Michael G Benson
Production Manager/Technical Director
MBtheTD@gmail.com
(412) 735-4038
Supervisory and Carpentry
Employment
·
Pittsburgh Musical Theater
(August 2005 – April 2007)
Technical Director/Production
Manager
Engineered, drafted, and supervised
construction of all scenic elements. Responsible for painting
scenic elements. Hired
and trained all additional labor as needed. Served as Master
Carpenter. Maintained
production rental calendar.
Responsible for procuring materials and labor. Oversaw installation of all
production elements in various venues. Interfaced closely with
I.A.T.S.E. Local 3.
Collaborated with representatives of various venues to ensure
company compliance of house rules.
·
Double M Enterprises, LLC
(September 2004 – July 2005)
Owner/Manager
Started own scenic production shop with
business partner.
Responsible for organizing and managing all matters involved
in the business including: marketing, accounting, budgeting,
payroll, scheduling, personnel hiring and supervision, and
purchasing. Also
responsible for all matters involved in construction including: drafting, carpentry, scenic
painting, and delivery.
·
Cuyahoga Community College
(September 2003 – September 2004)
Interim Technical Director/Production
Manager
Oversaw budgets for all areas of production
(Scenery, Lighting, Properties, Sound, and Costumes). Created technical drawings
for all productions.
Organized build schedule for all scenic elements for
multi-venue facility.
Designed sets for Theatre Department’s productions of Waiting for Godot and The Fan. Was responsible for managing
Part-Time Events Staff and Student Assistants. Maintained rental calendar
involving 200+ events a year.
Served as the technical liaison for all rental clients. Collaborated with the
Theatre Coordinator in establishing new pricing system for rental
events, new hours tracking system for all employees in the
department, and new equipment rental policies. Received commendations from District
Director of Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management, Dean
of Liberal Arts, and Campus President for establishing and
maintaining a safe working environment.
·
Cuyahoga Community College (November 2002 – September
2004)
Assistant Technical
Director/Resident Sound Designer
Oversaw the construction of all scenic
elements for proscenium arch and outdoor amphitheatre venues. Trained new student
employees in areas of carpentry, sound, rigging, scenic painting,
stage management and show production. Designed sound for all
productions. Assisted
Technical Director in budgeting, scheduling, and crew
assignments. Attend all
production meetings.
Maintained theatre space. Worked closely with outside
clientele for special events and rentals. Appointed by Dean of Liberal
Arts to serve on Search and Advisory Committee for Technical
Director and Assistant Dean of Liberal Arts vacancies.
·
Shakespeare & Company
(May 2002 – August 2002)
Master
Carpenter
Oversaw construction of all scenic elements
for multi-venue company.
Maintained all equipment. Managed construction
crew. Assisted
Technical Director in determining cost-effective means of
construction. Designed
and built wood steamer for construction of bent-wood chairs. Performed MIG
welding.
·
Northern Stage
Company (September 2001
– May 2002)
Technical
Director
Oversaw all areas of production, including
set, electrics, sound, and properties. Attended all production
meetings. Generated
technical drawings of all sets on Vectorworks™. Built all sets under
allotted budget during time of financial hardship. Procured materials for eight
productions. Designed
sound for two productions.
Served as Scenic Coordinator for one production. Repaired and performed
maintenance on company truck.
·
De La Guarda (September
2000 - August 2001)
Stagehand
Assisted in the construction of the performance space. Installed lighting, sound,
rigging, and structural elements for the building. Responsible for running the
show. Gained experience
working with the metric system and learned rudimentary Spanish. Also served as the
substitute sound operator.
·
John Carroll University (September 1998
- September 2000)
Technical Director
Assisted instructor of technical theatre
class in the supervision and training of college students in the
areas of set construction, lighting, sound, scenic painting, and
proper usage of scene shop equipment in a multi-venue facility. Responsible for lumber and
hardware orders.
