Speakers: Marit Majeske, Mark Ormesher, Kevin Douglas Smith

Presented by the Lifelong Learning Institute, Manassas

This event is open to the public. For more information about the Lifelong Learning Institute, Manassas, visit lli-manassas.org

Have you ever wondered what it takes to bring performances to life on stage? Join Hylton Center staff members for a deep dive into the Hylton Performing Arts Center, including an overview of its history and programs. After an introductory presentation, we’ll take a tour of the building including the backstage and support areas as well as the technical elements we use to bring performances to life. Join us for an opportunity to see the stage from a different perspective.

Marit Majeske became the Education Coordinator of the Hylton Performing Arts Center upon the opening of the Hylton Center’s Education and Rehearsal Wing in December 2019. This full-time role expands on the work she began in October 2016 when she became the Interim Education Coordinator in addition to her role as Front of House Manager, a role she assumed when the Hylton Center opened in May 2010. Prior to joining the staff at the Hylton Center, Marit worked as an Assistant House Manager at Ford’s Theater and a volunteer intern with the Performing Arts for Everyone and Kennedy Center Friends offices at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Marit holds a B.A. in Music and Broadcast Journalism from Winthrop University (Rock Hill, SC) and an M.A. in Arts Management from George Mason University. Marit received the Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Emerging Leader Award in August 2014. She also completed the Leadership Prince William Signature Program in 2023 and is an active participant in Educators’ Neighborhood, a professional learning community that is a project of the Fred Rogers Institute.

Mark Ormesher has been an Audio Engineer and AV technician at the Hylton Center since 2011. Originally raised in the UK, he started his career as a young performer, and a member of Actors Equity Junior in the UK. He studied theater at Robinson High School in Fairfax, then went on to study Theater and Sign Language in VVCC Annandale. Before transferring to George Mason as a student, he was scooped up into the professional arm of the College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), working as Technical Director for Acting For Young People, where he helped develop shows, classes, and the online presence of the company. Now reaching his 15th year at the Hylton Center, Mark has worked on a large percentage of the shows in that time, in his own words, he is a “Head of the Nerds,” i.e.: the guy you want to be around when your computer decides it’s had enough!

Kevin Douglas Smith has been the Technical Director at the Hylton Performing Arts Center since its opening in May 2010. Previously, he was the Master Carpenter/Flyman at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts. Kevin was also the Production Carpenter for the Washington Ballet. Kevin has a BFA in Technical Theater from Virginia Commonwealth University.