Engineering in the Arts

When junior mechanical engineering major Erin Hensler arrived at Bradley University, she knew she wanted theatre to remain part of her life. She’d grown up onstage and backstage, but she also knew a full-time career in acting wasn’t the right fit. What she didn’t know was that a brand-new opportunity was about to open the exact door she’d been hoping for.

“By sheer happenstance, the entertainment engineering concentration came about, and it was exactly what I was looking for,” Hensler said. “It gave me a way to combine my engineering degree and theatre.”

That combination came to life last summer when she interned at ShowMotion in Milford, Conn., a company known for building sets for Broadway productions and other major entertainment venues. As an apprentice in the automation department, Hensler immersed herself in electrics, carpentry, and cutting-edge theatrical technology.

“Everyone I worked with was so enthusiastic about sharing what they knew and encouraging me to ask questions,” she said. It was also her first time living far from home—an experience that stretched her in new ways. “I was expected to have certain basic knowledge, yes, but so much of the time I was working on systems I knew nothing about. That was okay. I took what I knew, made inferences, and then asked questions when I couldn’t.”

The quick, hands-on learning became one of the best parts of the internship. “I was able to take things I learned on the fly and apply them immediately,” she said. “I feel like I learned so much over the summer that I could apply to my classes this semester—rather than the other way around. It has been interesting seeing things I learned over the summer pop up in my classes.”

This fall, Hensler brought her growing expertise to Bradley’s theatre production of Into the Woods. She not only helped build the set but also programmed the onstage turntable and even helped construct the wardrobe. “I like being able to help in multiple aspects of the show,” she said.

Her work on the turntable tied directly to her automation class. “The turntable is literally a device that spins on stage,” Hensler explained. “Our job was to program the movements—how fast it goes, to what position, and whether it does more than one movement. I helped program cues for the show, as well as troubleshoot during tech rehearsals.”

For Hensler, the creative and technical blend is where the magic happens. “It’s an extremely useful skill to look at things from two angles—to listen to the director and understand the artistic side, and then translate those creative ideas into mathematical programs the machine can run,” she said. “I love using trigonometry, kinematics, and electrical knowledge, and putting that toward making art.”

Next spring, she’ll take that passion even further during the May 2026 Interim Las Vegas Theatre and Engineering Excursion, where students go behind the scenes of Cirque du Soleil and other major productions.

As for her future, Hensler is keeping an open mind. “Someday I hope to be working in the entertainment industry. I haven’t decided what that looks like yet—maybe with a regional theatre or a company like ShowMotion,” she said. “That’s the good thing about the theatre industry: you can take it one year at a time, and your plans can change.”

For now, she’s exactly where she wants to be—at the intersection of engineering and imagination, building a career that lets her create art from the inside out.

—Emily Potts