Shanomie Blackwood (’13) is living it up in Orlando, Florida, as she works on Cirque du Soleil’s show "La Nouba", a French phrase meaning “to party.” The two-shows-a-day schedule has Blackwood working hard, but she is doing what she’s loves – working in technical theatre.
“I knew I loved building and creating things,” Blackwood says. “It’s the fascination of seeing something on paper come to life and helping others display their talents.”
Blackwood was a natural fit for UNCSA’s School of Design & Production. She came to the school with a wealth of experience as a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. She had several internships – including with the Kaufman Center in New York where she painted scenery for children’s summer workshops – under her belt. Along the way, people in the technical theatre recommended UNCSA to her as a college possibility. She was excited, but there was the problem of cost.
“I actually had to turn down my acceptance to UNCSA because I couldn’t afford it, but then I found out I got the scholarship which paid for my first year,” Blackwood says. “The scholarship was a godsend.”
