Breece Ferguson: Lighting up the arts

If you have ever been to a performing event at the Worland Middle School auditorium or the Washakie Museum & Cultural Center, you are probably familiar with Breece Ferguson as the man behind the scene, ensuring that the lighting and audio are just right to allow the performers to shine.

Ferguson, although informally as a fine arts technician, has worked for nearly 30 years in the field. In that time he has facilitated countless performances with his work.

During his interview, unsurprisingly, his words convey an air of humility that aligns perfectly with his understated presence in the theater.

Ferguson got into stage technician work at Worland High School in the 1970s. He said "As a junior, I needed a fine arts credit. I don't like stagecraft nor acting, but I signed up for a Theater Arts Class nonetheless. There may have been a girl in that class..."

He is a self-professed lousy stage performer, which he found out when he struggled in his minor role in the play "The Crucible." This did not dissuade him from getting involved in a different way though, when he was later offered the backstage role of handling audio.

He said, "I must have had the 'look' of a geeky kid who could spin a platter or splice an audio cassette tape. For reasons I never knew, I was asked by music/drama department faculty to sit backstage at the audio tape player and push 'play' on cue to make sound effects: thunder, breaking glass, a marimba, etc. Probably because I could rewind and cue the audio cassette at the right place, I was asked to do the job for another production."

Ferguson said that he went on to pursue a degree in religion/philosophy in college, where he also performed with the college band and jazz ensemble. He also assisted with productions during his time at college.

After school he returned to Worland to work at his family business, until he was approached with an opportunity. He said "I was taken aback when a school board member asked me to take on auditorium responsibility for school and community fine arts productions." He has maintained this career ever since.

When asked what has kept him in this line of work for all these years, Ferguson claims that he feels privileged to continue to support performances in his community. He said "Certainly, there are things that I like about the job but over time my involvement at the [middle school] theater has become a public service. I have grown with the MS theater as it has transitioned from the old brick and mortar auditorium (excellent acoustics in that old building) to the state of the art facility that Worland now benefits from."

He continued, "My greatest reward is to share with young students the excitement and nervous anticipation of creating and presenting audio and lighting schemes for our school and community productions."

Ferguson said he had approximately 30 years of memories to recollect when asked what his most fond memories of his work were, and that he had a tough time deciding. "I still remember my jitters as a youth cueing sound effects. Would thunder come out when it was supposed to be breaking glass?"

He also recalls talent and beauty on display at the variety shows he worked in college. He remembers a time that the Worland Community Center hosted David Taylor and the Denver Ballet presenting the "Nutcracker," in which several Worland youth featured as dancers including one of his daughters. He also said, "Professional productions of 'Cabaret' and 'Bus Stop' tested our ability as a community to appreciate mature shows as well as our ability to support professional theater with our technical resources. Those two shows influenced decisions about what upgrades would benefit our theater."

Ferguson added, "Another daughter had a lead in 'Annie Get Your Gun,' a Washakie Museum production. She delivered a fabulous performance with a great cast. I was conflicted about whether we should actually hoist her up on a trapeze or 'fake it.' Ultimately, we 'flew' her from the rigging as her character dazzled the audience with a display of marksmanship while swinging back and forth. It was a white-knuckle moment for both my daughter and myself!"

Ferguson stated that when he isn't doing stage work, he tunes pianos, edits music and video, performs as a church musician, visits family and enjoys outdoor activities.

When asked what advice he could give to young people that aspire to work in his field, Ferguson said, "I do know that staying involved and being reliable goes a long way. Worland Schools offer great opportunities in music and drama. Be ready to act when opportunity comes, and help opportunity along by being present and willing to help. Young performers as well as young technicians will not necessarily get the best parts in a production. If the first opportunity is a disappointment, learn from it and try again."

In closing, Ferguson thinks that his job is one that if done right, you wouldn't notice it. He said "Sometimes I grimace when someone says: 'Hey, great job with the sound and lights!' At times it's OK to notice and compliment good tech, but I think primarily the tech should enhance a good performance without being too obvious."