Humans of NGU: Bess Park, a doctor of light
Seth Atkins, Editor-in-Chief
Writing her first play at age seven, Bess Park, theatre department professor, began to learn that creating art can be a spiritual process.
Park knew that her small-scale manger scene play needed a light source. She ended up using the light from a torch, with the help from a family member, as that source she needed. She states, “I talk about this as my first experience being a director, playwright, scenic designer and lighting designer.”
At age 12, Park had a conversation with Jacques d’Amboise, one of the most famous ballet dancers from the New York City Ballet. He sat down with her and listened to her words of passion about performance and dance. Park said, “Conversation is inspiration to me about how I want my students to talk about their work, and that led me to become the teacher I am today.” As a professor, Park urges her students to always stay open throughout their life.
Fast forward to today, and Park just completed her doctorate degree for theatre about two months ago. Her doctorate is focused upon the philosophical aspect of performance. “I was interested with what happens when artists are deeply in connection with their creative flow, and that interest grew from years being in theatre. I felt that these experiences were spiritual,” Park said.
Park takes inspiration from the world around her and creates the designs that can be seen in a stage production here at North Greenville. What inspires Park the most is the beauty of nature. Park takes God’s creation like the movement of the sun, the stars in the sky, and different cityscapes and adds those elements to her design. For example, Park would have to immolate the night sky in a production.
Her love and passion for scenic design has always been there. In graduate school, Park stated that through taking a lighting design course for dance, “my teacher showed how light reveals form, and I was hooked.”
Park believes that in order to tap into one’s full potential, she said, “God’s gift to us is that there is always something to be learned, explored, understand, and feel more deeply about. With one lighting design experience, Park was working an opera concert in Alabama, and suddenly the lighting equipment became damaged. In order to finish the concert, Park and her crew turned on flashlights and the show went on. This opera concert experience can serve as a testament to the always stay open advice from Park.
Park emphasizes that art is transformative, and that the art of performance is important to our inner character no matter who you are or where you come from. Park intends to light up the classroom with the messages and advice she has learned throughout her journey of life.
