Coming soon to theaters everywhere-directing and design major Katie Norton!
HC UIC: Major? Year in school? Plans after college?
KATIE: I am a directing and design major here at UIC. Right now I’m a second semester junior even though it’s the first semester of the year. I went to community college for two years and then took a year off. I pay for school, so when I wasn’t in school, I was working. My goal after college is to have a Disney Tech internship. I would do anything from rigging lights to stage management. There’s opportunities in California and one in Florida, and they go from January to June. I’d want to be in California because there are more job opportunities.
HC UIC:What brought you in to the design field?
KATIE: I’ve actually been in theatre since I was 9. I realized I was a really bad actor when I was 14 (laughs), so I decided to join stage crew, and I’ve done it ever since!
HC UIC: What do you generally do as a design major?
KATIE: I’ve done personal things like costuming, stage management at community theatres, and store fronts at the Gorilla Tango theatre.
HC UIC: What was your favorite experience/how did you contribute?
KATIE: I volunteered as a set designer at my high school, and I taught students how to design sets and do construction. When I was there, I worked on “Oklahoma”. It was my favorite experience because there wasn’t pressure of getting stuff done, and I got to moreso just teach what I know. In design or stage management, there’s a lot of pressure all the time.
HC UIC: What do you like to do in your free time?
KATIE: I recently just started painting, and I found out I’m really good at it. I didn’t even know! I also love to read now and sew. I tore down my basement stairs and am re-doing them. I like to think I am a handy woman, and I learn as I go.
HC UIC: If you could design one show what would it be?
KATIE: Spring Awakening. It is a modern musical set in the late 1800s about adolescence and how they deal with their problems. Because their day in age, they didn’t know how to deal with them so it has a lot to do with sex, drugs, and suicide. When I saw it, the set was very unique and simplistic, but a lot went into it. Things changed in the set that you didn’t expect to change, and the audience was allowed to sit on the set. It wasn’t traditional which I liked.
HC UIC: Do you have any people who inspire you/who you go off of for ideas?
KATIE: Kara Walker. She’s the most talented artist I’ve ever seen. She does a lot of three dimensional work with lighting design involved, and it’s all civil rights based work. I can’t even describe it. It’s so amazing.