When Josh Heath first got involved with Merrimack College’s OnStagers Theatrical Society, he wasn’t chasing the spotlight. He was chasing something behind the scenes, where materials, tools, and teamwork transformed ideas into reality.
Today, he’s still chasing it, and building it. As the Technical Director for Scituate High School’s Performing Arts Center, Heath is putting his training, creativity, and love for teaching to work across multiple stages. He manages lighting, sound, construction, and tech education for the district’s drama, music, and performance programs; but his impact extends far beyond the booth or the scene shop.
“My goal is to keep expanding what we can use as educational tools,” he said in a recent Scituation interview. Thinking outside the box is something he experienced firsthand at Merrimack. Heath graduated from Merrimack College with a major in Theatre Arts, where he immersed himself in every technical role he could find. He worked on more than a dozen productions, served on the executive board of OnStagers for two years, and became a trusted collaborator in the department’s scene shop. If something needed to be rigged, wired, programmed, built, or painted, Heath was probably there.
What made Merrimack special for Heath was the community. “Mostly I spent time with friends furthering my theatrical knowledge or hanging out playing board games,” he recalls. “The positivity, energy, and overall personality of those in, and working for the program, made it such a welcoming and accepting place.”
Heath found mentors in both faculty and the working professionals who regularly collaborated with the VPA department. Courses like Directing with Dr. Kathleen Sills, as well as music electives like Intro to Guitar and a cappella, gave him the chance to explore performance from all sides.
“I think the relationships I made both with Merrimack arts staff, as well as designers we hired for productions, aided in filling out my knowledge and helped to build my confidence,” he says.
Heath’s senior capstone project was a full-circle moment: he served as Technical Director for The Wolves, Sarah DeLappe’s award-winning play about a high school girls’ soccer team. The production demanded creative scenic design, detailed drafting, and complex rigging, including an overhead net system above the playing space. Heath managed everything from construction drawings and material estimates to student build schedules and safety protocols.
After graduating in 2023, Heath quickly found himself back in a familiar kind of space: working with student crews, advising young performers, and running high-stakes tech operations. At Scituate High School, his day-to-day life ranges from hands-on technical work to mentorship and planning.
He supports both the high school and middle school drama clubs and plays a key role in the district’s large-scale musical productions. In the last two years alone, he helped produce shows like Matilda: The Musical and We Will Rock You, each with its own unique design challenges and logistical hurdles. Though he’s deeply embedded in the technical side of theatre, Heath sees his job as equal parts design and education.
His advice to current students? “Trust yourself and your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right about the direction you are heading, take a step back and reflect on what makes you happy!”
For Josh Heath ‘23, that reroute led to a job where he’s building more than just sets. He’s building programs. building teams, and helping students find their place, just like he once did.