Scheduled work calls for lighting, set, and sound. Installed communications
equipment for Kulas Auditorium.
·
Cleveland Opera (September 1994 -
December 2000)
Carpenter
Duties included carpentry, minor arc welding,
scenic painting, and loading and unloading of sets for tours. Performed repairs on
sets. Worked closely
with I.A.T.S.E. Local 27.
Sound Employment
·
Three Rivers Entertainment
(April 2007 – Present)
Independent
Contractor
Responsible for overseeing the installation,
operation, and strike of all audio/visual and lighting equipment for
each event. Work
closely with clients.
Address all problems in a quick, efficient manner. Maintain equipment as
needed.
·
Cleveland Playhouse (January 2000 - May
2001)
Sound Engineer
Responsible for operation of sound equipment
for all productions in the Bolton Theatre. Designed productions when
needed. Maintained
sound equipment and made minor repairs when needed. Gained experience with
digital audio editing using a variety of sound editing software
including Sound Forge, Cakewalk, CD Architech.
·
Porthouse Theatre Company
(June 1998 - August 1998)
Sound
Operator/Engineer/Designer
Operated sound equipment for A Thousand Clowns and
designed sound for 1776. Made minor repairs to
equipment as needed.
Worked within budget.
Instructed graduate students pursuing MFA in Technical
Theatre in sound engineering.
·
Hanna Cabaret (September
1997 - November 1997 & April 1998 - June 1998)
Sound
Operator/Engineer
Operated sound equipment for Forbidden Broadway! and A Brief History of White
Music. Served as
the substitute sound operator for The All Night Strut and Always, Patsy Cline. Maintained equipment and
performed minor repairs when necessary.
·
Berea Summer Theatre (1995
& 1996 Seasons)
Sound
Designer/Engineer
Recorded sound cues for all productions. Performed live mixing. Catalogued and maintained
all equipment.
Performed minor repairs on equipment. Attended all production
meetings.
Teaching Experience
·
Cuyahoga Community College
Instructor: Stagecrafts (January – May
2004)
Organized and taught curriculum for
Stagecrafts course.
Instructed students in scenic construction (including proper
and safe usage of all shop tools), scenic painting, rigging,
lighting, sound, shop math and basic drafting.
·
Cuyahoga Community College
Lecturer: Theatrical Sound (February
2004)
Created, developed, and led seminar and
workshop in the area of theatrical sound. Topics included acoustics,
sound reinforcement, equipment, and show production.
·
Northern Stage Company
Instructor (Spring
2001)
Developed curriculum and taught middle school
students in the areas of scenic painting and properties
construction.
·
Brecksville Theatre on the
Square
Instructor: Summer Theatre Camp (Summer
1998)
Created, developed, and taught curriculum for
Summer Camp for middle school and high school students. Classes included Stagecraft,
Acting, Set Design, Light Design, and Theatre History.
·
The Hippodrome Theatre
Educational Intern: HITT Program (Fall
1996)
Assisted in the creation, development, and
implementation of theatrical workshops for at-risk youth. Assisted participants in
writing and performing scripts design to provide a positive outlet
for peers.
Education
·
Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio
Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication and
Theatre, June 1995
Bachelor of Arts in Music, June
1995
·
Pennsylvania State University, State
College, Pennsylvania
Master of Fine Arts, Theatre Design and
Technology. Expected June,
2011
Professional Affiliations, Workshops &
Additional Skills
·
Member I.A.T.S.E.
Local 635
·
Stage Rigging
Workshop: Jay Glerum,
Instructor, 2004
·
Strategies for Communication
Across the Table: The
Real Collaboration Process.
USITT Conference, 2004
·
The Role of Technical Directors
on the Design Team.
USITT Conference, 2004
·
Stagecraft/Production Curriculum
Articulation. USITT
Conference, 2004
·
Excellent written
and verbal communication skills
·
Microsoft Excel,
Word, Outlook, Adobe PhotoShop, Vectorworks.
