STEVE SAWICKI

Portfolio and CV

ABOUT ME

My Background

I currently serve as the Scenic Designer and Technical Director at The St. Paul's Schools in Brooklandville, MD. Since starting with the school in August 2022, I have designed the musicals Curtains and The Prom, productions of Tartuffe and Radium Girls, four middle school productions, and two fourth grade musicals. For each of these I also served as Technical Director. In addition to these duties, as a faculty member I create curricula and teach technical theater classes for upper school boys and girls.

In July 2021 I interviewed and was hired as the Technical Director of the Department of Theater and Dance at High Point University in High Point, NC. In the year I was employed there I served as TD for the Fall Dance Concert, and for a Black Box production of Something Wicked This Way Comes, a compilation of Shakespeare's more macabre offerings. The Fall mainstage musical was Stephen Schwartz's, Working! for which I served as Technical Director.

In addition to the TD duties, I taught a Stagecraft: Theory and Practice course, and a Playscript Analysis course.

I completed a graduate program in Theater Studies at Kent State University in May 2021. In the fall of 2020, I presented my culminating project/thesis as Technical Director of the mainstage production of Arthur Miller's, The Crucible. Productions this semester were limited to livestream events only, so this production was not realized. However, I presented as if it were produced, and created 31 working drawings, a build schedule, preliminary and final budgets, and a line set schedule. I defended my work via a Zoom meeting with faculty and peers.

In the Fall 2019 semester I served as Technical Director for the Mainstage musical, Hair. I also served as TD for the Fall 2019 dance concert, Dance '20: Dynamic Fusion.

During year one I had the opportunity to serve as assistant Technical Director on the MainStage musical, Children of Eden, as well as serve as Technical Director on the Black Box Series and for the Fall Dance Ensemble production.

I have had the privilege to teach the Fundamentals of Production lab class for scenic construction, where I introduced undergraduate students to the concepts of shop safety, hand and power tool use, and scenic flat, platform, and step unit construction. Along with two of my graduate classmates, I co-taught the lecture portion of Fundamentals of Scenic Production. Other teaching opportunities included assisting my academic advisor in teaching two-point perspective drafting to her students, presenting a lecture on Bridle Rigging for the Theatrical Rigging class, and presenting a sound design package for Shakespeare's, MacBeth for Sound Design class.

In the Spring 2019 semester I directed a production of Alan Ayckbourn's, Gosforth's Fete, with a delightful cast and crew of undergraduate students. The performance was well-received by the faculty, student body, and family and friends.

PAST EXPERIENCE

What I’ve Done

August 2018 to May 2021

GRADUATE ASSISTANT
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, KENT, OH

My time at Kent State University has primarily been served in the Center for the Performing Arts scene shop, where I have served in various technical capacities.

June-July 2019

MASTER CARPENTER, DOBAMA THEATRE

33 1/3, Cleveland, OH premiere. Responsibilities included set construction, load-in and strike. Kirsten (Kix) Williams, Technical Director.

January 1997 - August 2000

GENERAL MANAGER, THE NATIONAL PLAYERS

Manage day to day operations of a classical touring theater company. Responsible for attending regional auditions and selecting performers for follow-up auditions for the company's artistic director and production directors. Communicate with performance venues and create a nine month touring calendar, to bring classical theater to US high schools, colleges, and arts venues. Troubleshoot and resolve crises that occur with travel, including vehicle maintenance, company disputes, and cancellations due to inclement weather. Manage and distribute payroll and assist with NEA grant applications.

July 1996 - May 1997

COMPANY MANAGER, THE NATIONAL PLAYERS

Multiple responsibilities including daily communication with performance venues while touring the US, maintaining the integrity of a three-show repertory, and serving as liaison between the home office at the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts in Maryland and the touring company. Assist with upkeep of all aspects of the productions, including sets, props, lighting and sound equipment, as well as upkeep of vehicles and wellbeing of company members.

Summers, 1998-2000

AEA STAGE MANAGER, OLNEY THEATRE CENTER SUMMER SHAKESPEARE

Submit and distribute weekly payroll for AEA and non-Equity company members, as well as submission of contracts, weekly reports, and payments to AEA. Arrange travel for the company to performance venues throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the Delmarva region. Communicate with sponsors, technicians, and volunteer staff at performance sites.

Summers, 1989, 1991, and 2001

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, ST. MICHAEL'S PLAYHOUSE, VT

Responsibilities included coordinating the construction and installation of productions (Rumors, The Mousetrap, The Hollow, Lend me a Tenor, The Boys Next Door, Spinning into Butter, Deathtrap, Little Shop of Horrors, Always...Patsy Cline) for the summer Equity playhouse. Organizing and training college summer interns, guiding them with assistance in hanging of lighting instruments and reading a light plot, ground plans, and safely working in the scene shop. Communicating with other artists, technicians, and vendors, and paying close attention to maintaining expenses and staying with budget.

August 1994 - June 1996

MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATOR AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, WORCESTER ACADEMY, MA

Responsible for technical director duties for high school plays with the Department of Theater (Dark of the Moon), and scenic construction for Department of Music annual musical production (Anything Goes, Plain and Fancy). As educator, created syllabus and taught two middle school acting classes, Introduction to Acting and Acting I. Director for middle school theater productions.

A1E65AA8-27E7-4CC8-BA48-17D214F18771.jpe

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

Learning and Living

August 2018 - May 2021

MFA, (MAY 2021) KENT STATE UNIVERSITY, OH

MFA in Technical Direction and Production. As a graduate assistant, I taught undergraduate classes, spent hours in the scene shop building mainstage shows, and took graduate courses in shop management, sound design, advanced lighting technology, and props and crafts among other classes.

April 2004 - August 2006

BSN/RN, VILLA JULIE COLLEGE (NOW STEVENSON UNIVERSITY), MD

I took courses in anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology, medical/surgical nursing, nutrition, and development through the lifespan classes, among other nursing-related classwork and clinics. I passed the NCLEX exam in Baltimore, MD in August, 2006, and have been a practicing nurse ever since.

September 1985 - May 1989

BA, ST. MICHAEL'S COLLEGE, VT

The focus of my undergraduate program was Fine Arts/Theatre. I took the necessary core courses, and performed onstage in all MainStage shows in the four year span I was in school. As a work-study student, I worked in the McCarthy Arts Center scene shop as a carpenter. I also played in the concert band (tuba), jazz band (trombone), and sang in the college choir.