Behind the Curtain at Fiserv Forum: How Theatre Day Shows Students a Path Into Live Sports Production

One of the best parts of hosting The Daktronics Experience Podcast is getting reminded why this work matters.

In our latest episode, we sat down with Lior Kolton, Group Account Executive with the Milwaukee Bucks, to talk about something far bigger than ticket sales or game-day logistics. We talked about Theatre Day, an education-focused event at Fiserv Forum that gives students a behind-the-scenes look at how an NBA game truly comes together.

What stood out to me most wasn’t just the scale of the event. It was Lior’s perspective on live production, education and the responsibility professional sports organizations have to help students see what’s possible.

The Game Is Only Half the Show

When fans walk into an arena, their focus naturally goes to the court. The players. The scoreboard. The final score.

But as Lior explained, there’s an entire team working behind the scenes to make the experience what it is.

Lighting cues. Video content. Audio. Timing. Rehearsals. Control room workflows.

An NBA game isn’t just played. It’s produced.

During Theatre Day, students get to see that firsthand. They sit in an empty arena while the live production team rehearses the show in the same way players warm up before tip-off. Every cue is planned. Every moment is practiced. Even after hundreds of games, the preparation never stops.

That moment, watching students experience the magic before the doors open, is what Lior described as one of the most fulfilling experiences of his career.

Showing Students What They Can’t See Anywhere Else

One line from the conversation stuck with me:

You can’t be what you can’t see.

Theatre Day exists to solve that exact problem.

Students interested in theater, production or storytelling don’t always realize their skills translate far beyond a stage or auditorium. At Fiserv Forum, they see how those same skills power a professional sports environment.

They tour the arena. They step inside the control room. They watch the video board come to life. They connect the dots between creativity, technology and execution.

And for many of them, it’s the first time they realize that working in sports doesn’t require being six-foot-eight or stepping onto the court.

Where Daktronics Fits Into the Story

One part of the conversation I genuinely appreciated was when Lior called out the role Daktronics plays in this ecosystem.

Students learning show control, video production and live-event technology at the high school level are developing the same skill sets used in professional control rooms.

The technology may scale. The environment may change. But the fundamentals are the same.

Lior talked about students being able to attend a Bucks game, look up at the video board and realize:

This is something I can actually do.

That connection matters. It turns education into a pathway, not just a requirement. It gives purpose to the skills students are learning long before they ever step into a professional venue.

Building Pathways, Not Just Events

What impressed me most about Theatre Day is that it’s not a one-off idea.

Lior and the Bucks are building a series of education-focused events that highlight different career paths across sports, including finance, journalism and communications. The goal isn’t just attendance. It’s exposure. Awareness. Opportunity.

At Daktronics, we see that same responsibility. Technology is only part of the story. The real impact happens when students understand how their skills translate into real careers and real environments.

Theatre Day does exactly that.

It pulls back the curtain.

And sometimes, that’s all a student needs in order to see a future they didn’t know was possible.

You can listen to the full episode of The Daktronics Experience Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.