As an entering freshman, the way it was put to me three years ago was that only about 20 percent of your time is spent in class – the rest of the time is up to you.

I remember thinking, That’s cool. But what no one told me, or could have even foreseen, was how much of “the rest of the time” I would spend in the Emmett Robinson Theatre and adjoining Scene Shop. I feel like it’s probably unhealthy for me to say exactly how much time I’ve spent there. I’ll just leave it at a lot.

Theater has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I have always been drawn to the production side of the stage. The College happened to be the first larger-scale theater production group I have worked with. And as a shop student employee, I dove headfirst into sawdust and Emmett Robinson Theatre grime. 

What I really love about the Shop is how everyone comes together in the spirit of collaboration with an endless amount of positive energy to build these unbelievably beautiful sets. At the end of the day, I really think it’s that good spirit that keeps me around. From the Stagecraft lab students to our Technical Director Christian Crum, it’s always their creative, exuberant energy that makes it a joy to work with everyone.

I have another year to look forward to until I have to leave my second home; it’s going to be hard to find a better atmosphere than that of the Scene Shop here at CofC.

– Price Long

Price is a senior majoring in theatre
with a concentration in scenic and lighting design/technologies.Â