EDUCATION
New York University, MFA Design 2005.Graduate Assistant 2002-2004.
Major: Set and Lighting design for stage. Major Classes: Set Design 1,2,3 Lighting 1,2,3, Intro to Lighting, Set Studio 1,2 History of Costume and Décor, Collaboration for Directors and Designers, Thesis, Second and Third Year Productions.
Thesis: Billy Budd by Benjamin Britten, Lighting and Set Design
Harvard University BA, Cum Laude in History 1988.
Major: European History 1700-Present, with emphasis on Eastern Europe and Russia/Soviet Union, Russian Language.
Minor: East Asian History and Culture, Japan
Extra-Curricular: Theatre, President Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club
TRAINING
EMCArts: New Pathways/alaska: Institutional point of contact for Perseverance Theater through three phases of the program to advance innovation and adaptive change in the arts in Alaska. ArtsFwd.org
National Arts Strategies: Chief Executive Program: One year program including distance and in residence learning with NAS staff, Harvard Business School, and U Michigan Business School. artstrategies.org
the foraker group: Online classes and coaching in Non Profit management: foraker.org. Completed numerous mini-courses and retained the foraker group’s in person coaching services over my time leading Perseverance Theater, including courses on:
· Board Development: Recruitment, effective meetings, roles amd responsibilities, recruitment strategies, and Tools for High performing boards, retained board retreat facilitation from foraker’s consultancy
· Business planning: writing a business plan, coaching on specific PT business plans
· Fundraising: Group sessions with board and staff on Making the Ask; non profit financial reporting
· Human Resources: Training with staff on spotting and responding to harassment; coaching with one of foraker’s consultants on on boarding and screening processes for new hires.
Context International / the foraker group: Catalyst for Non Profit Excellence: Completed a several-months long course in leadership training based on Catalyst International’s Excellence series: Pursuit of Excellence | The Wall | The Advancement of Excellence. contextinternational.com
University of Alaska Southeast, Non-degree seeking 1996-2001: Completed classes in fine art, primarily drawing and figure drawing, CAD drawing/computer aided design, and MIG, TIG, and Gas welding.
RECOGNITION
Finalist, SDC Foundation Fichandler Prize for Regional Theater Directing, 2018
Member, National Theatre Conference, 2013-Present
Numerous Panels including:
o National Endowment for the Arts
o Stavis Prize
o Playwrights Center of Minneapolis
o Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation Boocheever Fellowship
o Rasmuson Foundation individual Artists
o Native Voices at the Autry
o Alaska Native Heritage Center Native Playwrights project.
Barrymore Award nominee, Outstanding Scenic Design, Splittin the Raft at Peoples Light and Theatre Co, 2007
JS Siedman Prize for Excellence in Scenic design, NYU Tisch, May, 2005
2002-2004 Graduate Assistantship, 2004-2005 Tisch Achievement Scholarship, NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Alaska State Council on the Arts Career Opportunity Grant for travel to Gorky Theatre in Vladivostok, Russia, 2000.
Member of Perseverance Theatre Board of Directors, 1993-2004. Secretary/Treasurer 1994-1997.
Dunster House Shield, Harvard College, 1988
President, Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club, 1985-86
Senior Class Officer and Dormitory RA: Hebron Academy, 1983-4
Harvard Book Prize, French Prize and Bernat Award, Hebron Academy, 1984
Cum Laude Society, Hebron Academy, 1983-1984
WORK EXPERIENCE
Perseverance Theatre, Douglas, Alaska, Artistic Director, 2008-2019
Perseverance Theatre was founded in 1979 with the mission to create professional theatre by and for Alaskans. AD is responsible for curating, staffing, casting and managing artistic programming, speaking and advocating for the theatre, supporting fundraising, hiring and managing personnel, setting an overall direction. Reports to the board. Accomplishments include:
Audience: Grew subscription base and total attendance. Built a subscription season in Anchorage which grew over the years to more than double total attendance and visibility in the whole state.
Outreach: Assumed producing duties for The Winter Bear project, a play and tour about suicide prevention created to reach Alaska Native youth in rural communities, produced the piece from 2017-2019.
New Plays: Commissioned over 29 pieces from 20 different writers or writing teams, 10 of whom are POC and 9 are Alaska Native or indigenous writers. 20 of the commissioned works were produced. Built an Actor in Residence program and funded it for 6 seasons. Secured a National playwrights Residency for Alaska writer Vera Starbard and PT with the Mellon Foundation’s program.
