Words of Praise
In the time I’ve had the pleasure of working with David—both inside the classroom and through extracurricular productions—I’ve been continually impressed by his initiative, leadership, and drive to create meaningful impact in every space he occupies.
David is a standout student in our theatre program—not only because of his creative and technical talents, but because of his proactive mindset and dedication to excellence. Last summer, he independently reached out to me about becoming involved in a community theatre production I was directing. He joined the set construction team, where he immediately proved himself to be dependable, skilled, and eager to contribute. His commitment and follow-through on that production demonstrated a level of responsibility that is rare for a high school student.
Back at school, David’s leadership truly came to the forefront during our production of Little Shop of Horrors. As the set designer and lead builder, he oversaw and managed the entire student construction crew. David took charge of organizing a build schedule, assigning tasks, and ensuring both artistic quality and physical safety throughout the process. His calm, focused leadership inspired his peers, and his ability to transform vision into reality was extraordinary. What makes David’s accomplishments even more remarkable is that he balanced these demanding production responsibilities while maintaining a rigorous academic course load. His ability to manage time effectively, lead with empathy and clarity, and uphold high standards in both creative and academic work speaks to his discipline and determination.
David is a young man of integrity, vision, and action. His passion for theatre is matched by a deep sense of purpose and a desire to positively impact the world around him.
- Kalaylah Hazelton, Director of Sister Act at Rock Hill Theatre & Catawba Ridge Repertory Theatre’s Director -
Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to work closely with David Lee. I initially met him when I served as the set designer for Rock Hill Theatre’s summer production of Sister Act, The Musical, where David Lee volunteered to assist with set construction. Despite entering an unfamiliar theatre company, David Lee demonstrated his readiness and commitment from day one. Throughout our months of collaboration, I observed that David Lee possesses the confidence to share his opinions while also recognizing when to defer to my creative direction. In addition, he seamlessly collaborated with various volunteers without introducing any negativity into the workspace, even during late hours under tight deadlines. David Lee is reliable, diligent, and sincere. He is also witty and sharp with a quite enjoyable dry sense of humor.
As his experience in school and behind the stage has grown, so has his confidence and drive. As we worked together last summer, David Lee shared his goal of qualifying for a Blumey Award for set design while he was in high school. I was not at all surprised when he was recognized as a Top Six Finalist for designing and building the set for his school’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. The amount of planning and preparation alone to be considered by the Blumey organization is exhaustive, and he was competing against 53 other high schools, some of which are magnet school musical theatre programs. I was excited to talk with him throughout the design and build as the set took shape. It was an absolute pleasure to see the show and watch the set’s interaction with the cast and crew. While accolades are not necessary, it was certainly something for which he deserved recognition. His hard work, drive, and dedication turned his goal into a reality. I have yet to see David Lee back down from a challenge or a new experience.
David Lee exemplifies leadership and a strong work ethic, serving as a role model for his peers. He consistently arrives early, prepared, and is willing to stay as long as necessary to complete tasks. Given the demanding nature of technical theatre, it is noteworthy that David Lee is also an active member of the Beta Club, Tri-M Music Honors Society, and contributes significantly through volunteer work.
- Emily Smith, Scenic Designer of Sister Act at Rock Hill Theatre & Vice President of Rock Hill Theatre
Excellent design!! You really captured the feel and essence of the show!! Great research, good collaboration with the other departments in the your school, good use of your resources, including your budget! Your model was exceptional, and it really brought your design to use to experience. Too many positives to say here!!
You should be VERY proud of the work you did!! Your design was nearly fully complete!! Everything was well executed, from the drawings, model, concept, presentation!! The ground plan was very clean, and included all of the elements needed. I liked that you did more than one, showing the different locations of all the elements. Your model was clear, and functional, and I could tell that you did the work before the show, and had a vision from the initial meetings. The presentation was well done, showing videos and images that really conveyed the set and show for us. Not only were those elements well done, the design itself was amazing!! Almost everything about it was exactly what the show called for, and executed perfectly!! Very well done!!! Congratulations!!!!!
- Ryan Maloney, Blumey's Scenic Design Judge, Little Shop of Horrors -
“Overall design and concept work flawlessly. You were so comfortable and knowledgeable during your presentation. You took us on a journey and showed the progression of things with lots of details. Love that your research focused on the dreams and aspirations of the characters. To show that the world that they are trapped in can get brighter and your design did just that. Love the design of the top level with the cyc and the floating brick background. The presentation of the shop by pulling out the wall and then spinning was great. The best part of the design was the white wall that closed off the stage and the way that it opened for the reveal. Great execution and attention to detail. Love the build process.”
- Sidney Horton, Blumey’s Scenic Design Judge, Little Shop of Horrors -
“Top notch set design. It made all the transitions so efficient and smooth. It was so wonderful to see an entire picture right from the start.”
“Excellent design!! You really captured the feel and essence of the show!! Great research, good collaboration with the other departments in the your school, good use of your resources, including your budget! Your model was exceptional, and it really brought your design to use to experience. Too many positives to say here!!”
"I really liked the use of the person as Audrey II. I had not seen it done this way before and I think it really worked. I also thought the overall staging and set design and changes were very effective. Add to that the costumes, and it was a visually pleasing show!”
"What a joyful production that will live in memory for the rest of your lives… Also, your set design was wonderful and made great use of all the space. I also was intrigued by the innovation of Actress vs Puppet to play Audrey 2. I was impressed by the Renovation set!"
- Various Anonymous Blumey’s Judges, Little Shop of Horrors -