Stars of (Back)stage and (Off)screen
by Jason Eness

THE LINCECUMS

A student declaring a major in theater does not necessarily end up in a career onstage. Just ask David and Stephanie Lincecum (both MFA '90).

When David Lincecum was studying theater at Tulane, his area of concentration was on lighting design, with the intent to one day set up the lighting schemes for professional stage productions. But when his wife, Stephanie, got a job in a town that didn't have work for him, he found work at a company that did lighting for special events and parties. David describes it as "kind of a 'corporate theater.' "

"I ended up working for a manufacturer who makes theatrical lighting equipment," he says. "It was kind of a natural progression for me. I had always been business-minded, and I found I was more interested in the technical aspects of how the equipment worked and functioned."

David asserts that though he doesn't work as a lighting designer, he still relies on skills honed in the theater department at Tulane. "Most of my customers work in theaters and television studios," he says. "Working in the Tulane theater department taught me very good negotiation skills, because there is a lot of negotiation that goes on between directors and designers. I'm in a little bit different line of work, but I still use my theater education every day."

He says that one of his biggest influences was the current head of Tulane theater Marty Sachs. "Marty was very tenacious," Lincecum says. "He's very detail-oriented. I tended to not be, so Marty kind of forced that on me, but it's helped quite a bit in my business life to be more detail-oriented."

As he became more involved with the sale of lighting equipment, his career led him to California, where he is currently the western regional sales manager for Electronic Theater Controls Inc.

With the move, it was now Stephanie Lincecum's turn to find a new job.

"When I came out here, I started sending out resumes and talking myself up," she says. "I basically hit everyone up I met, and I got a job the third week I was here. It's all very word of mouth. I've never gotten a job off of a cold resume."

What she has gotten are production jobs--everything from assistant costume designer to seamstress--on such movies as Oliver Stone's "Nixon" to TV shows such as "Third Rock from the Sun." Currently, she is working on the NBC sitcom "Will and Grace."

As a Tulane undergrad, Stephanie Lincecum had a slight interest in acting--but only slight. "The minute I met a professional costume designer, I thought, 'That's what I want to do.' It seemed like something I was born to do."

Helping her realize this dream was former Tulane costume design professor Yslan Hicks. "Yslan really encouraged you to be assertive, and the program was very demanding," Lincecum says. "But it was totally a real-world experience. I felt incredibly prepared for a job in professional theater or film."

Lately, however, she has been thinking of taking a step away from the demanding work schedule of costume construction so she can spend more time with the couple's 18-month-old daughter, Zoe. Working with clothing would still be on the agenda, she says. "I'm looking at designing children's wear. I'd like getting more into the production of that."

Following his dreams: Paul Michael Glaser
Path to glory: Harold Sylvester
Giving his regards to Broadway: Bryan Batt
Close a door, open a window: Rebecca McFarland