The Pat MacKay Diversity In Design Scholarships are awarded annually in partnership with TSDCA and USITT, funded by LDI and Live Design, and sponsored by Lightswitch to support talent from underrepresented backgrounds in the field of entertainment design.
As a second-year student at Oklahoma City University who is pursuing a B.F.A. in design and production with a lighting design focus, Tait Truong, strongly believes in the potential for lighting to uplift a story. Inspired by the vast array of artists and collaborators that theatre brings together, Tait is constantly on the lookout for the next organization to be involved with. He has so far been involved with Toucan Productions, Oklahoma City Repertory Theater, OCCC’s Theater Department, and many others. Looking towards the future, Tait aims to create designs that he can be proud of as well as inspire others to pursue theatre arts.
"The goals that I seek in my career are the moments of dialogue and active cooperation between other artists that comes from genuine thoughtfulness towards theatre as an art form," says Truong. "As much as I look forward to the joys of the theatre making process, I also anticipate and invite the hardships that are evident in any project. Molded from this comes forth the end result of theatre at its most genuine form. It is a career goal of mine for audiences to see this and be inspired by what theatre truly is and what it can achieve beyond telling a story."
Live Design: What brought you to this scholarship?
Tait Truong: I was drawn to the main goal of supporting underrepresented artists and voices in the world of live design. In a rapidly changing world, it was extremely comforting to see a purposeful space being made to remind those who are underrepresented that they are seen and actively being recognized in the entertainment design space. Every year that this scholarship opens its application process is another year towards maintaining an accepting space for all underrepresented designers. That is why I knew that I had to at least submit an application to the scholarship.
LD: What drew you to design?
TT: What drew me to theatrical design was its capacity to bring together multiple different artists and create a space for them to collaborate and create art that wouldn’t be possible for an individual. It is in design meetings where the strongest aspects of being human are shown off, communication, community building, and the creation of art for the entertainment of others.
LD: What are some of your career goals?
TT: One of my overarching career goals is to create designs that I am wholly proud of, and in the journey of achieving that, I seek out to collaborate with as many other artists and designers as possible. That is what makes theatre so unique, it is a crossroads for collaboration, so why waste it? Hopefully, by the end of it all, I would love to have inspired other young artists, perhaps from the same cultural identity as me, to also pursue theatrical design.
LD: How can the industry better serve underrepresented communities?
TT: The industry can strive to foster an accepting environment, where all are accepted, but also continue to create platforms that uplift and highlight underrepresented students. Continue to bring artists from all avenues for the sake of creativity.
LD: Who or what are your influences in terms of people or events?
TT: I am sure it is common for answers to this question from other students to be theatre- and design-related and so I wanted to give a different answer. One of the more influential figures to me is the late Brazilian F1 driver, Ayrton Senna. His absolute dedication to his craft and the endless pursuit of his dreams have inspired me numerous times in my journey towards my career dreams and to wholly dedicate myself to my goal of becoming a theatrical lighting designer.
LD: What challenges have you faced?
TT: One of the many challenges that I have faced is the lack of support and direction that was financially available to me. Theatre design is more of a niche career, therefore during my younger years it was hard for me to realistically consider and research a future in design while being a student that was part of an underfunded public school system. It was difficult taking risks and chances where the outcome was unknown, as the availability of choices were seemingly directly linked to the availability of funds to support those choices. Where I am now, I am lucky to have made those choices, but I hope for a world where any artist can pursue their craft without juggling the weight of making the right decision as not many can afford multiple tries.
LD: Do you have a bucket list item?
TT: A bucket list item of mine is to open an immersive visual art gallery in collaboration with other artists. The goal of this exhibit is to showcase the height of what our eyes can perceive.
LD: What are you hoping to take away from your experience at LDI 2025?
TT: What I am hoping to experience at LDI 2025 is an abundance of networking. This event brings together many aspects of the live entertainment industry, from companies, to buyers, to field professionals. I plan to make the most of the opportunity and see what lies ahead for the industry.