J. Alston-Frye
Trenton,NJ
Summary
Motivated Scenic Design student offering 5 years of experience in creating impactful work in educational theater. seeking work in technical theater to gain hands-on, industry level experience. Outgoing and friendly with strong drive to succeed. Motivated to deliver designs that adhere to creative vision. Focused on completing projects within budget and time limitations through expert time management. Team-player with collaborative spirit and upbeat attitude.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Scenic Designer - The Giant Void in My Soul
Rutgers Theater Company - MGSA
New Brunswick, NJ
08.2023 - 03.2024
- Collaborated with technical staff to integrate lights, sound and other features into sets.
- Selected colors, fabrics, textures, and other design elements to create an effective visual impact onstage.
- Prepared rough drafts and scale working drawings outlining planned sets, scenery and property requirements.
- Responded quickly and efficiently when changes were requested by directors or producers during rehearsals.
- Designed and built physical models and miniatures.
Asst. Scenic Designer - Men On Boats
Rutgers Theater Company - MGSA
New Brunswick, New Jersey
08.2022 - 10.2022
- Assisted the designer with Scenic Breakdowns, Research Collages and Basic drafting
- Collaborated with crew members to meet daily demands in the shop
- Took notes and evaluated challenges during tech week.
- Met regularly with production teams to discuss design elements and changes needed.
- Reviewed scripts to ascertain project design requirements and types of props needed.
Asst. Scenic Designer - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Rutgers Theater Company - MGSA
New Brunswick, New Jersey
01.2022 - 04.2022
- Assisted the designer with Scenic Breakdowns, Research Collages and Basic drafting
- Collaborated with crew members to meet daily demands in the shop
- Took notes and evaluated challenges during tech week.
- Prepared rough drafts and scale working drawings outlining planned sets, scenery and property requirements.
Head of Props and Video Editing
Robbinsville High School Raven Players
Robbinsville, New Jersey
01.2021 - 04.2021
- Created realistic, period-appropriate props for High School productions
- Collaborated with crew members to meet daily demands and handle challenging projects
- Showed preliminary designs with digital and hand drawn renderings.
Asst. Stage Manager and High School Crew
Robbinsville High School Raven Players
Robbinsville, New Jersey
12.2019 - 02.2020
- Managed daily workloads by organizing effective schedules and delegating tasks
- Delegated tasks to around 60 Middle School Crew Members and monitored completion to verify quality and completeness of work
- Completed construction and Scenic Painting work with little oversight
- Trained new Middle School Crew Members in Construction, Scenic Painting, and Running Crew.
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Technical Theater, Concentration in Scenic Design
Mason Gross School of The Arts
New Brunswick, NJ05-2025
Skills
- Digital Rendering
- Vectorworks Expertise
- Technical Drawing
- Concept Development
- Set Dressing
- Adobe Creative Suite
Production List
- She Kills Monsters: September-November 2018 - Running Crew
- Beauty and the Beast: February-April 2019 - Running + Construction Crew
- The Crucible: September: August - November 2019 - Running + Construction Crew
- The Little Mermaid: December 2019 - February 2020 - Assistant Stage Manager
- Guys and Dolls: February 2020-April 2020 - Running + Construction Crew
- Romeo and Juliet: August - December 2020 - Head of Set Design + Marketing Exec.
- Emma: A Jukebox Musical: January - April 2021 - Head of Set Design + Video Editor
- A Midsummer Night's Dream: January - April 2022 - Asst. Scenic Designer
- Men On Boats: August - October 2022 - Asst. Scenic Designer
- The Giany Void in My Soul: August 2023 - March 2024 - Head Scenic Designer
Relevant Experience
- Studying Scenic Design at Mason Gross School of the Arts
- Attended One Stage Project
- Volunteer Hours with Pond Road Middle School Theater
Languages
Spanish
Limited
Arabic
Limited
Certification
- Valid NJ Driver's License
- OSHA Certified
References
- David Gordon; Associate Professor of Scenic Design // 848-932-1633 // dpgordon@mgsa.rutgers.edu
- Lee Savage; Head of Scenic Design // 917-501-7574 // lee.savage@rutgers.edu
- Andy Pritikin; Owner/Director, Liberty Lake // 609.273.6976
Timeline
Scenic Designer - The Giant Void in My Soul
Rutgers Theater Company - MGSA
08.2023 - 03.2024
Asst. Scenic Designer - Men On Boats
Rutgers Theater Company - MGSA
08.2022 - 10.2022
Asst. Scenic Designer - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Rutgers Theater Company - MGSA
01.2022 - 04.2022
Head of Props and Video Editing
Robbinsville High School Raven Players
01.2021 - 04.2021
Asst. Stage Manager and High School Crew
Robbinsville High School Raven Players
12.2019 - 02.2020
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Technical Theater, Concentration in Scenic Design
Mason Gross School of The Arts