Cassie Barnes has been involved in technical theatre for the last 15 years, and it was under the instruction of Joan Arhelger at San Francisco State University that her passion for lighting design was born. After graduating from SFSU, where she studied Theatre Arts and Women and Gender Studies, she began her freelance career. Cassie does lighting design all across the greater Bay Area for a variety of companies including the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Golden Thread Productions, Diablo Ballet, Bayer Ballet Academy, and New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) Applegate Dance Company. She’s also had the fortune to work under Justin Partier as an Assistant Designer and a Lighting Intern at San Francisco Opera .