Today we’d like to introduce you to Nichole Nelson.
Hi Nichole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It started in high school for me. I made the choice to attend Booker T. on a whim and managed to get in to the theatre cluster. At the time I wanted to become a writer and had no desire to act. Still don’t. What I didn’t see coming was enjoying my design classes more than my writing ones. I had never been gifted at drawing or visual art, so it honestly surprised me. I fell into a deep love of scenic design while attending the yearly field trip to Dallas Theatre Center my sophomore year. That year A Midsummer Night’s Dream was slated for the season opener. I was dreading it and convinced I would fall asleep as someone who hadn’t really ever liked theatre. Our class sat down in our seats preshow and my dread grew. I was definitely falling asleep based on what everything looked like preshow. How was I going to pull off writing a paper on this later if I fell asleep the whole time? After all the only elements in sight were a couple platforms and 2 ladders. Everything was slate gray no less! Even the most interesting things to me were already set up to be boring! Then the show started and it didn’t take long before I became totally engrossed. The actors spoke the language in such a way that I could actually understand it! Then the fairies came out and started to draw with chalk on the set. Right before my eyes the element I was assured would seal my fate on this paper began to change. It came alive with drawings of hearts, starts, and squiggles. All drawn hurriedly during the show. At intermission they set out chalk and people went up onstage to draw and add to the set. I was on the edge of my seat the whole show as one musical number crashed through to another. Kevin Moriarty had made this insane choice to turn Midsummer into a musical trying to use hits that he thought would be popular later in the year. As the soundtrack to my high school dances played around me I couldn’t stop singing from number to number. Through Fireflies by Owl city all the way to the ending number of I’ve Got a Feeling by the Black Eye’d Peas and at the end I was greeted with the single moment that changed my life forever. In 2010 I’ve Got a Feeling was everywhere: every radio station, commercials on Tv, the background for activists rallies, and the final number of this incredible show. At the very beginning of the number I held my breath as yellow banners came down and covered every chalkboard surface bringing color to the neutral spaces while balloons started raining down. The stage had been in a 3/4 thrust position the entire show forming one back wall that was black. Now the crew unseen pulled the walls apart and revealed the incredible view of downtown Dallas and as I walked through the balloons with my classmates to the exit still singing I’ve Got a Feeling I was in awe. I had never been so completely wrong about any experience I had every had in my life. That singular moment made me want to pursue scenic design. It made me want to craft experiences for people that could turn their own opinions on their head without saying anything. I had no idea at the time that the scenic designer who crafted those moments so incredibly well would go on to design Hamilton and become nationally recognized for a design.
After that I started designing the scenery for the shows at Booker T. I went on to pursue my degree in scenic design for theatre at the conservatory at Webster University and graduated in 2016 with me B.F.A. I moved home to Dallas for almost a full year and spent that time freelancing at WaterTower Theatre in Addison. Painting several sets for them before landing my first full time position in the arts. I woke up one day and had an email in my inbox from the production manager at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina offering my the position. He had gotten my info from someone I had previously worked with and reached out. I agreed to drive to Hilton Head Island and paint the current show they had going up in June with the agreement that provided it went well for both of us I would move there and accept the full time position available. I worked there until I left in 2021 after gaining a lot of much needed experience.
I spent the next 2 years moving around in South Carolina both freelancing and trying out new jobs. I spent some time working for a sign shop both in production and as a designer, painting houses, and doing other odd jobs. Before moving back to Dallas in 2023. Since then I have primarily worked in fabrication doing finish work, assembly, and carpentry for corporate offices.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road hasn’t been smooth at all. Senior year of college I was told by my program director that “I was only good enough to design in at a high school level”. I was already dealing with a lot mentally and emotionally, so later when 2 family members died I fell into a deep depression that it took me a long long time to come out of. I spent much of my early adulthood struggling with choosing success at work and what that looked like versus taking care of myself. I couldn’t balance the 2 even when I was trying my hardest and I always ended up falling into a funk that took a lot of time to climb out of. As time went on that became my focus and I gradually started trying to move away from theatre into more lucrative industries that utilized the same skills. Eventually I was able to put the time and effort into myself where existing wasn’t so hard and I felt like if I took a fulltime job I wouldn’t just be treading water when the deadlines got thick and the time at home evaporated. I would be prepared to handle it this time. I’m still waiting for that break where I land the job I’ve always wanted. The biggest mistake I made was rushing myself into a stressful environment I wasn’t prepared to handle as a young adult anyway. Now when that job comes a long I feel I will be ready for it and be able to succeed regardless of what thrown my way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m known for my attention to detail and exact ability to match textures. I paint or transform multiple substrates to look like something it’s not. I can take layered PVC that been screwed together and compound the edges so well that when I paint it it looks solid and not like 3 1″ pieces screwed together. I can paint and prep routed HDU sign foam with intricate detail and make it look like carved stone. I can carve and paint foam so that it looks likes a realistic tree stump. I am most proud of my ability to guide a project from design through production into a finished product with minimal problems. As always my theatre background sets me apart, because as a theatre tech you have to take every class making one a true jack of all trades master of none. I had to take classes in: sewing, lighting, sound, set, and props, so I have basic knowledge in every discipline making me extremely versatile in the field. This leads to being able to solve problems very well on the fly.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Potentially working in film, theme park, or tradeshow scenery production or design. Ideally doing bigger more corporate or intricate work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.annelsondesign.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annelsondesign/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nichole-nelson-325380256/
