Guests entering the room needed to immediately understand the story, Swift reasoned.

UCF’s newest Pegasus Partner, Universal Destinations & Experiences, recently joined UCF to launch a first-of-its-kind school for future themed entertainment leaders.

For Swift, a set dresser at Universal Orlando Resort, the answer was more than where to place a prop. As part of a team developing a Halloween Horror Nights house, she helped shape the story guests would experience the moment they entered. Every staged bloodstain, overturned object and carefully placed detail served a purpose, even to visitors who rushed through the room with their eyes squeezed shut.

“You might sit there and pretend to be the person and think, ‘How would that look here? How would that inform the space?’” Swift says.

For the recent UCF theatre graduate, questions like that are part of her dream job.

Finding Her Place Behind the Curtain

Born and raised in Orlando, Swift grew up drawing, painting, singing and sewing. She once imagined a future in interior design, and she loved performing. But backstage at Boone High School, she discovered a place where all her talents could truly thrive. Stage production combined artistic expression, teamwork, problem-solving and endless opportunities to keep learning. It was the first glimpse of a career where creativity could shape experiences and bring stories to life.

“I’ve always been a creative person who really liked learning different methods of creation,” she says. “I never really stuck to one medium.”

Theatre gave those interests a home. It also gave Swift the confidence to build a career around them.

UCF’s College of Arts and Humanities offered what she couldn’t find elsewhere: a robust undergraduate theatre design and technology track.

“UCF was truly the only place where design and technology took importance in the space of theatre,” Swift says.

An Education Built Around Doing

ɫ����, Swift learned industry-standard techniques and applied them through eight production assignments. She served as a light board operator, props manager, audio technician, scenic paint charge and associate projections designer. Each role helped her understand how the parts of a production come together.

For Sweeney Todd at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Swift translated the scenic designer’s vision into paint treatments and led students in applying them. For Legally Blonde, she helped use projection mapping to transform scenic pieces with changing colors, textures and video.

“You’re not just learning the theory. You’re doing it as well,” she says. “That’s where I feel I learned the most.”

Swift believes theatre education is often misunderstood as training for performers. Behind every production are people who design, build, budget, research, troubleshoot and communicate under tight deadlines. Those skills can carry graduates into film, television, theme parks and other fields.

“If you know theatre, then you understand that those people can do anything,” Swift says.

Creating the Scare

Swift joined Universal during her sophomore year. This year, she was selected for the team that helps create immersive environments for Halloween Horror Nights houses.

That work includes creating the elements that make every room horrifyingly convincing. Swift and her team also secure the props so they stay in place as guests move through the house.

She enjoys walking through the houses among the guests and watching them react. Whether she’s choosing furniture or making a new prop look worn, she draws on what she learned at UCF: The smallest detail can tell a larger story.

Swift once walked through Halloween Horror Nights wondering how its frightening worlds were made. She came to UCF to learn how to build them. Now, she brings them to life — down to the clues on the kitchen floor.

As UCF works to fuel discovery and innovation, alumni like Annie Swift ’26 show what  Knights can create when they carry their curiosity, ingenuity and determination into the world. Join , and help build a future the world has only begun to imagine.

Now, 20 years later, he serves as one of the stage managers on Broadway for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

“Working on this show, I’ve learned how big of a worldwide phenomenon Harry Potter is,” Carnero says. “We have people come in from all over the world every night, and I’ll be on Facebook or on Instagram and see official Harry Potter accounts post something about Cursed Child, and it’s an amazing feeling to think, I’m working on this. It’s something that’s really special.”

Carnero never dreamed of working on Broadway. Not until he decided to visit New York City for the first time on spring break during his senior year at UCF.

Assistant Professor Claudia Lynch helped him make the most of his weeklong trip by setting up opportunities for the Orlando native to shadow professionals in the business.

“Having Claudia as a professor and a mentor in my last year of college, all of her networking and resources, she’s a big reason for my success and my continued success in New York,” he says.

