Federal Way Public Schools Graduates of Note

Dan Jenkins

Setting and Lighting Designer

Decatur High School
Graduate, Class of 1996

Decatur graduate Dan Jenkins now freelances as a set and lighting designer and also works for Thinkwell Design, a firm that designs theme parks, but he got his career start designing stage sets in Decatur’s Theatre Program. Immediately after graduating from Central Washington University in Ellensburg in 2001, he joined the Broadway-tour world and traveled all over North America with two different shows: Smokey Joe’s Café starring Gladys Knight and then CATS.

Mr. Don Hendrixson, or “Hendo” to those in the Theatre Program at Decatur, was his director and teacher. Dan had a special place in the Theatre Program because he was the only person interested in the non-acting side of theatre. Hendo gave him a long leash to do what he did best – build, paint, light and generally be visually creative. Mr. Hendrixson always encouraged Dan to go as far as his imagination and his energy would take him.

That freedom let Dan develop many of the skills and techniques that he now uses everyday in his professional life.

When he failed at what he set out to do in high school theatre, he had to find a way to fix what he had done. That, Dan says, allowed him to learn a level of creativity that many of his peers today don’t have. The ability to problem solve, deal with setbacks and accept failure has directly affected his professional career and Dan doesn’t believe that he would have gotten as far as he has without those skills.

Dan recently offered his opinion on his career, his Federal Way school journey and also gave some advice to teachers and students.

What are your most significant accomplishments?
Recently I designed lights for the show, “Orson’s Shadow” at The Pasadena Playhouse, and that was my first League of Resident Theatres (LORT) design. LORT is the largest professional theatre association of its kind in the United States, with 76 member Theatres located in every major market in the U.S., including 29 states and the District of Columbia. LORT Theatres collectively issue more Equity contracts to actors than Broadway and commercial tours combined.

Please describe an experience, event or individual in your public education experience that motivated or inspired you.
My eighth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Amundsen (I believe her first name was Kate), at Lakota Junior High was a huge influence on me. She encouraged me to read the kinds of books that captured my imagination – fantasy and science fiction. Reading any type of book was good for overall development, she said.

I could never get into the canon of books “required” by my previous teachers, but once Mrs. Amundsen opened me up to reading what I wanted to read, I began to devour all kinds of books. She was a wonderful teacher.

What advice would you like to share with teachers in schools today?
I would like to see teachers truly listen to their students. At times, what kids are saying may seem uninformed or reactionary and it is, but this shouldn’t be viewed as a bad thing. To have a young person speak up in class, means that they are paying attention and interested enough to put their own ideas into the mix. This type of behavior should be encouraged, not stifled. Being open to discussions with students can only lead to greater understanding for the entire class. Students listen to other students in a different way than they listen to teachers. Once the dialogue begins, the learning possibilities are endless.

What advice would you like to share with students in schools today?
Patience. Knowledge doesn’t come easy and it doesn’t come fast. Don’t be in too big a rush to grow up. I sound like many of the “old people” who gave me advice when I was in school…oh sweet irony. School can feel like a drag at times, it can seem like it’s not going to do you any good in the future, but I promise you, if you really want to succeed in your life, if you have big dreams and want to make them come true, you are going to need every little bit of information that your amazing brains can hold.