By Ian Wesselhoff 

I n the world of theatre, Patrick Hamilton (’17) has played many roles. From working in the box office at Macon's Grand Opera House to opening and managing the 1,200-seat state-of-the-art Monroe County Fine Arts Center, he has been behind the scenes of both the technical and administrative sides of theatre, picking up awards and recognition along the way. 

And, since 2021, he has been sharing that experience with students at Georgia College & State University as technical director for the Department of Theatre & Dance. 

Hamilton oversees everything to do with scenery construction in Georgia College’s theatre productions, and he teaches students of all experience levels to build the very sets that actors will perform on. 

“When we’re looking at liberal arts, and when we’re looking at building lifelong learners and things of that nature, I think that a space like the theatre department is a perfect example of what that looks like on a larger scale,” Hamilton said. “I have students in here that scenery might not be their focus, building might not be their focus, design might not be their focus … But they’re going to get a little piece of every single aspect of theater.” 

Wesley Baumann, theatre major and one of Hamilton’s Intro to Design students, will play the lead in “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” in March. Though he chose his major to pursue acting, he is also physically building the scenery that he and his co-stars will be performing on – and he’s doing it all as a first-year student. 

Baumann entered the Scene Shop with no experience using tools or building sets, but he says Hamilton has helped him grow comfortable working in that environment. 

“He’s so awesome, and he’s just such a great person to work with,” Baumann said. “It’s always a very hands-on experience. He never only tells us what to do. He will always pick up the tools and show us exactly what we have to do.” 

Hamilton’s work has been recognized twice by the Kennedy Center, for Technical Direction in 2021 and Scenic Design in 2022. His nomination in the Technical Direction category was for one of the first productions he put on as a Georgia College staff member. After making a leap from managing the Monroe County Fine Arts Center over to that more creative role at GCSU, he said it was validating to see that his work was on the same level as others within the region. 

Hamilton’s set design for a Theatre Macon production of “Once on This Island” won him the Atlanta region’s Broadway World Regional Award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical in 2021, and the scenery was as impressive as it was resourceful. With massive ocean waves made from glued-together plastic bottles, a large tree built out of busted roadside tires – every element of the scenery was either found as litter or pulled out of the trash, telling a story about pollution through the set itself. 

Once the spring musical wraps, Hamilton is leaving GCSU for a second sort of homecoming: back to the Grand Opera House, this time as senior technical director. 

The first time he had ever seen a professional stage production, back in second grade, it was at the Grand Opera House. It was where he got his first job in theatre. He proposed to his wife there, their engagement pictures were taken there, and they held their first baby shower there. 

“It’s a huge coming home moment,” Hamilton said. “The Grand Opera House means a lot to me personally.”

Header Images: Patrick Hamilton ('17) teaches set design to students in the GCSU Scene Shop. Photos by Anna Gay Leavitt.