Most people may not initially pin Brenner Stickney as an artist, but throughout his years at PV he has shown dedication and diligent work in the arts. As a member of Pleasant Valley Drama, Stickney has been seen onstage and off.
Stickney most recently acted as stage manager for the fall musical “Kiss Me, Kate.” When not in the position of stage manager, Stickney can usually be found in the scene shop, constructing the scenery seen in PV productions. In addition to his work backstage, he also competes at the state level with friends Matt Bolin and Antonyo Bagley on their improv team: Hattrick.
In a theatre production, it is the stage manager’s job to ensure everything goes as planned, this means organizing and distributing notes, taking attendance and sweeping the stage. While working on “Kiss Me, Kate”, Stickney learned many valuable lessons, “I learned that organization is key, and in order to be a good leader, positivity is an important factor.”
This was Stickney’s first time stage managing, and he felt the pressure of working under director Bill Myatt.
Myatt claimed he gave Stickney such a position for a reason. “We picked Brenner as stage manager because he has experience both onstage and backstage,” said Myatt. “He is incredibly valuable and reliable in the scenic world and also has done enough improv activities that he understands performing. In order to be an effective stage manager, one needs to be understanding of both of those aspects in order to make a production come together as a single whole.”
After “Kiss Me, Kate”, Stickney plans to take on another leadership position, as scenic head for the one act: “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Stickney discovered this passion of technical work after a few experiences with acting. “I first started with onstage acting but found my love for backstage and set work while working on ‘Sweeney Todd’.”
Through constructing in the scene shop, and leading as stage manager, Stickney has proved himself to be a valuable student in the Pleasant Valley theater.
Not only does Stickney enjoy preparing for scripted performances, he has a love for improv comedy. In the most recent PV Improv Night, Stickney and his Hattrick teammates were crowned champions. In addition to Improv Night, Hattrick competes at Iowa Thespian Festival and the IHSSA Large Group Speech competition.
Time and again, Stickney has proved that it is never necessary to take the obvious route in contributing to the arts. As a strong leader and artist, the inspiration he brings to students aspiring to someday fill his shoes is more valuable than anyone could fathom.
