Theater Photo Album
Anderson White’s Portfolio shown by pictures & media clips through the years.
Me onstage with the cast during the show.
My brother and I after the show.
The Beginning
I started as an ensemble member after my mom pushed me to join Mary Poppins Jr.
I discovered two things from that show:
I love the theater.
I DO NOT like being onstage.
I worked as a crew member in my next show, Moana Jr. I helped the crew build props and set, and then operated a spotlight for the show.
I was a spotlight operator for my next two shows, which gave me opportunities to learn about light and sound design.
Crew of Moana Jr.
Showing my friend how the spotlight worked during The Little Mermaid Jr.
Into (or Behind?) the Spotlight
Script notes from Moana Jr.
My brothers and I after Moana Jr.
Sound: The Start
I began learning sound in my third year of theater, becoming Assistant Sound Director while learning how to operate the board. I learned to pack mics, control levels, and run mic-check.
My brother and I after The Little Mermaid Jr., my first show running sound.
My crewmates and I during The Little Mermaid Jr.
My mom, brothers, and I after South Pacific.
The following spring, I got to be Sound Director, operating the board during Clarksville Community Players’ 50th anniversary show, South Pacific. I got to experiment with the sound board and learn what worked best for me.
Cast of The Addams Family.
Cast & crew of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Sound: Honing my Skills
Clip from a song during the show (all clips in portfolio do not accurately represent sound in the theater)
I spent the next two summers learning and discovering new skills as Sound Director, such as creating mic plots. I got to work with differing age ranges, which gave me experience blending all types of different voices.
A photo of me operating the sound board.
Set of Shrek Jr., illuminated by a light I designed.
Set of Frozen Jr.
Script notes
Learning to Paint, Build, & Design
Over the years I learned to operate sound, I also learned how to paint and build sets, watching the designers and learning the techniques they used to make the stage come to life.
I also got to learn how the light board worked, helping to program lights for Shrek Jr. and learning how to design lights to show different scenes and locations within the world of the show.
Crew of Shrek Jr.
Cast during the wedding scene.
Crew of Fiddler on the Roof.
Clips from songs during the show.
Sound Design: Fiddler on the Roof
The cast for this show had almost 40 people with multiple speaking characters, so we plugged in a new sound system with additional mics and receivers. The original system has 12 mics, and we added an additional 12 mics to the board. We also added a condenser mic backstage for the ensemble to sing through to add to the overall sound.
This is the first time that I got to set up the system, which helped me learn how to add mics and speakers into channels in the sound system, skills that helped tremendously in future shows.
Cast and crew of Tracks at competition.
The cast onstage during the school show.
This show was the first one-act at Mecklenburg County High School, and was taken to competition at the Virginia Theatre Association (VTA) conference. The characters are in a subway, which they discover is actually the afterlife. They must decide whether to ride the next train and move on to whatever is next, or stay in the station. The sound effects I picked are sounds of a regular subway, but they are played in a way that adds suspense to the character’s decisions at the end of the show. This was the first show where I got to pick sound effects, and it made me want to design sound for even more shows.
My sister and I before the school show.
Sound Design: Tracks
Script notes
This effect started the show and established that the characters are in a subway station and just missed the train.
This effect plays near the end of the show, and lets the characters know that they must make a decision whether to board the train or not.
This effect continues from the last one, becoming more audible for the audience. It adds to the sense of pressure as the characters make their final decisions.
The show ends with this sound effect, with the lights fading as it plays. It leaves the audience on a cliffhanger, unsure what happened to each character.
Set of Dare to Dream Jr.
Script notes
A box I painted for the stage.
Crew building the set.
My family after the show.
Between the Lines
Stage Manager: This show was my first time stage managing. I created shift assignments, prop lists, and wrote down blocking while also being the A1.
Sound: I created sheets detailing the mic plot and changes for the actors. Actors who needed mic changes all had a microphone earpiece, but only swapped the pack during each change. We also had a condenser mic backstage for ensemble and extra lines that we did not have enough mics for.
Lights: I got to light design for two songs. I tried to apply what I had learned about light design to create a look of a different room, separating the scenes.
Set/Props: I helped paint and build the set, spending multiple hours after each rehearsal to get it finished before we opened. I had less time to make props during the two weeks of rehearsal, but I created the prop list and prop tables for the actors backstage.
Mic plot and mic changes lists.
