Faces of 4Wall - Rebekah Sheffer

Next up in our Faces of 4Wall series is Rebekah Sheffer, Account Manager at 4Wall DC. From a love of musical theatre in a small town to working behind the scenes at major productions and currently as an Account Manager at 4Wall, Rebekah's story focuses on the experiences, challenges, and rewards that come with building a career in this industry. 

What was your "aha!" moment that made you realize this was the industry for you?
I got very into musical theatre in high school. My tiny school in Upstate NY did not have much of a theatre department, but I soaked up musical theatre soundtracks and made trips across the Northeast to see regional touring shows. I knew pretty quickly that it was something I wanted to pursue in further education and as a career.

Describe your career path within this industry.
Like so many, I started off wanting to be an actor! I went to Manhattanville College (now University) 30 miles north of NYC. It was a liberal arts college, and I wanted an overarching theatre education. To make some extra money and get an inside look at the department, I worked in the scene shop and eventually taught other students how to use tools and build things. A spark was lit! I helped build sets, hang and focus lights, and run shows. It was an all hands on deck, completely immersive, and pretty thorough education into multiple aspects of putting on a show. After graduation and a few years in restaurant and office jobs I bit the bullet and moved from Upstate NY to New Jersey to take a Production Assistant job at Two River Theater Company. I was lucky enough for them to take my multi-faceted experience as a guide and I worked in the shop, on lighting, on sound and on shows. I stayed for 2 years before coming to DC to be the Assistant Technical Director for the Folger Shakespeare Library's Elizabethan-style theatre. Just like many things I had done to that point, it was a little bit of everything! I liked it so much that I stayed there for just over 12 years before coming to 4Wall. It was all great experience to bring to the company as I've worked closely with theatrical productions, but also events, planning, and budgeting.

If your job had a tagline, what would it be?
Adapt and overcome, focus on fixing the problem at hand.

When you explain your job and/or this industry to family members who have no idea what it is, how do you do it?
I usually say I'm a facilitator between the client and the shop to ensure the gig/show/event goes as smoothly as possible.

What's one thing people think is easy about your job-but in reality, it's way harder?
Explaining specific problems/issues to clients that aren't familiar with terminology or processes.

If you could trade jobs with one person at 4Wall for a day, who would it be and why?
OOOOOH. Somebody high up in Systems, the variety of those projects is fascinating to me.

What's a project you worked on that made you the proudest?
In 2015, the Folger did a production of Pericles, a not-well-known Shakespeare play. The production values and cast were incredible and I cried multiple times watching it. It was beautiful. I was particularly struck by the sound design and how it felt like a film. At 4Wall, it wasn't the biggest gig, but I did an event with a client for Only On Uber. This was a small but pretty complex event, with lighting, sound, video, a teleprompter, cameras, and live streaming. I also ended up going on site for it and serving as a Project Manager of sorts. It was valuable learning experience but also a confirmation of what 15 years of training in the industry had taught me - adapt and overcome - and in the end went very smoothly. Both my client and the end client were happy, which is the name of the game.

What's the wildest request you've ever gotten from a client, and how did you make it happen?
A tie: Folger - Changing a traditional proscenium Elizabethan theatre to an in-the-round setup. Seating was moved on stage and the stage was built on the raked floor that held the orchestra seating. It was insane, took a mammoth effort to install and restore, but looked incredible. There's a time lapse for the transformation here. At 4Wall, it would have to be lighting a 10' diameter Mistletoe on a 28' steel structure in the middle of winter outside in DC. Through a mountain of effort by everyone involved (myself, Project Manager, labor team, freelancers, the shop) it happened. It was great when it worked, but even IP65 fixtures were not prepared for the crazy temperature variety of winter in our lovely nation's capitol. Lesson well learned here also.

What's a mistake you made early in your career that taught you a valuable lesson?
I was laying a herringbone floor for a set in my 1st year doing theatre professionally. Someone who had been working in the biz much longer than me told me to lay stuff out before bradding it down, but I did not listen. Ended up getting progressively off the guide lines and having to pull up and redo. Lesson: listen to people who know more than you.

If you could go back in time and give "Day One You" a piece of advice about this job, or life in general, what would it be?
Listen and don't be afraid to ask questions. Admitting you don't know something doesn't reflect poorly on you, pretending you do and winging it definitely can!

What's the best part of working at 4Wall?
The sheer magnitude and breadth of knowledge in the company, coupled with the willingness of everyone to assist when asked, feels truly supportive. There is never a time where I've felt I have no one to go to if I have a question or problem, regardless of complexity.

What's your favorite guilty pleasure snack on the job?
Twix and/or Dr. Pepper