“This fellowship has given me a wealth of new ideas and areas to explore. Some of those ideas have already helped me to solve scenic challenges in ways I had not considered before this.”
Chris traveled to meet with colleagues from across the country to share experiences, learn new techniques, and understand how others handle the technical demands of their respective theatres. He started off in Rhode Island with a hands-on class about automation control equipment for theatrical scenery. "It was wonderful to be able to focus on this equipment and explore the possibilities of its use outside of the pressures of the normal production process."
Chris traveled west to tour the backstage area of many theatres, starting in Las Vegas with Cirque du Soleil shows. "The scope of those productions was huge compared to 'normal' shows at the IRT, but I was able to find common ground in the types of challenges we both face." Additionally, he toured southern California theatres including the Old Globe in San Diego, South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa and the Hyperion Theatre at Disney's California Adventure theme park. He concluded his Fellowship with a trip to the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival in Center Valley, Pa. "I was able to exchange ideas on facilities, skills, materials and processes and look at new ways and methods of approaching the design and construction of scenery for the theatre. It was also a chance to validate and compare my work with those of my colleagues across the country."
- Technical Director, Indiana Repertory Theatre, 1998 - present
- 25 years of experience as a technical director in regional theatres around the country
- Bachelor of Arts, Theatre and Speech, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va.
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