The next generation of production professionals may already be standing backstage at a high school musical. The question is whether someone will give them the tools, standards, and trust to discover what they can do.
Carl Rupsis does exactly that.
As Auditorium Technical Director for Valley View School District, Carl connects the educational environment with the working entertainment industry. His students do not only watch an adult operate audio or lighting equipment. They learn to build systems, run shows, troubleshoot failures, and understand why professional practices matter.
Carl’s own path began with music, concerts, school productions, and freelance work. He developed practical skills by doing: setting up sound systems, solving feedback problems, renting equipment, and learning what held up under real show conditions. When a school production needed help after a difficult opening night, that experience created an opportunity. A freelance assignment gradually grew into a larger role supporting the auditorium and its students.
Many schools face the same challenge. A teacher may already be responsible for a full academic workload while also being asked to manage a performance space, technical inventory, rehearsals, and events. Equipment may arrive just before a show, leaving little time for students to practice. Without consistent guidance, technology becomes something that adults protect rather than something students learn to use.
Carl takes a different approach. He creates structured opportunities for students to work hands-on. A school show can become a low-risk environment where they learn signal flow, lighting, projection, rigging awareness, communication, and the rhythm of a production schedule.
Troubleshooting is central to that education. Carl does not remove every problem before students encounter it. He gives them space to think through what is not working and why. That mirrors the professional world, where the ability to stay calm, diagnose a system, and communicate a solution is often as valuable as operating the gear.
The results extend beyond a better school performance. Students have pursued audio, lighting, and theatre programs in college, including scholarship opportunities. Just as important, they leave with confidence, collaboration skills, and an understanding of jobs they may never have known existed.
Mentorship also moves in both directions. Carl keeps learning from former students as they advance through college and the industry. Their new knowledge returns to the program, strengthening the next group.
That cycle is the episode’s most powerful lesson. Education does not have to separate theory from practice. When students are trusted with meaningful responsibility (and supported by someone who understands professional expectations) a school auditorium becomes more than a venue.
It becomes a launchpad.
Watch the Episode:
