Dave Ward, Cerritos College Theater Department Technical Director and Designer, has designed, built and recycled sets for the department, along with instructing the portable entertainment technology classes since 2009.

“I have been a part of many of this school’s productions. Some are really good and some are not so good, but teaching the students has to be the best part,” Ward said.

One student thankful to have Ward as an instructor is Prop Master Serena Dobsin.

“He has gone out of his way to teach me about working with props,” Dobsin said.

Dobsin explained, “He has taught me many things about set construction, but it is all his little tips and tricks for finding and building props that have been most valuable to me.”

Ward explains the challenges of his job.

”I have to work with the director to make sure everything is to his liking, if he does not like something, then i will change it.”

Ward was originally an arts major in the early start of his college education and claims to have stumbled upon theater design while volunteering.

“After switching majors, I acquired my B.A. in technical theater from California State University, Long Beach then obtained my M.A. in design and technical theater from the University of Michigan,” he said.

Upon finishing school, Ward began working for the South Coast Repertory Theatre, Where he attributes most of his professional experience to.

Ward then worked outside of the industry because of the distance of the SCR Theater.

“I think his past experiences made him a better instructor. We get to learn from him. What stuff [will work in the real world] and what won’t because he had gone through the trial and error before,” Dobsin said.

While looking for work, Ward obtained a job at Cerritos College in 1987 and since then has started working as a consultant for Disney Entertainment, which includes projects in Disneyland’s Tomorrow Land.

Ward attributes his early hopes for a family in becoming an instructor rather then pursuing a full-time career in the industry.

“I would look at other people while at the [SCR] and see how the industry controlled their lives. I wanted to have a family and on top of that, the work was far,” Ward said.

Ward feels he has a good relationship with is students and Dobsin is one who agrees.

“What sets him a part from other teachers is that he treats you like his equal, you don’t feel like his student, but rather his colleague.”