Carpentry & Rigging

Lena Castro (they/them) builds and rigs the physical world of a production, from framing and finishing sets to flying scenery safely overhead. Their work blends carpentry, welding, scenic painting, and blueprint reading with rigging know-how gained on union calls and university mainstages, always with safety protocols front and center during load-ins and load-outs.

As Scenic Carpenter at Wichita State University, Lena constructs sets by applying carpentry, welding, scenic painting, and blueprint reading skills, and has explored techniques like 3D printing, laser cutting, and automated set changes to improve production efficiency. As a Stagehand and Rigger with IATSE Local 190, they rig lights, curtains, and scenery for shows and live events, and uphold safety inspections and protocols during load-ins and load-outs.

Production credits include fly operator and rigging work for Music Theatre Wichita's Disney's Frozen, Gypsy, and Beautiful: A Carol King Musical, coordinating line set schedules and installing fly systems.

Core skills: rigging, carpentry, welding, scenic painting, blueprint reading, and equipment maintenance.

For The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Lena designed the physical set for a 1950s Irish home stuck twenty years past its prime, developing the concept from research into period low-income housing through concept sketches, a full groundplan and elevation with detailed measurements, and a finished white study model of the living room and kitchen, complete with scaled cabinetry, doors, and windows.