Props and Scenic
Aiden's road to working as a scenic and props artisan was a bit of a winding one, but also one that emerged out of necessity. Early in his career, despite his passions for theatre and performance, his sights were set to pursue a degree in fine art. Though he was a dedicated and studious arts student, when he wasn't locked away working in a damp basement studio, he was in late night rehearsals and early morning tech calls in the theater across campus. Because of Aiden's technical skill and eye for design, he was frequently asked by the theatre department to take the reigns as Charge Artist---painting sets, creating props, and designing lights for theatres on campus and in the community. It wasn't until midway into his education when the Theatre Dept. Chair, and one of his mentors, blatantly asked him: "Remind me again why you aren't a theatre student?!". It was in that moment that Aiden realized he could perfectly meld both of his passions and have the best of both worlds by doubling--down on a secondary degree in Theatre.
Aiden has worked alongside and trained under artists such as Bruce Allen (Paris: In Another Light, 35 Year Waltz), Jim Hayes (The Scorpion King, True Blood, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore) , and Jonothan Offut (University of Alabama at Birmingham) for various productions and installations. What he may lack on paper in terms of formal scenic painting education, he makes up for in his on-the-job experience, his intuitive and organic working style, and his commitment to learn from everyone he works with. Directors that Aiden has designed for have described him as "original, collaborative, and able to deliver the vision with a strong sense of direction and ingenuity." Having created the bulk of his scenic work for theatres in the non-profit and educational sectors, he is exceedingly comfortable with creating works under tight budgets and with limited materials-- making his resourcefulness one of his greatest strengths as an artist.
In 2019, Aiden was hired as Artist-in-Residence for Stage Center, as well as their School of Performing Arts. In addition to participating in their 9th and 10th seasons as both an actor and teaching artist, he lent his hands to the lighting and scenic departments for numerous mainstage and educational productions. An unforgettable moment that Aiden had during his term as AIR that he is the most proud of was SC's production of Disney's Newsies. Aiden not only lead the cast as Jack Kelly (a dream role), but he was also tasked with the creation of all Jack's hero-props and paintings for the show. Some of his designs went on to be used for the show's program and other promotional materials.
Newsies (2019)
Being simultaneously involved with both the technical and performance sides of a production is nothing new to Aiden, and he is grateful for every opportunity he has had to do so. Despite double---or sometimes triple-- the workloads, he feels that those are the projects that have been the most valuable to him because they allowed him to fully immerse himself in the world of the shows, connect with his characters in a new way, as well as encourage him to see the stories through lens the audience.
Stop Kiss (2016)
The Little Mermaid (Jr.)
Original Trailer by Aiden James Poling
At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Aiden and his "Collaborator-in-Chief", Maddison Gilcrease (Director of Education), saw first-hand how the restrictions on live theatre impacted the morale of their Stage Center students. Seeing a need for these kids to retain some feeling of normalcy, the two worked together to quickly learn unfamiliar-to-them technologies in order to safely adapt several shows for stream-able mediums. For one of these productions, The Little Mermaid, Jr., Aiden acted as the Director of Photography and Editor, served as the lighting designer, and built over 7 fully immersive sound stages using only recycled and repurposed materials. Aiden also was responsible for recording and mixing individual singing and dialogue, which the actors lip-synced to during filming to remain COVID-safe.