Since moving to New York in 2015, Carnero has worked on productions of The Color Purple, Waitress, Dear Evan Hansen and The Play That Goes Wrong and has been with Cursed Child since day one of its run in the United States on April 22.

He discusses life backstage and what makes Cursed Child a special production.
What exactly does a stage manager do?
We are really the backbone of a production. During the rehearsal process and during the production phase of the show, we are doing a lot of scheduling and running rehearsals. Through those rehearsals, we’re collecting a bunch of information about the actors, about what they’re doing on stage, about all the tech elements — sound, lighting, props and costumes — and we’re channeling all that information to the right departments and basically facilitating the process of bringing the show to life.

Once the show is up and running, we’re calling all of the sound and light cues or we are making sure actors are where they need to be and the set is functioning as it is supposed to. We are making sure the director’s vision for the show stays the same every night. It’s a big umbrella of a job.
No kidding. What does it take to juggle all those responsibilities and be successful?
Be a listener and an observer above all else. By being in tune with everything that’s happening, you can make the best decisions in every moment.��Most stage managers start out as production assistants. When you’re a PA, you have to be relentless. Don’t settle for OK. Really push for the best that you can do for the good of the show. It takes a lot of being thorough, being detail-oriented and you have to really listen to what is going on around you.

Other than that, a good sense of humor helps. Because at the end of the day, we are just putting on a show, and it’s really easy to get frustrated about all of these things that might be going on. But you have to be able to say, “OK, this is what happened. How are we moving forward?” and be able to laugh at it all with everyone.
Did you have to study up on the series to work on Cursed Child?
Before I interviewed for the job, I rewatched all the movies and made sure I knew my Harry Potter timeline. Of course, when I got to the interview, there was only one question about Harry Potter and it was, “Are you a fan?”

Being a super fan was definitely not a prerequisite, but just by working on the show for the past year, the whole crew has become fans, and I’ve definitely dived into the world of Harry Potter.
How do new cast or crew members get initiated to the Cursed Child club?
We have them sort themselves on the Pottermore website, so that’s fun. We keep tabs of who is in what house. I’m a Ravenclaw, so I’m very proud of that.
What was the energy like on opening night, and what has it been like since?
Opening night is always so special. Of course, the theater is buzzing. Family and friends are in the audience, so they’re extra excited and super supportive. With Harry Potter specifically, there was so much time and work that had gone into opening this big show, we were all just sort of ready to do the show and show people what we had been putting together. It was such a great night.
How has this experience compared to other shows you’ve worked on?
Scale wise, it’s the biggest show I’ve done by far. There are so many technical elements to it that blows every show I’ve done out of the water. But every show you work on has something special about it. Be it the cast or the content.

Harry Potter is super special because of how of big it is and how technically smart it is. The Color Purple was extremely special because it was my first Broadway show and the music and the cast were so amazing. The Play that Goes Wrong was really special to me because of it originating in London and putting up a Broadway version of that show. Each show is meaningful to me in its own way.
How can a UCF student become a Broadway stage manager?
A great first step would be to reach out to other stage managers and pick their brains. That’s what sparked my career. Ask good questions and develop a relationship with that person without being too overbearing. That interaction can eventually become: “We’ve had a great chat, I know you want to be a stage manager, and I have a production assistant position open — are you interested?” Try to put yourself out there, ask good questions, seem interested. If this is something that you really want to do and put hard work into, people will pick up on that and help make it happen for you.

Almost, Maine tells nine stories of love in a small town in Maine. The residents of the town find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected ways. It is, said director Mark Brotherton, “an honest and insightful play that represents what all aspects of love really encompass.”

Alex Pica, a junior at UCF, has just completed her first year in the BFA musical theatre program. She plays three characters in Almost, Maine.

“Each of the characters is different and my challenge was finding the way to differentiate them to the audience. I had to find their individual quirks,” Pica said. “[Director Mark Brotherton] really understands that you have to find every piece of information from the words. Those differences in the characters lie within the words.”

