Kurt Boetcher
  • Scenic Design
  • About
Picture
​I go by Kurt or Kurtis(he/him), and was born and raised in Michigan.

My formal training and degrees are from The Yale School of Drama(MFA) and The Theatre School at DePaul University - I've spent time teaching and mentoring at Interlochen and The University of Chicago.

Feel free to contact me:

scenicdesign[at]gmail.com

CV





​Education:

Yale University
MFA Design - Yale School of Drama
Advisors: Ming Cho Lee, Michael Yeargan

DePaul University
BFA - Scenic Design
Advisor: Linda Buchanan



Professional Experience:
​

Collaborated closely with Directors, Playwrights, Technical staff and other designers
to realize the vision and physical requirements for over 100 productions in Los Angeles, Chicago, Milwaukee and New Haven, among others.

Designed and built scale models, created sketches, and developed design drawings and paint elevations for use in construction.
​
Designed and fabricated special props, painted faux finishes on scenic elements as required.

​

The University of Chicago:

Director of Design - Theatre and Performance Studies(TAPS), Lecturer, Humanities Division
​
Assistant Instructional Professor - TAPS, Humanities Division

Designed and implemented syllabus and lecture material for four, 30 hour, quarterly courses per academic year for undergraduate students.
​
Mentored student designers and directors through production proposal and execution processes, including the conception of design ideas, and implementation of all physical design elements from sketching and model making, to scenic painting.

2018-2021


Interlochen Center for the Arts:

Designed and implemented syllabus and course material for 180 hour course for students ages 12-16 covering topics in theater design, assessed student course work and material.

Supported, advised and mentored students working on production assignments.

2015

Honors & Awards:

Chicago Jeff Award Nomination - Best Scenic Design
Grey House - World Premier by Levi Hollaway - A Red Orchid Theatre
Director: Shade Murray
2020

Chicago Jeff Award Nomination - Best Scenic Design
Gentle - World Premier adaptation by Zeljko Djukic - T.U.T.A
Director: Zeljko Djukic
2017

Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award
Bob Z Award for Career Achievement in Scenic Design
2011

LA Weekly Award
Best Production Design
House of Gold - West Coast Premier by Gregory Moss - EST/LA
Director: Gates McFadden
2011

Los Angeles Ovation Award Nomination
Scenic Design
Heavier Than - World Premier by Steve Yockey - Theatre@Boston Court
Director: Abigail Deser
2010

Falstaff Award Nomination
Scenic Design
The Comedy of Errors - A Noise Within
Director: Michael Michetti
2010

NAACP Theatre Award Nomination
Best Set Design, Equity Production
Take Me Out - Celebration Theatre
Director: Michael Matthews
2010



Production Experience - Theatrical Scenic Design:

​
Nosferatu - contributing scenic designer, V-Bar
Creator/Director: Donald Rupe
24 - contributing scenic designer, Paradise Bar
Director: Donald Rupe, Blake Auburn
The Renaissance Theatre - Orlando, FL

Grey House - World Premier by Levi Holloway
Director: Shade Murray 
Small Mouth Sounds - Chicago Premier by Bess Wohl
Director: Shade Murray
A Red Orchid Theatre - Chicago, IL


Mies Julie - Chicago Premier by Yäel Farber
Director: Dexter Bullard
A Wonder in My Soul - World Premier by Marcus Gardley
Director: Chay Yew
Never the Sinner by John Logan
Director: Gary Griffin
Victory Gardens Theater - Chicago, IL


Big River - Book by William Hauptman - Music by Roger Miller
Director: Marti Gobel
The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
Director: Matt Daniels
The Wiz - Book by William F. Brown - Music by Charlie Smalls, Timothy Graphenreed
Directors: Sheri Williams Pannell and Ameenah Kaplan
First Stage Milwaukee


Scapino - adaptation by Zeljko Djukic and Jeffrey Binder
Director: Zeljko Djukic
Gulfshore Playhouse - Naples, FL


Fool for Love by Sam Shepard
Director: Zeljko Djukic
Facility Theatre - Chicago, IL


Gentle - World Premier adaptation by Zeljko Djukic
Director: Zeljko Djukic
T.U.T.A. - Chicago, IL


Caught - Chicago Premier by Christopher Chen
Director: Seth Bockley
Sideshow Theatre


Haymarket: The Anarchist's Songbook - World Premier by Alex Higgin Hauser and David Kornfeld
Director: Elizabeth Margolius
Underscore Theatre - Chicago, IL


The Cousin from Nowhere by Eduard Künneke, Herman Haller and Fritz Oliven
Director: Elizabeth Margolius
Chicago Folks Operetta


Uncle Phillip's Coat by Matty Selman
Director: Elizabeth Margolius
Greenhouse Theater Center - Chicago, IL


Elevada - World Premier by Shiela Callaghan
Director: Jackson Gay
Yale Repertory Theatre - New Haven, CT


Thunderbodies by Kate Tarker
Director: Dustin Wills
Carlotta Festival of New Plays - Yale School of Drama


Sit Up, Speak Nicely, and Don't Twiddle Your Fingers All The Time by Emily Zemba
Director: Ato Blankson Wood
The Most Beautiful Thing in the World 
Creator/Director: Gabe Levey
Yale Cabaret


Heavier Than… World Premier by Steve Yockey
Director: Abigail Deser
Courting Vampires - World Premier by Laura Schellhardt 
Director: Jessica Kubzansky
The Pain and the Itch (co-produced by Furious Theatre) - West Coast Premier by Bruce Norris
Director: Damaso Rodriguez 
Theatre@Boston Court - Pasadena, CA


Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Director: Julia Rodriguez-Elliot
The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
Director: Michael Michetti
Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward
Director: Damaso Rodriguez
Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations - adaptation by Neil Bartlett
Director: Julia Rodriguez-Elliot
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Director: Michael Murray
Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist - adaptation by Neil Barlett
Director: Julia Rodriguez-Elliot
The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
Director: Geoff Elliot 
A Noise Within - Glendale, CA


The Bacchae - adaptation by Allain Rochel
Director: Michael Matthews
Edinburgh Fringe Festival - Edinburgh, Scotland


House of Gold - West Coast Premier by Gregory Moss
Director: Gates McFadden 
Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA


Extinction - World Premier by Gabe McKinley
Director: Wayne Kasserman
Greedy - West Coast Premier by Karl Gajdusek
Director: James Roday
Red Dog Squadron - Los Angeles, CA


boom[sic] by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb
Director: Damaso Rodriguez
Hunter Gatherers by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb
Director: Damaso Rodriguez 
Furious Theatre - Pasadena, CA


The Marvelous Wonderettes - World Premier by Roger Bean
Director: Roger Bean 
El Portal Forum Theatre - North Hollywood, CA


Dusk Rings a Bell - West Coast Premier by Stephen Belber
Director: Daniel Henning
The Temperamentals - West Coast Premier by Jon Marans
Director: Michael Matthews
The Cradle Will Rock by Marc Blitzstein
Director: Daniel Henning
The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris
Director: Michael Matthews
The Jazz Age - West Coast Premier by Allan Knee
Director: Michael Matthews 
The Blank Theatre - Los Angeles, CA


Broadsword: A Heavy Metal Play - West Coast Premier by Marco Ramirez
Director: Mark St. Amant
Forgiveness - World Premier by David Schulner
Director: Matt Shakman 
Black Dahlia Theater - Los Angeles, CA


Loving Repeating - West Coast Premier by Stephen Flaherty
Director: Caryn Desai 
The Old Settler by John Henry Redwood
Director: Caryn Desai 
Southern Comforts by Kathleen Clark
Director: Jules Aaron 
International City Theatre - Long Beach, CA


Positively Wicked 
Creator/Director: Ryan Scott Oliver
Jasper in Deadland - World Premier Musical Workshop
Director: Ryan Scott Oliver 
Pasadena Musical Theatre Program


What’s Wrong with Angry? by Patrick Wilde
Director: Michael Matthews
Take Me Out by Richard Greenberg
Director: Michael Matthews
[Title of Show] by Hunter Bell
Director: Michael Sheppard
The Women of Brewster Place: The Musical - West Coast Premier by Tim Acito
Director: Michael Matthews
Haram! Iran! - West Coast Premier by Jay Paul Deratany
Director: Michael Matthews
Altar Boyz[sic] by Gary Adler, Michael Patrick, Kevin Del Aguila
Director: Patrick Pearson
Porcelain by Chay Yew
Director: Michael Matthews
The Prodigal Father - World Premier by Larry Dean Harris
Director: Michael Matthews
Songs from an Unmade Bed - West Coast Premier by Mark Cambell 
Director: Patrick Pearson
Stupid Kids by John C. Russell
Director: Michael Matthews
Gemini by Albert Innaurato
Director: Stan Zimmerman
Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey 
Director: Michael Matthews
The Bacchae - adaptation by Allain Rochel 
Director: Michael Matthews
Play it Cool – World Premiere by Larry Dean Harris and Mark Winkler 
Director: Sharon Rosen
Four by Christopher Shinn
Director: Michael Matthews
Buddies – World Premiere by Scott Smith, adapted from the book by Ethen Morden
Director: Scott Smith 
Celebration Theatre - West Hollywood, CA


John Gabriel Borkman by Henrik Ibsen
Director: Leonard Pronko 
Pomona College


Harvest - World Premier by Aaron Lipke
Director: Jessica Hoff
Tangerine Arts Group - Chicago, IL


Street Scene by Elmer Rice
Director: Kathy Scambiattera 
Natural Affection by William Inge
Director: John Mossman 
Unchanging Love by Romulus Linney
Director: Gillian Kelly 
The Artistic Home - Chicago, IL


Playdates - World Premier by Sam Wolfson
Director: Jennifer Chambers 
Elephant Theatre
Theatre Asylum - Los Angeles, CA


Meaningless - World Premier by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb
Director: Lee Peters
Just Wanderer - World Premier by Stephen Cone
Director: David Zak
Two Grooms and a Mohel - World Premier by Jay Paul Deratany
Director: Lee Peters 
Bailiwick Repertory - Chicago, IL



Assistant Scenic Design:


In a Year with 13 Moons - World Premier adapted by Robert Woodruff & Bill Camp 
Scenic Design by David Zinn
Yale Repertory Theatre

Dear Elizabeth - World Premier by Sarah Ruhl
Scenic Design by Adam Rigg
Yale Repertory Theatre

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Scenic Design by Reid Thompson
Yale Repertory Theatre



Publications:


Diversifying Greek Tragedy on the Contemporary US Stage by Melinda Powers
Photography credit for The Bacchae – Celebration Theatre
Image 4.1, page 129
Published Oct 2018


Reclaiming Greek Drama for Diverse Audiences: An Anthology of Adaptations and Interviews
Edited by Melinda Powers
Photography credit for The Bacchae – Celebration Theatre
Image 2.1, page 74
Published 2021




Scenic Design






​scenicdesign[at]gmail.com


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