Jobs at Los Rios

"I had a great many mentors and teachers along the way and now I am excited to be able to mentor others." Ian Wallace Faculty / Theatre Arts / Folsom Lake College

What advice would you give to a new college student?

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If you feel lost, either physically, emotionally, or intellectually, there are plenty of people around who want to help you.

What's the favorite part of your job?

I love working with the students and sharing my love of theater with them.

What was your proudest moment working with students?

I feel the most proud when a show opens and the set is finished, the lights are hung, and the costumes are made. I am always impressed by how much the students are able to accomplish.

There are so many aspects to theater - performance, directing, designing - how did you decide on theater tech as your focus as both a student and teacher? What most appeals to you about your focus?

As a high school student, I was drawn to design, because I got to be able to create new and different environments. I had a great many mentors and teachers along the way and now I am excited to be able to mentor others in the field of theater design and technology.

"Theater folk" seem to be especially passionate about their art/craft - does the passion of up-and-comers fuel your own love of theater and of teaching in general?

Yes, it is so exciting to see young people getting excited about theater. I have designed and built hundreds of platforms over my career and it makes me happy to see someone want to stay after class to finish building their first platform.

What was the first professional show that you remember seeing - did it set you on the track that you're still on? What do you remember about the experience?

When I was in the fourth grade, my parents took me to see The Wind in the Willows at the Children's Theater Company in Minneapolis. I remember sitting in the darkness as the house lights went down and the stage came to life. I remember some of the stage magic, where an actor jumped down into a trap in the stage and came back up and spit water out as if he had jumped into a pool of water. That was really exciting to me.

Ian received his BFA in Drama from NYU, Tisch School of the Arts, and his MFA in Theater Design from UC San Diego.