Clips of songs from the show.
Set of Between the Lines
Talkin’ to Oliver: the other song I designed lights for (video ends at 2:41).
Out of Character: 1 of the songs I designed lights for
Script notes
Crew of Between the Lines.
Shift assignments
Dare to Dream Jr.
Sound: I created a mic plot, moved monitors to the front of the stage, and blended a bass guitar into the music because the music did not have any of the lower notes.
Lights: I got to assist in designing and programming the lights in this show, which gave me the space to experiment and learn about how to design lights to create a scene and express moods.
Set/Props: I helped with painting and designing the backdrop, set pieces, and props for this show. I tried to take my skills in art and apply them to the scene design.
Stage Management: The Other Room
This was my first show taking on the full duties of Stage Manager. While I was stage manager in my last show, Between the Lines, I did not help backstage since I had to operate sound.
I worked with our student director to assist in set painting and ensure everything ran smoothly. We took this show to competition, where I got to call the show from the wings.
Cast and crew of The Other Room.
Other Sound Work
Womanless Beauty Pageant
Script notes
I have been called in to help with many other shows throughout the years. I have done simple design and setup before these events.
Guys and Dolls Sr.
Charlie Simmons’ Roast
Set of The Other Room.
Sound Design: Steel Magnolias
I got called into this show to create sound effects. I also made a sound effect list and mic plot to organize each piece needed. This is the first show where I have gotten to combine sound effects to create new sounds.
The Clarksville Fine Arts Center recently paid for Fender Pro to use for their shows, I experimented with the program to combine and fade in sound effects to make the sounds more natural.
I did not have access to sound effects to pick from, so I tried to use effects from YouTube. I tried to make the barking sounds louder depending on the intensity of the gunshot or explosion, but struggled with making the bark sound natural when repeated. I hope to get better as I practice with the Fender program.
Sound effect list
This effect is played when a character is trying to scare away birds in a nearby forest. The gunshot causes the dog to start barking, and worries another character about their safety.
This effect plays when a character destroys the forest, causing the dog to go wild and eventually escape its leash.
Set of Steel Magnolias
The DJ was recorded on a phone, and the Fender program was used to quietly fade the music in. The music would be quietly faded out with the sound board at the right moment.
Hadestown: Teen Edition
In the spring, my school is performing Hadestown, and I will be the Stage Manager and Set Designer. I have already sketched out my ideas for the set and gotten them approved by the director. I am taking what I have learned from painting and building sets each summer to prepare for the show this spring.
Theater: The Future
Rough sketches of the set design for Hadestown.
Poster for the show.
Me at UNCSA Preview Day in October.
Come From Away:
Following Hadestown, I will be A1 for Come From Away at Clarksville Fine Arts Center.
The Future:
I am applying to UNC School of the Arts so I can learn how to sound design and tell stories through that sound. While I have had a little experience with it in the past year, I have not gotten to do much sound DESIGN at my local theaters. I am excited for the opportunity to work with other talented, creative artists in the future, and learn how to tell my stories with sound.
More About Me: Hobbies
Drawing and Painting: I love to draw and paint cartoon characters, landscapes, and portraits. Drawing allows me to put my ideas on paper, releasing them from my head and bringing them to life.
Walking/Hiking: I try to take a walk every day, which lets me refocus and relax after a long day. I love taking hikes in the mountains and letting myself relax while watching nature.
Games with Family: I enjoy board games, video games, and so many other games that I get to share with family and friends. Games allow me to be competitive while connecting with new people, making new experiences and memories. I have participated in tournaments across Virginia & North Carolina for Beyblade and Pokemon, and have even hosted events at my local game shop.
Organizing and hosting a local Beyblade tournament.
My colored-pencil drawing of Demon Slayer.
My sister and I.
My brother and I at our first Beyblade tournament.
My painting of downtown Roanoke, VA.
A pencil drawing of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Playing on my high school scholastic bowl (a quiz bowl competition) team, which I have done since middle school.
My brother and I walking in Danville, VA.
My pencil drawing of Ben Platt and Laura Dreyfuss from Dear Evan Hansen.
A colored pencil drawing for school, meant to show perspective.
My piece (top) in the school art show.
My brother and I playing ping-pong at a park in Danville, VA.My brothers and I teaching our sister how to play Beyblades.
My sketch of Spiderman (still working on).