The summer production schedule at UCF is different than during the regular academic year. Since most students are not taking daytime classes, rehearsals occur during the days and are condensed into three weeks. This shortened and intense rehearsal period gives the students training for working summer stock productions.

“Because the rehearsal period in the summer is a lot shorter we’ve quickly had to delve into the show and fully focus on it,” Pica said. “Because I’m not taking any other classes, I can focus entirely on being an artist and on finding the characters.”

Assistant director Tommy Heller is starting his junior year in the BA theatre studies program. Brotherton gave him full control over two scenes, which Heller selected. “The scenes I am directing are ‘Her Heart’ and ‘This Hurts.’ I chose them because I wanted one high energy scene and one that was more emotionally charged.”

Though he has directed in the past, this is Heller’s first time as an assistant director. “It’s been very helpful. I’ve been exposed to a different directing style than my own. I appreciate that Mark comes into the room with a clear vision of how the scene works, but then is able to adapt to new discoveries and the actors’ input.”

Heller said that he and Brotherton have a very collaborative relationship. “Mark literally left the room and let me direct during my scenes. Then during the full runs, he would provide me with notes on how I might improve them. But I was also present during Mark’s scenes, so I was able to learn by watching him, and he asked for my feedback.”

Pica explains that Almost, Maine can be enjoyed by both students and community members. “This is a good show for anybody, because all of the themes are universal. This show really shines through the clear honesty in the words. It is about what love really means to different people.”

Heller encourages patrons to come enjoy a bit of winter in Florida. “This is a great show to see in the summer,” he said. “It takes place in February in Maine, so it might seem a little out of place in Florida in the summer. But though the characters live in a different world than ours, the raw, honest emotion they feel is universal and transcends any season.”

For more information about Theatre UCF and the UCF School of Performing Arts, visit

Performance at a Glance

Almost, Maine

By John Cariani

Directed by Mark Brotherton

June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 at 7:30 p.m.

June 5, 11 at 2 p.m.

On a cold, clear, moonless night in the middle of winter, all is not quite what it seems in the remote, mythical town of Almost, Maine. As the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, Almost’s residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. But the bruises heal, and the hearts mend—almost—in this midwinter night’s dream.

$20 standard, $10 UCF ID

407-823-1500

https://www.theatre.ucf.edu

theatre@ucf.edu

For more than five years, from Orlando to British Columbia, and Scotland to South Korea, he’s been bringing six distinct characters to life in his one-man show, titled “6 Guitars.”

Each of his six characters play songs from their genres — blues, jazz, rock, classical, folk and country — while telling the stories of how they fell in love with their music, what they think of other styles of music and what music means to us all. Padgett also incorporates his improv comedy background into the act.

The show premiered in 2010 at the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, where it became a breakout hit, winning multiple awards including Best in Venue, Best Musician and Best Solo Show, among several others. It also won awards at fringe festivals in Canada and Scotland.

Before his successful solo career, he performed various roles at Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and the SAK Comedy Lab in downtown Orlando, as an actor, improviser and musician.

Padgett says his UCF degree gives him authority when he speaks about music, and sharpened his musicianship, which is a key component of his livelihood.

In 2014, Padgett became the artist-in-residence at the Curious Comedy Theatre in Portland, Ore., which is now the place he calls home — that is, when he’s not on the road, which is where he’ll remain for at least the next couple of years, as he’s touring Canada for “6 Guitars” through 2016. While that will take up much of his next two years, he’s already preparing for his next career move.

“[I want to] develop more material that would make sense as a TV special,” he says. “Also, [I want to have] a legitimate run with one of my solo shows. Over time, I want to transition into more film and television. I just wrapped my first role in a feature film and I’d love to keep doing that. It was a blast!”

Hitting the Notes Q&A

Q. Why do you do what you do?

A. Doing anything else would not nearly be as fulfilling.

Q. Favorite UCF memory?

A. I think the choir performances I did were my favorite memory. Singing in a group like that is a truly intoxicating experience.

