northern today 7 spring 2014 “I never really left,” he said. By the time they graduated, they had worked on almost every production. Joshua switched to a history major with a theater minor, while Nicole continued as an education major. NSU had not yet added a theater major. When they graduated in 2000, a friend suggested they display their work at a University/Resident Theatre Association showcase event. There, they discov- ered that their extensive experience put them in high demand – most students don’t get to design sets or costumes for entire productions as undergraduates. They had their choice of graduate schools, and selected West Virginia University. After graduating from that univer- sity, the couple moved to New York City. Nicole interned at The Juilliard School and Joshua got a job on the set of the TV soap opera “As the World Turns.” From there, they covered a lot of ground. Joshua was back at WVU working for a few years, then they both took jobs with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. They worked there in the summer, traveling to Cleveland in the winter to work for the Great Lakes Theater Festival. Returning to NSU wasn’t in the couple’s plans. But in 2011, Joshua received a Facebook message from Northern history professor Art Marmorstein: longtime NSU theater production designer Larry Wild was retiring. Within three weeks of applying, Joshua had the job. They moved to Aberdeen with their daughter, Corina, now 5. Nicole is an adjunct faculty member and Joshua is assistant professor of theater (design, stagecraft). They just completed their third year at NSU. Joshua is designing sets, teaching and directing productions – something that wouldn’t happen at a bigger university, where departments are very specialized. “I’m doing things I would never get to do anywhere else,” he said. Nicole said she likes that in her job, “I’m always learning something.” Research and learning is a big part of both of their jobs – and was a big part of creating the set and costumes for Les Misèrables. Staging such an iconic production comes with its share of challenges. It’s difficult to steer too far away from what people expect. The production is based on historical events, involves dozens of locations and spans 20 years of time. Working with time and budget constraints, they were tasked with taking cool ideas and making them practical. “As a designer, it’s 80 percent problem-solving,” Joshua said. The process involves reading the script and getting the story down, getting to know the characters and scenes, and talking to the director about the feel of the show, Nicole said. They each look at illustrations from the time period. Joshua starts with sketches, then refines his work on a computer drafting program. Nicole pulls costumes from what is already available in the NSU theater department’s collection. She then borrows from Aberdeen Community Theatre and rents from out-of-town theaters such as the Guthrie Theater. She expected to make eight-10 garments for the production, though the number can change based on last-minute needs. With other productions and duties throughout the year, they had about two months to work on the show. There’s a saying in theater, Joshua said: “It’ll get done because it has to.” But, he added, your definition of done might change. Your original vision may not happen, Nicole said. “At a certain point, it’s not just your vision,” she said. “It’s to tell the story.” Student workers help them create the set and costumes. While they said it’s a pretty big jump to be a student at Northern and go into a career in theater, they have seen a few start out on the same path they took. “It’s one of those fields that grows on you,” Joshua said. “It’s a calling.” “If my job is done right, the show is what impacts the person, and they don’t even think about where it all came from.” “At a certain point, it’s not just your vision, It’s to tell the story.”
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