Matthew Evans

Experience

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  LaComedia Dinner Theatre

  Jul 1996 - Jan 2010

  Production Manager/Technical Director/Scenic Designer/Scenic Artist

  During my 14 years of employment, I created the overall artistic development for 65 plus productions including technical design, construction, installation, and painting. As the Technical Director, Scenic Designer, and the ProductionManager, I created unique professional Broadway-style productions andshaped a diverse production staff including designers, stage management, actors, paint crews, costume crews, audio crews, and construction crews. I managed the day to day operations by writing contracts including Equity guest artist contracts, interviewing, hiring, training, safety training, and dismissals. I supervised all design teams on projects and meetings. Show less

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  University of Wisconsin-Platteville

  Jan 2004 - Aug 2011

  Scenic Designer and Scenic Artist

  The Heartland Festival takes place at the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The festival is the University’s and Platteville’s summer stock theatre program. As the scenic designer, I was responsible for visualizing and designing the scenery, sketching set plans, using hand-rendering or computer software, creating illustrations, and detailed drawings of sets or graphics. I oversaw the building of the scenery, working alongside the Technical Director and student assistants. For each production, I researched architectural styles and previous sets for inspiration. I selected the furniture, wall coverings, floor coverings, and large props to be used on the set. I produced scale or computer-generated models for directors and producers to approve. I made changes to the set as necessary and provided cost estimations. All designing pre-production work was done remotely from Ohio. When I was in residence at the university, I was the Lead Scenic Artist with 2-3 assistants and 20 student volunteers. Show less

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  Barter Theatre

  Jan 2010 - Jun 2010

  Technical Director

  As the Technical Director for The Barter Theatre, a Lort D equity theatre company, I was responsible for 23 productions in three distinct venues of live theatre: Barter Theatre, Barter Theatre Stage II, and The Barter Players. Barter Theatre, with over 500 seats, features traditional theatre in a luxurious setting. Stage II, across the street from the theatre, is perfect for more adventurous productions seating 167 around a thrust stage in an intimate setting. The Barter Players is a talented ensemble of actors producing and touring plays for young audiences throughout the year. As the Technical Director, I supervised the daily operations of the scene shop and the paint shop, supervised professional crews in the construction, installation, and strikes. Engineer and install all scenery and automation with repertory in mind. Maintain the onstage and backstage areas of all spaces, maintained the vehicles assigned to the scene shop. Inspect all rigging in all spaces. I maintained the stock scenery, hardware, tools and materials, and mentored scene shop interns. Also, I was the Technical Director and responsible for advancing Barter Theatre’s national tours including vetting all venues for production challenges and staff. Show less

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  River City Scenic Inc

  Jun 2010 - Aug 2011

  Carpenter and Scenic Artist

  As a carpenter, I was responsible for the fabrication of scenery in wood, fabric, plastic and composite materials for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and various clients. Additional duties included picking and packing shows from inventory, warehouse management, and loading shipping containers.As a painter, I was responsible for finishes in oil, acrylics, and latex for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and various clients. Shows included: Saturday Night Fever, Chicago, Aqua Theatre Show, How to Train Your Dragon – on ice, Blue Planet, and Hairspray. Show less

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  Opera Saratoga

  Jun 2011 - Jul 2013

  Production Manager/Technical Director

  As the Director of Production and the Technical Director, I communicated festival needs, scheduled production meetings, and conducted conference calls while working remotely from Ohio, from January to May, and in residence in June and July. Pre-production responsibilities included: Hiring the entire technical staff for the entire season including the Assistant Technical Director, Production Coordinator, Master Carpenter, three Carpenters, two Scenic Artists, two Property Masters, six interns, a Lighting Designer, two Master Electricians, three Electricians, an Audio coordinator, and two Wardrobe Assistants. I communicated with the designers of each production to determine feasibility and resources needed for each production, worked with Director of Finance regarding budgets and staff needs for the season and created technical drawings from the designer's plans. Production responsibilities included the coordination of all scenic requirements for 3-4 main-stage operas presented in rotating rep. Prepare budget estimates for scenic elements of on-site build, coordinate, in partnership with the Assistant Technical Director, the set-up of scene shop facilities in theater, secure and oversee purchase of all needed materials, develop the build schedule for on-site build in coordination with other departments, and adjust the build schedule as production needs change, oversee the entire technical team, scenic changeovers, attend all production meetings, technical rehearsals and other rehearsals as needed, present weekly budget update to the Director of Finance, maintain all scenic elements during production period, ensure a safe, clean and organized workspace, including all storage areas.In 2012, I was directly involved in researching, acquiring and setting up a new shop facility made possible by a 20,000 dollar grant. Show less

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  University of Dayton

  Aug 2011 - now

  As a Lecturer, I am contracted annually with a 1/1 load through the Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology Program under the College of Arts and Sciences. The program provides four theoretical and practical concentrations in acting, applied theatre, dance, and performance technology - all informed by a Marianist tradition of community engagement and social justice. With co-curricular, interdisciplinary, and experiential learning at the heart of the curriculum, performers and technicians learn by doing, serving and creating. In addition to my classes taught, I serve as the Technical Director in design and Lighting Designer for the Main Stage productions including dance performances in Boll Theatre and The Black Box Theatre. Boll Theatre is a 371-seat multipurpose theatre and is the largest multi-purpose performance venue on campus. The Black Box Theatre is a flexible 90 seat experimental performance space. I train and supervise 16 student employed stagehands and two student house managers to facilitate both theatres in the design, build, set-up, maintenance, and operation of lighting, video, rigging and sound systems for theatre, dance, music, and other productions and events. I have served on search committees and recently on the University’s Art’s planning steering committee Show less

  • Boll Theatre Operations Manager and Technical Director

    Jun 2023 - now

  • Technical Director - Design and Lecturer

    Aug 2011 - Jun 2023
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  DAYTON CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY

  Dec 2014 - now

  Lighting Designer, Director of Production

  As a Lighting Designer, I create several new works with established and emerging choreographers. Rooted in the African-American experience, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company is a culturally diverse contemporary dance company committed to reaching the broadest audience through exceptional performance and arts-integrated education. During the month of May in 2018, I went on tour with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and Dance Motion USA to Kazakhstan and Russia as the Director of Production and the Lighting Director. In Kazakhstan, we performed in Shymkent, Almaty, and Oskemen. In Moscow, Russia, we sold out back-to-back nights at the historic Bolshoi Theatre, as well as in Ekaterinburg, Russia at the Ekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theater and in Kurgan, Russia, at the Kurgan Philharmonic. In March of 2016, I toured to LongIsland University in Brooklyn, New York serving as the Production Manager and Lighting Designer. As the Lighting Designer,I created the lighting for three new works and remounted one established work. As the Production Manager,I provided technical support, coordinated the technical aspects including the scheduling, development, and oversight of the implementation of scenic, lighting, sound, media components and staffing. I interacted with the Kumble Theatre’s technical personnel and faculty members regarding load-ins, technical rehearsals, and performances. In 2018, I will be touring in Russia with DCDC Show less