Theater major sets the scene for her future, which will be spent backstage
Shannon Meihaus walks effortlessly through the complicated halls of CU’s theater building, saying hello and smiling to familiar faces until she reaches the dark scene shop backstage. This is where she spends her time designing and painting scenes and props for CU’s theater productions.
Shannon Meihaus stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, has dirty blond hair, wears a silver thumb ring on her left hand and plain, black flip-flops showing off her red toenails. But what’s barely noticeable and perhaps most interesting about her are the dark spots of paint scattered on her jeans that hint at Meihaus’ contribution to the backstage theater world.
Meihaus, a senior majoring in theater music and theater design, takes about 18 credits per semester and works in the theater every week as though it is her full-time job.
Working as a set designer, Meihaus paints with texture to create marble, stone, brick or wallpaper-looking backgrounds. She also uses distressing techniques to make props look older, or she can restore furniture by stripping, refinishing and reupholstering them to make it look new.
“Painting, for me, is an outlet of a certain kind of energy that I cannot release by any other method. It is therapeutic, and there is a great sense of pride that comes with the creation and execution of a realized design,” Meihaus said.
When asked how she comes up with her ideas for set designs, Meihaus said, “A theater designer has to use the text first for inspiration. Once you understand the direction of the play, you can begin to create the world in which its characters exist.”
She said she got her start in theater by singing in her high school’s musical productions in Pueblo, Colo. After high school, Meihaus wanted to continue her theater career. Meihaus decided to do this at CU mainly because the cost of East Coast universities was so high and because Boulder is a perfect place for Meihaus to indulge another hobby: rock climbing.
Bruce Bergner, associate professor of theater design and technology, recommended Meihaus out of all the theater students that work backstage. He has been an inspiration for Meihaus and has provided her with the encouragement she needed to pursue her talents in theater design.
“I sort of fell into the props and scene-painting niche unintentionally during my sophomore year, and Bruce really encouraged me to go for my double BFA,” Meihaus said.
Alysia Reese, a close friend of Meihaus, admires her friend’s artistic talents.
“She’s good at painting because she’s incredibly attentive to detail and she works really really hard,” Reese said.
So far, Meihaus has been the designer for sets and scenic backdrops in four of CU’s theater productions. She said she helps with props and scenery in almost every play production, and she still loves to sing in musicals. Meihaus also recently performed in and helped design the set and props for a version of “Jesus Christ Superstar” by the Longmont Theatre Company.
This summer, Meihaus will be in London working as an intern for the Royal Opera House. She will be working with props and hopes to establish some business connections while she is there so she can work in Europe after graduation.
“What I like most about scene painting is how the textures and paint trick the audience,” Meihaus said. “Art for sets don’t usually look good up close, but it is really cool when you can step back to see how much different the finished product looks onstage.”
Contact Campus Press staff writer Ashleigh Oldland at Ashleigh.Oldland@colorado.edu.