Perseverance Theatre, Douglas, Alaska, Executive Director, 2010-2018
Concurrently with my responsibilities as Artistic Director, I served as Executive Director from 2010-2018. Responsibilities and accomplishments included:
Fundraising: Raised over $4.1 million from institutional donors, $1.2 Million from NEA, State and local public Arts agencies. In same period, built individual giving to raise a total of $1.0 million, after retaining a development expert and prioritizing this work, annual growth was exponential starting with $31,000 in 2009, reaching $97,000 in 2014 and $289,000 in 2018. Fundraising came from new and existing donors. Annual Budget grew from under $1 million 1n 2009 to approach $2 million in 2017-18
Strategy and planning: Developed a strategic plan in 2009-10 to stabilize the organization, which was imperiled, and raised $1.1 million in new dollars over 3 years to expand reach to new parts of Alaska and grew stakehlders and total audience. Round 2 funding secured of an additional $1million, with revisions to plan. All together sustained a substantial change effort for over 8 seasons.
Partnerships: Expanded existing relationships with existing partners including Sealaska Heritage Institute, University of Alaska Anchorage, and Juneau Arts and Humanities Council and several media partners. Built new partnerships with Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, Actors Equity Association, IATSE, Anchorage Concert Association, National New Play Network, Native Voices at the Autry, The CIRI Foundation, and others.
Personnel: In the 2013-14 season, PT had a staff of 13 Full Time equivalents, contracted over 150 artists, and presented over 110 performances across the state, a scale which sustained for five seasons.
Art Rotch Designs, Principal, 2004- Present
Freelance set and lighting design, primarily for theatre and opera. Clients include regional theatres, opera houses, universities, festivals and independent producers. Produced 36 design projects in 2005-2007., and was less active from 2008-2019 while living in Alaska.
Perseverance Theatre, Douglas, Alaska, Resident Designer, 2001-2002
Primary duties were to design and productions and manage other designers, and to work with an architectural firm on a major facility design for a fundraising plan. Prior to this position, also served as Production Manager and Technical Director, managing production department of 3-5 full time personnel, annual budget of $100,000-$200,000. Served as part of the interim artistic management team during Molly Smith’s sabbatical season, and on the hiring committee to recruit her successor.
Perseverance Theatre, Douglas, Alaska, Technical Director, 1989-2001
Served as Production Manager and Technical Director, responsible for managing production department of 3-5 full time personnel, annual budget of $100,000-$200,000, and directly responsible for running the scenery department. Served as part of the interim artistic management team during Molly Smith’s sabbatical season, (1992-1993)n and on the hiring committee that recruited Peter DuBois to replace Smith as Artistic Director in 1998.
University of Alaska Fairbanks Summer Fine Arts Camp, TD and Stagecraft Instructor, Summer, 1993
Supervised scene shop and student staff providing technical support (set construction, rigging, electrics, sound) for student productions. Built one set for a rural tour. Taught two stagecraft classes.
Alaska Arts Southeast, Sitka, AK, Technical Director
Working as an independent contractor constructing a temporary theatre/ dance/ musical performance space inside an aircraft hanger for the Sitka Summer Arts camp. Taught two stagecraft classes. Summer, 1991
IATSE local 918, Anchorage, AK, Stagehand, 1988-1989
Worked union calls for concerts, trade shows and theatre, usually as an electrician but also as a fly man or carpenter.
American Stage Festival, Milford, NH Scenic Carpenter, 1989
Worked as one of three carpenters building, loading in and maintaining shows for a three-week stock season. Worked with wood, rigging and welding steel, building from designer’s drawings with and ATD to manage workflow.
Creative work
Directing
Several productions including classics (Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mocking Bird) and new plays (The Arsonists, Annapurna) while I was Artistic Director at Perseverance Theatre. Associate Member, Stage Directors and Choreographers; finalist for Fichandler Award for Regional Theater Directing
Design
Extensive credits as a set and lighting designer for Perseverance Theater, other regional theaters, Opera companies, schools, and Festivals. Including work outdoors (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare, for example) large theaters and small theaters. Roughly eaually divided between Set Design credits, Lighting Design Credits, and combined Set and Lighting Design credits. New Plays, classics, period work ina variety of styles. Member Local USA829 as both Set Designer (SD) and Lighting Designer (LD).