By day, Mr. Matt Forbis is a process control engineer at Emerson Process Management. But when the clock strikes 4, he heads over to PCH as the scenic designer and technical director for the mainstage shows. A Parkway North graduate and tech crew veteran, Forbis has been working in school and community theater since 1996, when he was a freshman in high school.

“Mrs. Rothermich, who was the drama teacher at North, would come over and help us after she retired. Matt and his brother Tim would also come to help,” Mrs. Nicole Voss, drama teacher, said. “He is now a hired employee of the district. He co-designs sets with me, draws them up and oversees scenic construction. I’m so lucky to have him here to help us!”

Forbis’s hard work is evident in the efficiency of the building process. For example, when “The Diviners” went to the state conference last month, the entire set was loaded into that theater in less than 30 minutes. This feat was only accomplished by the teamwork of the entire set crew and Forbis’s organizational skills.

“I hope someday, something I’ve done has a positive impact on someone. My goal is to be a leader and teach students new skills so they can build it themselves,” Forbis said.

“I’ve learned valuable life skills from Matt. I can fix things in my house now,” junior Emily Walters said. In addition to those benefits, students in the set crew have also gained a friend in Forbis.

“He’s super sarcastic and also very laidback. It’s fun to just work and talk about anything with him. We all just get along well together,” junior Nick Bible said. “Matt is super patient; you don’t even have to have skills to come to set. He won’t just stick you with a simple blow-off job, he’ll teach you how to use the tools and do everything yourself.”