Divisions: Upper School
Teaches: Theatre Management, Scenic Carpentry & Prop Making, Scenic Painting & Design, and Lighting & Sound; also GFS' Theatre Technical Director and A/V Manager, and a SEED Facilitator.
AJ Tvarok is part of the GFS team that makes theatre magic for young actors in each division. On any given day, you might find them building set pieces in the woodshop, teaching a Theatre Management class, wheeling a PA system across campus, or running a slide show for an assembly guest speaker. AJ is also the faculty advisor for GFS Upper School SAGA (Sexuality and Gender Alliance).
My greatest inspiration for set design... always comes from personal encounters. Whether it’s an old building or a piece of art, these tangible experiences evoke an emotional response in me, which I then channel into my portrayal for the audience.
The largest production I’ve ever worked on at GFS... was The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Upper School/faculty and staff musical in the fall of 2025. The multiple uses of the platforms, their locations on stage, and the ability to open and close the flats and slide them onto stage were all significant challenges. With such a large show, time was extremely limited, and finding the time to make even minor adjustments was a real struggle.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, performed by GFS Upper School Theatre in the fall of 2025.
My number-one priority when designing sets... is making sure things are structural and safe. I think about how the actors are using props and set pieces on stage. Will actors kick it, jump onto it, or slam it? Other things I need to keep in mind are the weight of things. If a large piece is being moved by the actors or stage crew on stage, how do I make that light enough, yet stable enough, for the students to move? I also think about the story itself and how I can tie the elements into the story. Each play calls for concrete items, such as doors, walls, and chairs. My job is bringing those things to life, to support the story being told by the director. I need to keep the director's vision in mind.
I collaborate with the costume and lighting designer... so that the color pallets are in tune with each other. Nothing is worse than having a brown set with amber lighting and brown costumes! Every set and design brings a new challenge and a new way for me to problem-solve, and that's what keeps my job interesting.