During November 2024, City Theatrical talked to McKenna Pope, about her experience as a Buyer / Planner at the company. 

City Theatrical also talked to McKenna about her TedTalk from 2015, in which she created change in the toy manufacturing industry at a mere 14 years of age. City Theatrical also asked how she uses her gift for activism and leadership in the entertainment lighting industry today.

“Never sell yourself short and have confidence in your abilities. Get connected with the tech community. When you see a shot, take it! It's especially easy for us as women to undervalue ourselves and our contributions. Remember to always take a step back and remind yourself that you are intelligent, capable, and awesome!”

- McKenna Pope, Buyer/Planner, City Theatrical

During October 2024, we talked to Adam Seidman, who is an Electrical Engineer on the engineering team at City Theatrical. His role covers the new electronic product development process at City Theatrical, including the design, analysis, prototyping, hardware development, and R&D of new products, including the LDI 2023 product award-winning Multiverse® Connect Module and Wing Nut Socket, as well as the highly anticipated DMXcat-E™.

“I think the most popular feature by far on the new DMXcat-E will be the Ethernet Testing, because it’s got very useful features for both streaming ACN and Art-Net. I guess we will see, once users get their hands on their new DMXcat-Es!”

- Adam Seidman, Electrical Engineer, City Theatrical

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked our employees who hail from Latin American countries to bring in one item that reminds them of their country or heritage. Learn more and help us celebrate the people behind City Theatrical products in our Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month page.

“I want to congratulate my group of hardworking and responsible Latinos, who day by day show what they are made of, and under any circumstance, they honor their culture.”

- Karen Mosquera, Accounting Department, City Theatrical

In memory of Andrew Nikel, who passed away on Thursday April 4, 2024. We celebrate his life and legacy by sharing his 2020 retirement interview from City Theatrical and memorial messages from friends and colleagues.

“The most memorable part of my 15-year tenure at City Theatrical is its terrific people. We’ve gotten through floods, and all kinds of problems. I have to say, I’ve been blessed. Every person I’ve worked with has taken their work very seriously. It was really a bonding thing. Plus, I truly enjoyed working with all the customers and designers, and seeing things change and grow, both at City Theatrical, and in the industry as a whole.”

- Andrew Nikel (upon his retirement from City Theatrical in April 2020)

To celebrate Women's History Month, we spoke with the women who work at City Theatrical, to find out more about their role, what they like best about working at City Theatrical, and what advice they would give to someone looking to start a career in the lighting industry. 

“What advice would I give to someone wanting to pursue a career in Lighting? Learn as much as you can from those around you and let your curiosity roam free. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions.”

- Elizabeth Lee, Customer Care / Sales Support, City Theatrical

We talked to City Theatrical's founder Gary Fails upon his retirement from the company in order to learn more about his career, inspirations, and future plans.

“The project I look back on as a highlight is the development of our Multiverse wireless DMX technology. Paul Kleissler and I dreamed of a new and advanced system of wireless data communication that could be scaled up to multiple universes.  We started with a blank page and travelled around the country visiting chip designers and manufacturers. We created a system that had never been imagined before. As a company, it was a big bet on a new generation of technology that has gone on to provide City Theatrical’s present growth.”

- Gary Fails, Founder, City Theatrical

We talked to Harrison Hohnholt, our Sales Manager, to learn more about his experience working with City Theatrical since 2014.

“People should work at City Theatrical because every day is something new. There is always a new project or a new problem to be solved. It is fun to be able to take an idea from a drawing to a fully realized product.”

- Harrison Hohnholt, Sales Manager, City Theatrical

We talked to our 2023 Summer Interns, Christopher Lee and Kyle Donahue, to learn more about their experience working at City Theatrical during Summer 2023. We explored one of their hands on projects at City Theatrical, which was a QolorFLEX NuNeon installation in the manufacturing office, overseen by City Theatrical Production Manager, Joe Fails.

"Every day, our interns face the challenge of doing things they have never done before with a smile on their faces, constantly asking what’s next, project after project."

- Joe Fails, Production Manager, City Theatrical

We talked to Peter Nikel, our Electronics Assembly Manager, to learn more about his experience working with City Theatrical since 2013.

"Excellence at City Theatrical is about the ability to do anything, and get it done no matter how odd the request may seem. City Theatrical has helped me learn problem solving through creative redirection and the ability to multitask between projects."

- Peter Nikel, Electronics Assembly Manager, City Theatrical

We talked to Naum Bronz, our Mechanical Engineer, to learn more about his experience working with City Theatrical, which started in 1996 in the Bronx location, and continues today in Carlstadt, New Jersey.

"City Theatrical is consistently growing year after year, and offers new and exciting projects for staff at all experience levels. My own longevity at City Theatrical is in large part due to the excellent company culture and work environment."

- Naum Bronz, Mechanical Engineer, City Theatrical

In celebration of her 22nd work anniversary at City Theatrical and Employee of the Month status, we talked to Lorlyn Sia, our Customer Service Manager and Sales Specialist, to learn more about her experience working with the company, how the company has both changed and remained the same over the years, and her advice for new hires.

"I’ve worked with a lot of people from all around the world at City Theatrical. There are so many different cultures and personalities and ways of doing business. I try to understand where each customer is coming from. It has helped me provide better customer service in all different situations."

- Lorlyn Sia, Customer Service Manager and Sales Specialist, City Theatrical

To kick off our Employee Spotlight series, we featured Tevin Cummings, our Head of the Welding and Machinery Department. Tevin brings intelligence, humor, hard work, and creativity to his position at City Theatrical. He leads by example and works hard to ensure that every entertainment lighting accessory by City Theatrical is made with the same high-quality techniques. 

“Being a welder has been my passion for the past 14 years. It has also been my craft growing up in my home country, Guyana. It feels as if I’m working with family every day – help is always there. City Theatrical isn’t just my workplace; it truly is my home away from home.”

- Tevin Cummings, Head of the Welding and Machinery Department, City Theatrical