A day in the life of the technical manager Mackay Dufour

MacKay Dufour, the recently hired technical manager of performance venues for UCC, has 22 years of experience in the field doing behind-the-scenes work for the arts from constructing and organizing background pieces in shows to adjusting mood lighting at events.

Dufour manages Jacoby and Whipple facility rentals to make sure bookings are correct, ticket sales work smoothly and all technical details with lighting and sound work for events using UCC’s facilities. He is a vital part of the UCC facilities crew.

Dufour welcomes students to speak with him and ask for help if they need it. Although he doesn’t teach classes of his own, he assists Bart McHenry with his production class. He enjoys showing students different ways they can be successful in production. Whether they want to learn lighting, set and stage construction, or working with sound elements.

Since Dufour worked at Phoenix Charter as a trade and design instructor before working at UCC, he is extremely familiar with tools.  His favorite? The carabiner He always has several on him, and he has been using them for years. While Dufour was in college, he and his colleagues found a chandelier in the way changing the atmosphere they wanted for their show’s set. Dufour was readily and resourcefully prepared with his carabiner to hook up a backdrop and hide the chandelier. 

Dufour will also be in charge of graduation this year and overall wants to make UCC spaces more welcoming, inviting and joyful. He will also be in charge of lights and sound in A Crooked Hand: A film-noir-era detective comedy featuring the Umpqua Singers. It will be showing May 29th to June 2nd at 7 pm in the whipple fine arts center stage. General admission is $15 seniors are $10 and students get in for free.

Dufour’s office is in the Jacoby building directly to the left when you first walk through the double doors, and he enjoys talking to students or offering advice. 

When asked what advice or words of encouragement he has for students Dufour states that he encourages all students to aim high for their dreams and not be afraid of changing any obstacle or event in their lives. 

“Don’t be afraid to make mistakes from big to small, learn from them, don’t be afraid of change. Try new things you’d never thought to try before, find your voice, let it guide you, and don’t ever be afraid to speak up,” Defour states.

Contact me at:
umpquacollegemainstream@gmail.com

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