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Student Spotlight: Rob Lindsay ‘25
The theatre major’s experiences on Broadway impact the VWU stage
University News | November 3, 2023
While many students use winter and summer breaks from school as an opportunity to relax and step away from the classroom before returning to campus, Virginia Wesleyan junior and theatre major Rob Lindsay, used his “time off” as an opportunity for experiential learning on the grand stages of Broadway.
“I was fortunate enough to work on “Phantom of the Opera” in its final six months, learning from seasoned technicians who dedicated more than twenty years to the show,” Rob recounted. During his time with the legendary musical, Rob served as an on-deck electrician, moving electrical equipment on and off stage in full costume, controlling spotlights, and multiple other production needs, as his responsibilities often varied from night to night.
Due to Rob’s connection to the show, when the curtain closed on “Phantom of the Opera” in April 2023, its production team generously donated their radio frequency microphone package to VWU. This donation enabled the VWU Theatre Department to hold main stage productions with Broadway-caliber sound equipment, providing easier setup, more secure fail safes, and expanded capabilities. Additionally, Virginia Wesleyan’s own actors now have the privilege of using the very microphones that once captured the voices of iconic characters like Christine and the Phantom himself.
While working on “Phantom,” Rob developed a passion for sound engineering and decided to learn as much as he could from the head engineer, absorbing all the technical marvels the production had to offer. As a sound engineer at VWU, he now applies those techniques in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center at VWU, most recently during the campus production of Sarah Ruhl’s “Eurydice.”
“In a typical college production,” Rob explained, “sound design is confined to the two main speaker arrays at the left and right of the theater. Drawing inspiration from 'Phantom of the Opera,' I added seven extra speakers that were disguised within 'Eurydice’s' set and around the theater. This created a soundscape to draw the audience in and create a more cohesive and immersive experience.”
He says one of the techniques that stuck out to him most from his time at “Phantom,” and the one he was most excited to employ in “Eurydice,” is the idea of a ‘traveling voice’ – using individual speakers to create the illusion that sound is moving around different parts of the room.
Rob is appreciative of the differences between professional and collegiate work, and shared the ways in which his time at Wesleyan has furthered his love of the theater. “My role at Virginia Wesleyan allows me to apply what I learned at 'Phantom of the Opera' to my own artistic approaches. Here, I’m able to explore my creative endeavors and bring something new to the stage.”
Talented and driven students like Rob contribute to the vibrant future of the arts at Virginia Wesleyan, made possible by the generosity of donors who support the arts and empower students to pursue their passions.
Your support for the Arts at VWU is greatly appreciated.
Adapted from Arts at VWU Newsletter feature by Brooke Underwood ’24