Following High School, I attended the University of Nebraska, in Lincoln, majoring in Architecture. After a year in the program, I realized that I was more interested in the visual arts, and switched to a Film Studies major, and then to Technical Theatre, where I found my true calling.
Upon Graduation from UN-L, I returned to my home state of Michigan, and got a job with the Meadow Brook Theatre, a LORT B theatre, in Rochester Hills. It was while I was there that I met my wife Catherine. After 5 years with MBT, budget cutbacks eliminated my position, and I found a job as Master Electrician for the Detroit production of the show, Forever Plaid. We ran that show for just under a year, in two different theatres in the Detroit area. This was a great experience, allowing me to run and maintain a show for an extended length of time.
It was at this time that I found my job with the New American Theatre in Rockford, IL. I came to the theatre after a leadership change, the Artistic Director leaving to pursue activities in New York. I was then able to learn from and work with a whole new set of Directors, Designers and Administrators. I stayed at NAT until it closed it's doors in the middle of my 13th season. I experienced the tribulations and fluctuations in fortune of Regional Theatre, from another Administration change, to financial difficuties stemming from a poor economy. Through this I'm learning the importance of working within a limited budget, and of flexibility in thinking while dealing with new approaches to old problems. It was at NAT that I had the opportunity to master my skills on ETC light boards, and to increase my working knowledge of moving lights, designing with and maintaining them. I also have gained a working knowledge of AutoCad, and Vectorworks (including 3-D aspects of the latter), primarily thru self-education.
I've had the opportunity to do several free-lance designs in the past several years, in between my work at NAT. I started working with a fledgeling professional theatre in town, Artists Ensemble Theater, and have been designing for their shows for three seasons now. They operate out of a local private college, Rockford College, and I enjoy the opportunity to work with, and training, their student workforce. Likewise, I've worked at Illinois Wesleyan University for two of their shows, again, utilizing their student workforce. One of the local community theatre groups, YKnot Productions, presented Evita on the stage at NAT, during the summer between seasons. The challenge of that was designing a large-scale show, using an existing rep. light plot with minimal changes to other shows scheduled before and after their show. I also plan, again, to work in a University setting, at the New Court Theatre, operating out of Beloit College during the summer months. I did one show for them last summer, and have been offered the full three-show season this summer.
I'm continuing to pursue free-lance jobs while I search for a permanent position. I'm especially looking at openings that involve teaching, and working with and furthering the training of students.
