Arts & Entertainment Community Education

Updated equipment puts Peninsula High School actors in a new light

Things are looking brighter for Peninsula High School’s theater troupe. 

Education Sponsor

Education stories are made possible in part by Tacoma Community College, a proud sponsor of Gig Harbor Now.

Peninsula School District this year installed new auditorium lighting, including an upgraded stage-lighting system that replaces antiquated equipment dating to the 1960s. The new system will make its debut in the school’s fall performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, starting Friday.

The upgrade allows students greater creativity and control of stage lighting, said Kelsey Parke, director of Career and Technical Education for the district.

“One of my roles as CTE director is to make sure we’re providing students with industry-aligned experiences that get kids ready for that next step post-secondary,” she said. “We know that equipment was out of date. It wasn’t functioning to industry standard and honestly, it was starting to become a concern for safety.”

The electrical panel, new LED lights and theater lighting equipment cost a total of $206,000. The CTE budget was the primary source of funding. The district also used its regular capital projects fund and the 2023 Safety, Security and Technology Levy. 

McKenzie McGhee as Claudius the King and Liam Mccolgan as Hamlet read their lines during a rehearsal for Peninsula High School’s performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet: A Reader’s Theatre Event. Performances start Friday, Nov. 7. Photo by Canae Gray

System components 

Facilities Director Patrick Gillespie and Parke extensively researched current theater lighting technology before choosing equipment for the district.

Primary components of the upgraded system include the main electrical panel. The old electrical panel wasn’t compatible with new LED lights the district had planned for the auditorium as a whole, so it needed replacing.

The system also includes new LED lights throughout the auditorium, and a new light board that can be programed for a wide array of lighting and special effects. Formerly, students had to change lighting manually. 

Peninsula School District upgraded theater lighting equipment at Peninsula High School. Components include a main electrical panel (shown), a programable lightboard and new LED lighting throughout the auditorium.

Half of the side lighting can be moved during a performance.

The upgrades allow students greater creativity, such as mid-program lighting changes and customized colors to match costumes.

Tech skills in the arts

Parke said that most people think of manufacturing or construction when they hear the phrase “Career and Technical Education.” Peninsula High’s theater curriculum blends the arts and technical skills, including lighting and set design, along with acting. The new equipment will enhance students’ experience in hands-on learning, she said. 

“We spent a lot of time making sure that we looked at the program holistically for students,” Parke said. “We worked with surrounding districts as well as surrounding theater companies and then spent over a year really making sure that we honed in on what was right for our kids.” 

Students earn Career and Technical Education credit for stagecraft classes, or they can use them for an arts equivalency. The district is working with Olympic College in Bremerton to offer dual credit for the theater arts curriculum.

A moveable system

Other community groups frequently use Peninsula High School’s auditorium, so the district included a pre-programed LED panel for the convenience of outside groups such as the YMCA and Harbor Dance and Performance Center. 

Key components of the theater lighting system are moveable, so they can be used, for example, by Gig Harbor High School’s theater troupe, or for a middle school musical performance.

Upcoming performance

PHS’ upcoming performance of Hamlet puts a twist of Shakespeare’s classic. In this Reader’s Theater format, set during World War II, actors read directly from their scripts, “using tone, pacing and emotion to tell the story,” according to the PHS website. Without the distraction of elaborate costumes or sets, the focus is on “interpretation, collaboration and pure storytelling — making every performance deeply engaging for the audience.” 

Performances are at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7; 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8; 6 p.m. Nov. 13 and 14; 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Nov. 15. Tickets range from $6.15 to $16.45. Purchase tickets on GoFan! 

McKenzie McGhee as Claudius the King, Alyssa Robins as Queen Gertrude and Mason Litts as Marcellus read their lines during a rehearsal for Peninsula High School’s performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet: A Reader’s Theatre Event. Performances start Friday, Nov. 7. Photo by Canae Gray