Nick Prowse
© Nick Prowse

Technical Theatre Manager


Windermere Preparatory School


October 2022 – Present


Windermere Preparatory School is home to the Dr. Thomas L. Marcy Theatre at the Cypress Center for the Arts. As the Technical Theatre Manager, I am responsible for all technical operations and maintenance. I also design, build and paint the sets for our main stage productions grades k-12. I manage the event schedule working around rehearsals and productions to host a wide variety of showcases, presentations, dance battles, lip sync contests, graduations and visiting lectures and entertainment. I mentor middle and high school students who take ownership of our lighting, sound and video equipment under my supervision. In addition, I manage the tech budget to keep our gear up-to-date and functional so we can continue to be the leading international school in the state.

Contract Scenic Technician


Magic in the Sky


Summer – Fall 2021


This experience allowed me to be part of a project that I have had interest in for many years. I have always loved to decorate and tell stories for Halloween and in the summer of 2021 I got to do just that for SeaWorld’s Inaugural Howl-o-scream event. We were provided with concept art and a storyline and everything else was created by our team. Our team consisted of about twelve talented artist with varying skill sets. We designed, built and themed thirteen rooms for a housed house walk-though. I learned new materials and processes to create large sets, small details, effects and decor.

Freelance Designer,

Builder and Painter


January 2021 – Fall 2021


I was humbled to be designing, building and painting sets for a local K-12 preparatory school. I have the fulfilling opportunity to return to my theatrical roots, work along side a creative hive and inspire the future of creative minds in an educational setting.

Decorator


Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Engineering Services


July 2019 – April 2021


During my unexpectedly short time in the Decorating Department. I balanced the work week between daily maintenance calls and scheduled preventative maintenance. This team is in charge of preserving the aesthetic of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is includes furniture, props, window displays, signs and flags, just to name a few. I went in with my understanding of the new wave of theme parks and the importance of immersion. This quickly made me a key asset in the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. I take pride show quality and it was an honor to be part of that team, to learn new techniques, and make new partnerships around the park.

- Due to the Covid-19 crisis I was separated from this role in April 2021.

Park Props Crew Chief


Epcot Entertainment


March 2017 – July 2019



The props department at Epcot may not have been the biggest department but I had many responsibilities. For a while it was a team of two. I had a technician who would help maintain the daily shows as I would continually work to get ready for new and revolving shows. My range of responsibilities included, meeting with Producers and Art Directors about their vision for props, build and procure props that were not bid by vendors, attend rehears and make modifications requested. As Epcot Entertainment expanded rapidly with new shows including, Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Live!, The SpactacuLAB, Mariachi Cobre Presents: The Story of Coco. The festivals at Epcot grew longer as well requiring more daily maintenance for props and sets. Epcot International Festival of The Holidays had a dozen seasonal shows along with the Entertainment we offered year-round. My team grew to accommodate and so did our list of responsibilities. we absorbed the puppet department and even began to help out the staging department with scenic elements. As I departed, I was proud of where I had driven the department and I know it will continue to grow.

Pyrotechnician

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth


Epcot Entertainment


May 2015 – July 2019



After completing an internship with Walt Disney World Entertainment from January 2015 to May 2015, I was awarded my first full time job at Disney. It was a high honor to be welcomed into a team that has been putting on this world renowned show for years before me. I learned many aspects of entertainment I never imagined. Pyrotechnics, show control, laser systems, I even got my boater licence to be able to drive the loaded barges onto the lagoon. It was like driving a school bus on ice with rear wheel drive. Every day we load the twelve show barges full of pyrotechnics for the evening’s event, drive them to their locations of the lagoon, trouble shoot any technical errors and at night monitor different aspects to ensure a stunning spectacular. Every few months I would learn a new position on the show. The show was getting close to its 20th year and we were saying goodbye to close friends and coworkers as they moved on in the company which means we were welcoming lots of new faced. I needed to step up and become a trainer for many entry level positions. As I was being vetted for a new position in the props department, I kept my skills active, continued to train new technicians but decided not to learn new positions myself as I would be moving forward and departing from this role. 

Set Decoration Intern


Walt Disney Imagineering


January 2014 – August 2014



While taking a semester off, I had the premier opportunity to work as an intern for the props/set decoration department at Walt Disney Imagineering. In those eight months before I went back for my final semester, I worked along side senior Imagineers on several major projects around the Walt Disney Resort. I used my skills to help make digital and physical mockups for problem solving. I also gained hands on experience being on active construction sites. It was an incredible adventure being able to gain real life experience creating themed entertainment, building lifetime relationships and channeling the course of my future career.

Assistant Props Master


Penn State Centre Stage


Summer 2013



During my third year at Penn State, I was hired as an Assistant Props Master for the two-show summer season of Penn State Centre Stage. The Season consisted of Good People play by David Lindsay-Abaire and Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley.

A couple challenges I was able to tackle were recreating full sized abstract paintings for scene changes and make breakable pottery art that would be shattered on stage but not create any unsafe shards.

Bryce Jordan Center


Event Technician


2012-2014



Also during my time at Penn State I was able to work at the on-campus arena that hosted large concerts and shows such as Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Zach Brown Band, Kelly Clarkson and Bruce Springsteen. Event Technicians would assist the touring technicians set up and strike staging, lighting, audio and effects. As a student, being surrounded by experts in my field, it was a chance for me to learn aspects of other disciplines outside of my own.