While studying at Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Shaina Graboyes took a work-study job in the scene shop of one of Columbia’s other undergraduate colleges. Though she was studying computer science, Graboyes realized she was enjoying her job more than her schoolwork. A professor connected her to Hudson Scenic Studio, one of the leading scene shops that provides builds, automation, technical supervision and production management for Broadway shows. As Graboyes said, “I’ve basically been there ever since.”
Technically, Graboyes started with Hudson Scenic as an intern in 2007. The first Broadway scenery she ever worked on was for 2008’s “Billy Elliot.” After graduating Columbia in 2009, Graboyes pursued her MFA in technical design and production from Yale University — a degree she earned in 2012. During summers in graduate school, Graboyes staffed assorted summerstock productions before spending her final summer as an automation intern with Hudson Scenic.
Now, her main gig is setting up automation systems for the scene shop. An extension of that is training automation operators (the folks who run automation cues from performance to performance) — and programming shows. When she’s not assigned to a specific show, Graboyes can sub as an operator or in other backstage tracks.
The first show Graboyes ever programmed was 2014’s “The Bridges of Madison County” — though she wasn’t credited. Since then, she’s programmed such shows as “Fun Home” and “Hadestown” as well as this past season’s “Smash,” “Maybe Happy Ending” and “Dead Outlaw.” Here, Graboyes shares what the job of automation programmer entails.
