Design RESUME
Scenic Design | RESIDENT SCENIC DESIGNER: NORTHERN SKY THEATER
PERFORMANCE SUMMARY:
Music Theatre and Opera scenery and prop design specialist with leadership acumen and a collaborative team based design approach.
– Ability to address ambiguous situations with diplomacy and tact.
– Encourages and leads a culture of mutual respect, communication, and developmental thinking to maximize inspiration and harmony.
– Experience with small and large-scale design and production needs.
– Organized and detail oriented with track record of working in deadline driven environments.
– Solid interpersonal skills coupled with effective creative vision.
– Conceptualizes new works with innovation and style.
SCENIC DESIGN,
FREELANCE
2008 – present
African American Children’s Theatre
Milwaukee Shakespeare
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Renaissance Theaterworks
Florentine Opera
American Folklore Theater/Northern Sky
Opera Lafayette
First Stage
Florentine Opera
Milwaukee Opera Theatre
Skylight Music Theatre
Properties Director, Skylight Music Theatre
1990 – 2019
Twenty-eight seasons of collaborative leadership of the prop creative team- one full time artisan, one full time paid apprentice, flexible over hire of up to five artisans/specialists, and as recruited unpaid interns. Duties include:
– Resourceful budget planning and management, design interpretation/creative problem solving, in-shop fabrication direction and prop acquisition to meet design expectations and production calendar goals/ openings.
– Liaison with guest directors/ designers in responsive design communication/ creative problem solving in support of the creative team’s vision
– Collaborative communication with stage management, lateral shop heads, and administration for effective exchange of information/ideas/ and needs.
– Mentoring of mid-level and junior staff for professional development, safety orientation, and tool training.
– Ambassador of Skylight’s Vision and Style to Skylight stakeholders/Milwaukee/ Wisconsin/ greater national theatre community
education
Master of Fine Arts, Theatre Technology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1988
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Music and Theatre, Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, 1985
ADDITIONAL SKILLS & INTERESTS
– Co-Author: The Properties Director’s Toolkit- Creativity, Collaboration and Communication for Prop Shop Management in the Theatre and Performing Arts Focal Press: Spring 2018
– Adjunct Instructor: UW Milwaukee Department of Theatre: Career Development
– KCACTF prop and scenic design respondent/mentor, Region 3: 2009, 2017, 2018
– Wisconsin State licensed wildlife rehabilitator - Specialty in insectivorous bats (Endangered & Threatened species permit holder)
– AHA First Aid and CPR training
references
Mark Turner
Production Manager, retired
Conservatory of Theatre Arts, SUNY markrichardsonturner@gmail.com
Sandra Strawn
Professor Emeritus
Head of Technical Production (1993-2017)
UW-Milwaukee Dept. of Theatre
sjstrawn54@mac.com
Peter Dean Beck
Scenic & Lighting Design
peedeebee@earthlink.net
Bill Theisen
Director of Opera, freelance
williamrtheisen@gmail.com
414-803-2324
Ray Jivoff
Artistic Director, retired 414-208-6997
rayj0404@aol.com
Molly Rhode
Artistic Director
Northern Sky Theater
molly@northernskytheater.com
contact
l.a.schlenker@gmail.com | 414-698-9568