Tracy Nunnally
Tracy is the president of NAAFED, the owner and president of Hall Associates Flying Effects, an active member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. Tracy is also a member of the Educational Theatre Association and a lifetime member of the Illinois Theatre Association, and frequently donates his time and resources to provide workshops for instructors and young people at theatre festivals across the nation.
Tracy was one of the first 45 professional riggers to be certified by the PLASA’s Entertainment Technician Certification Program in both theatrical and arena rigging. He is one of 35 rigging Recognized Trainers in North America and his company is an ETCP Recognized Employer. He is a specialist in all aspects of rigging, motion control, pyrotechnics, special effects, and scenery construction.
In addition, Tracy is a tenured professor and head of the graduate theatre technology program at the Northern Illinois University School of Theatre and Dance. Standing firmly in both the educational and professional worlds, he believes in using his professional talents to enhance the educational experience of his students, and using his skills as a professional educator to create an effective collaborative environment with his professional clients.
William Auld
William Ian Auld is an ETCP Certified Rigger – Theater and one of the few people who is an ETCP Recognized Trainer. He currently teaches theater at Kent State University Tuscarawas. Professionally, he has worked all over the world to fly performers in North America, Central America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Bill worked as a Flying Director with Hall Associates Flying Effects for several years and has toured Korea as a fly operator for ZFX. He has served as Technical Director for the Lookingglass Theater Company in Chicago and Venue Technician at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. He earned his MFA Theater: Technical Direction from Northern Illinois University and has a Master in Theater from Bowling Green State Unviversity in conjunction with the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK.
Prior to all this work in theater, however, he spent several happy years of his life jumping out of perfectly good airplanes with the United States Army Airborne Corps.
Isaac Foust (2011)
Isaac Foust came to NAAFED to focus his instruction on creating artistic flights. With a background in technical theatre, culinary arts, farming, and more, Isaac brings a unique blend of artist and technician to training flying performers and operators. Since his introduction to stage flight in 2001, Isaac has been aggressively scrutinizing teaching techniques and styles of stage flight to achieve faster, more accurate, and more believable flights. Believing this can only be achieved through training and practice, coming onboard to teach at NAAFED was symbiotic to say the least. Having taught the art of stage flight in over 200 cities worldwide the experience Isaac brings as an instructor is insightful and we are happy to have him participate.
Bill Sapsis (2010)
Bill has been involved in the entertainment business for over 40 years. He has worked as a carpenter, welder, rigger, technical director and production manager. In 1981 he started Sapsis Rigging, Inc. and developed the company into an internationally recognized leader in the design and installation of stage equipment. Bill’s seminar program has also garnered worldwide recognition. Bill has been a Board member of USITT and is currently a member of the ETCP Council and the Chair of the Rigging Working Group for PLASA. He is a USITT Fellow and the recipient of the Eva Swan Award.
Jay O. Glerum (1997)
Jay is the well known author of the only book on the design, care, and use of stage rigging entitled STAGE RIGGING HANDBOOK. Glerum regularly teaches classes on stage rigging throughout the US, Canada, and Europe. He is president of Jay O. Glerum & Associates, Inc., a firm specializing in theatre consulting, rigging inspections, and accident investigation for the entertainment industry. He is a Fellow of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, recipient of the 1992 International Health and Safety Award and the Recipient of the 2001 Joel E Rubin Founders Award.