Q. What advice would you give to current UCF music majors?

A. Being able to promote yourself in the artistic marketplace is crucial. Putting together a good online resume with videos and graphic design is so important. It could be the difference between really making it in your field and just scraping by. Also, talent has never been, nor will ever be, a substitute for character.

Q. Most memorable work experience so far?

A. Lots of highlights to choose from. I got to workshop a new musical improv show for Wayne Brady recently. Last fall, I did a sketch comedy showcase for the executives of NBC. But, honestly, the feeling I get during the final blackout of one of my live shows is probably the best thing. It’s the moment right after the performance and right before the audience’s applause. Therein lays an accomplished stillness that I still chase to this day.

Q. Who/what inspires your music?

A. Ray Charles is my single greatest inspiration both musically and entrepreneurially. Also, the guitar player Tommy Emmanuel is an enormous inspiration.

Q. First concert you attended?

A. B.B. King at the Naples Philharmonic

Q. Do you play any other instruments besides guitar?

A. Piano. I also beatbox a fair bit.

Q. What instrument do you wish you could play?

A. Chapman Stick!

Q. Who/what inspires your comedy?

A. There’s no better source for comedy than the truth in one’s own life.

Q. Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

A. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” in terms of a career in entertainment. Also, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It’s easy to get down on one’s self for not being where you’d like to be, but you’ve got to combat that with gratitude. I’m a successful full-time performing artist making a living doing the material I created for myself. That’s certainly good enough to be grateful for.

MORE INFO

Read more stories about alumni at ucfalumnitoday.com.��

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival honors individuals or organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of theatre and who have significantly dedicated their time, artistry and enthusiasm to the development of the festival.

Recent shows Boyd has directed at UCF include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Stop Kiss, The Fantasticks, Lysistrata,�����Ի���The Laramie Project, and she has played a variety of roles, including Calpurnia in Julius Caesar at the Orlando Shakespeare Festival.

Boyd is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild and previously was an associate professor at Texas Christian University, where she led the acting program, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and an assistant professor at the University of Vermont.

With a cast of about 75 students, free performances of The Merry Wives of Windsor are part ɫ���� Opera’s mission to make opera accessible and relevant to all audiences.

Two performances will be presented March 16 at 7 p.m. and March 18 at 3 p.m. in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union, which will be turned into an Elizabethan-era village.

“This presents a great opportunity to reach out to non-opera goers in our community,” said Thomas Potter, associate professor of music and executive director ɫ���� Opera. “Since the opera is to be sung in English and is a light comedy, our key word for the production is ‘fun,’”

UCF Opera performs most of its opera productions in English to help eliminate one of the perceived barriers that people may have – that they won’t understand what’s going on if it is presented in a foreign language, Potter said.

The Otto Nicolai opera, which was originally performed in German in 1849, is based on the 1602 play of the same name by William Shakespeare.

But the production still contains lessons that can be learned today, as lead character Falstaff tries – but fails – to finagle his way into money.

In the seven years since Potter joined UCF to develop its opera program, UCF Opera has presented small concerts and some outreach programs to public schools, including one full production at a high school.

The Merry Wives of Windsor is the second collaboration with the UCF Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Laszlo Marosi. The singers are students in the Opera Workshop class and will also include some members ɫ����’s Chamber Singers.

The Florida Opera Theatre in Orlando is helping out with some of the sets.

Presenting the opera in the Pegasus Ballroom will create some logistical demands, said stage director Allen McCoy of the UCF Theatre faculty.

“It’s always a challenge getting something on its feet, and converting the Pegasus Ballroom into a theatrical space – as far as the sight and sound and look – presents some more challenges,” McCoy said.

One of those challenges is movement on the big stage.

“It may be clear how a performer uses his voice, but they also communicate with their bodies by the way they walk and move,” he said. “People look at those things separately, but for a performer it is all one thing.”

Potter said this performance is the most significant step he has taken in developing the university’s opera program.

“It’s a big undertaking for us, and a great experience for all those students to be a part of a big production,” he said.