Article by Julie Waechter, special to Adams State
A passion for improv comedy brought Gwen Garger ’22 to Adams State from St. Louis, Mo. But by graduation, Garger had fallen “in love with tech theatre.”
Now the Technical Director for Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, NM, Garger said, “I was drawn to Adams State after watching the Lost & Found Improv Troupe on YouTube. I did a lot of theatre in middle school and improv in high school, so I went to Adams State for performance.”
After a year as Production Coordinator for Musical Theatre Southwest in Albuquerque and a referral from a board director there, Garger landed at the opera company in August, 2024.
Garger admits to experiencing “imposter syndrome” at first, but said, “I’ve been learning how to navigate this business. In my experience so far, it’s unfortunate there are not a lot of female-bodied or young technical directors out there, some people may not be so trusting of me at first, but it’s easier when they realize my capabilities.”
Those capabilities include creativity, problem solving, technical expertise, engineering, and logistical know-how.
“I pretty much learned everything about technical theatre from David Gerke at Adams State. He taught me computer-aided drafting and how to use Vectorworks, which is the most common application for tech theatre and scenic drafting. I use it almost every day,” Garger said, also noting the influences of faculty Jenna Nielsen, George McConnell, and Drew Richardson.
John Taylor, Ph.D., Director of the School of Visual and Performing Arts and Theatre Department Chair, is not surprised at Garger’s success. “Gwen had an incredibly successful four years at Adams State, acting in multiple productions and tackling many tech and design assignments. From the classroom to the final curtain at Adams State, Gwen’s artistry, passion, and leadership set the standard for what it means to be a student-artist.”
Garger said a college highpoint was attending a five-day workshop at The Second City in Chicago, “the most influential and prolific comedy empire in the world,” with alumni including John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and other superstars. “This was an incredible experience for a student in a small mountain town.
“The theatre department definitely prepared me for this profession. They gave us autonomy to make decisions and run the department. I know how to manage my crew constructively, because I held these various positions in college. I’ve worked in stage lighting, sewing/costuming, props, carpentry, and scenic painting,” Garger said.
In addition to creating sets for the opera company, Garger’s 12,000 square-foot, high-production scene shop builds contracted sets for opera and theatre companies across the country. This past fall, the group was prepping five different sets at once. Garger often travels to deliver and install sets.
As Technical Director, Garger oversees a dozen employees and up to 25 sub-contractors. “I do a lot of hiring, communicating, and contracting.” Sometimes working 80-hour weeks, Garger nevertheless said, “I do love my job; more every day.”
