons, and after several discussions with his fiancé – who had moved to San Diego with me from the East Coast – they decided it best to take the job and move to Charleston. “I have no regrets about leaving school. After lots reflection, I realized that the three-year program at SDSU wasn’t benefiting me as much as I had expected.”
“Michael is a great young talent, who fits well in our organization. I know it was a difficult choice to make, but I’m glad he’s back in Charleston,” added Williams.
Although his time in San Diego didn’t meet his expectations, Michael will say that his time in the Department of Performing Arts and working back stage at the Brooks Center was a great benefit. “I don’t think it is possible to name a week during my Clemson career that I didn’t work at least one day at the Brooks Center. This didn’t make all of my professors very happy at times. I knew that with every touring show that came through, I would learn something new. Every road crew has a different way of doing things, a different way of managing its tour and building its sets. My goal was to experience as many methods of tour management, sets design, and set construction as possible.”
During his senior year, Michael was named master carpenter of the Brooks Center. He worked with every production that required scenery handling and installation. He dealt directly with touring crews and managed the student crews. “It was a very intimidating job, but it taught me a lot.”
Michael believes working with Brooks Center production supervisor Woody Moore also helped his career develop. “Woody turned me into a competent stagehand within a matter of months. Woody also taught me how to plan, schedule, and budget large theatre projects.”
In addition, the Production Studies in Performing Arts program offered Michael the perfect balance between classroom and hands-on learning, a curriculum that is unique among performing arts majors. “I learned a lot from the classes that I took,” he added. “The technical theatre classes, the arts administration classes, and even the theatre history course, which I often rely on when dealing with designers, have all been very useful.”
What’s more, Michael was an accomplished performer at Clemson. He participated in 
the Clemson University Men’s Glee for three years and served as the group’s president for one of those years. Not only was he a part of the team that created The Decameron Project, which was performed at the 2006 Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, Michael also acted in the production. He played a lead role in the Clemson Players presentation of Marat/Sade and performed in Twelfth Night as well as A Funny Thing Happen on the Way to the Forum.
When asked to describe his ‘dream’ job, Michael is fast so say that working for TTS is the perfect job, at least for now. “As I said, I was hoping to get this type of position 10 years from now. Currently, I have the privilege to work with theater designers from around the country. I manage set construction, budgeting, and scheduling. I also manage technical rehearsals—when scenery, lighting, sound, and performers all come together for the first time. Ultimately, I would like to assume the role of a production manager, the person who overseas the creation of all of the production elements, but that will have to wait until I get several more years of hard work under my tool belt.”
