Southeast Alum Takes Education to Bright Lights of Los Angeles

Department of Theatre and Dance

Southeast Theatre and Dance alumnus Mike Culbertson’s career path has taken him from a medium-sized town in the Midwest to the hustle and bustle of the West coast, and even to the tropical rainforests of Central America.

Mike graduated from Southeast in May 2006 with a B.F.A. degree in acting/directing. He now lives in Los Angeles, Calif., where he works as a lighting technician in the television and film industry, repairing lighting equipment and resolving installation and focus issues.

He has done a great deal of work for VH1, working on shows such as “Rock of Love 1 and 2,” “I Love Money 1 and 2” and “Real Chance of Love.” Most recently, he spent two months in the rainforest of Costa Rica working on “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!” for NBC.

Mike says his time working in show business has taught him a great deal, most importantly to work hard and to “have tough skin, because this industry is very humbling!

“The most rewarding thing is seeing the final product of what I’m filming,” he says. “Southeast was vital in teaching me the importance of the ‘final product’ because the theatre and dance faculty do everything they can to make the final product as perfect as possible. They really instill hard work and persistence in the students.”

His favorite memory at Southeast is playing Reverend Eddie in “Some Things You Need to Know Before the World Ends, A Final Evening with the Illuminati.”

In his spare time, Mike enjoys hunting, fishing and playing volleyball.