Bard on the Beach relies on an incredible team of staff, Company members, and volunteers to help put on our Festival every summer, and our People of Bard series spotlights just some of the wonderful individuals who make our work possible. To see some of our People of Bard posts from last Season, check out our Bard Blog.
Today, we’re excited to be highlighting Kajetan Sadowski! Kajetan joined our Production team last Season and returned this summer as a member of our Production Crew and as the Backup Venue Technician for the Howard Family Stage. We’re grateful to have Kajetan as part of the team, and we’re excited to be chatting with him about his Bard journey today!
Tell us a little about yourself!
Like a lot of people, I went through some big life and career changes during the Covid-19 pandemic. After a decade as a martial arts teacher, I entered the theatre and events industry in 2022. I spent that first year finding my feet as a freelance technician and rigger, and joined the Bard Production Crew for the 2023 Season. I’d been told it was a great place to learn on the job and spent my first year immersing myself in as many aspects of production work as possible, from lighting and sound to carpentry and rigging. I helped build and tear down both stages, but wasn’t involved in any performances.
This Season began for me on April 1st, when I helped finish putting up the Mainstage Theatre tent before jumping into the usual production build. I got to take on more independent projects during this year’s installation, including hanging up the enormous crown that floats over Twelfth Night and Hamlet. I was also offered the opportunity to become the backup venue technician for the Howard Family Stage. In that new role, I’ve run lights, sound, and effects for multiple performances of Measure for Measure and The Comedy of Errors, as well as lighting some special events on the BMO Mainstage.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I love the almost limitless learning opportunities that Bard provides. In only a few months, we build two fully-functioning theatres from the ground up—literally—and then produce four very different productions in them. I’ve gotten my hands dirty with every aspect of what makes a theatre work, from preparing the ground and putting up the tents; to wiring in power, sound and data; hanging and focusing lights and speakers; building stages and installing set pieces; hanging drape and rigging up complex moving components; running live performances and changing over sets between shows; and then tearing it all down at the end. It’s given me a breadth of experience that’s hard to match and helped me understand how all of the different departments in a theatrical production fit together into a complex system. I love getting that birds-eye view of the process and having a hand in making it run more smoothly.
Is there something that you were looking forward to the most this Season?
I’d been excited for Jivesh Parasram’s adaptation of Measure for Measure ever since I saw that production on the schedule. It’s such a challenging play, and I was really curious to see how it could be made to work for a contemporary audience. Everything I saw of it during pre-production only made it more intriguing, and getting the opportunity to help bring the finished piece to life was part of my motivation for taking on the backup venue tech role. The show itself exceeded my expectations, and was a lot of fun to work on and to watch. It’s visually stunning, funny, still challenging in the right ways, and has an outstanding cast that makes a difficult balancing act look easy.
Do you have a favourite memory from past Seasons at Bard?
I’ll never forget the week we spent at the start of last Season digging drainage trenches in the pouring rain. It was messy, heavy work, and sometimes felt downright Sisyphean as the water just kept coming down. I know that sounds miserable, but I look back on it fondly. It was my first real introduction to the Production team and their camaraderie and joy in solving big, hard problems was infectious. I knew right away that this was a group of people that could pull off the impossible. It also made the glitz and glamour of Opening Night even more special. When you walk into a beautiful packed theatre that you know was an actual mud pit only a few months earlier, it really does feel like you’ve created something magical.
When you aren’t helping to put on a Festival, what do you like to do in the summer?
Vancouver is gorgeous in the summer, and I try to spend at least a little bit of time outside every day. When I’m not playing outdoors, I bounce between creative hobbies like woodworking, painting, sewing, and gardening. I love making things with my hands and have a handful of projects on the go at any moment.
Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Kajetan!
Be sure to keep an eye out on our Bard Blog for more behind-the-scenes looks at our Festival and the incredible individuals who make it possible.