Leigh Theater Arts, Bryan Ringsted, Honored by Harbor Freight

Earlier this semester the Leigh High School Theater Arts Department’s parent volunteer group, ACTS, submitted a nomination of Performing Arts Department Chair/Theater Arts Department Head Bryan Ringsted for the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. The goal, to honor outstanding teaching in the skilled trades in U.S. public high schools recognizing teaching excellence in the skilled trades that enables students to learn deeply and be career-ready. More than $500,000 in prizes are awarded.

Bryan originally advanced becoming one of the 54 semifinalists from 693 submissions — making Bryan one of the top 8% of teachers/teacher teams to advance to the next round. This past week, Bryan Ringsted, Leigh High School Theater Arts Department Head, was honored as a skilled trades teacher and earned a 3rd place prize of $1000 Harbor Freight gift card for the school/Theater Department!

Bryan said, "I'm excited for the department, as I'll be able to upgrade our tool inventory with this and provide more opportunities for our technical theater students, as well as a more immersive theatrical experience for our students and patrons. Our department is already excellent, but this will enrich us even more."

(Read more on Bryan’s contribution to Leigh Theater Arts Department and this award)

Bryan was nominated for creating Leigh’s Technical Theater Program (a credentialed CTE program) which provides a four-year course of study for students in the areas of theater including: set design/construction/carpentry, lighting design/instrument use and maintenance/light board programming and operation/electrical, audio design/instrument use and maintenance/live sound mixing/electrical, scenic painting, costume design/costume construction and maintenance, make-up and hair design/make-up application, stage management, production management, house management and technical direction and projections.

All the roles prepare students for viable careers in theater either at graduation or move on to college. Importantly, the technical and leadership skills and invaluable experience of working as part of a team to bring a performance to the stage prepare students not only for the specific careers represented by the curriculum above but leaves them with highly-valued transferable skills for an unending list of careers.

Serving for many years as the Theater Department’s sole instructor, Ringsted developed a robust program that resourcefully uses technical theater professionals as coaches for students adding to the high-level of instruction and guidance he provides to the students. Ringsted worked diligently over the years to add a part-time technical theater instructor to the staff last year, another resource available to technical theater students.

All aspects of the school’s multiple full-scale drama and musical productions are led and performed by students. All design, building, rigging, programming, painting, production management, etc. is in the hands of the students under the guidance of Ringsted, staff, and professional coaches. While the results are high-quality, Ringsted insists always that the value of the program lies in the students’ experience in creating their own visions, managing how those visions come to fruition, and doing the work themselves. At no time are the depth and quality of the student experience sacrificed.

Ringsted encourages students to reach beyond Leigh High School’s Theater Department. For example, advanced students are required to intern at a local theater company or they participate in an international theater competition where they present their technical work to panels of professionals. And students are required to see productions at other theater companies.

Bryan Ringsted’s dedication to the quality of his students’ experiences, his creativity in providing opportunities for students, and his infinite investment in the success of his students have created a Technical Theater Program that offers students a place to find their passions and gifts and develop them into paths for their futures.