Thomas
C. Umfrid
Senior Resident Scenic Designer
2006-07 marks the nineteenth season of Mr. Umfrid’s tenure as professor and senior resident scenic designer for CCM creating more than 55 scenic designs. A sample of titles include Don Giovani, Werther, On the Town, The Elixir of Love, Pelleas et Melisande, Le Nozze di Figaro, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Crucible, Rusalka, My One and Only, Man of La Mancha, The Secret Garden, The Rake’s Progress, Don Pasquale, Albert Herring, and the 1990, ’92,’95 Hot Summer Nights. Regional and national credits include projects for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Stages - St. Louis, Cincinnati Ballet, and Cincinnati Opera. Utah Shakespearean Festival, New Mexico Rep, Shakespeare- Santa Cruz, and the Manhattan School of Music. Internationally his work has been seen at London’s Royal College of Music and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He has held staff positions at the Santa Fe Opera, Guthrie Theatre, and the Missouri Repertory Theatre. He is a member of United Scenic Artists 829. A gallery of his work for CCM and beyond may be viewed at http://theumfridstudio.com/
Assistant Professor of Scenic Design
BFA, Virginia Commonwealth University
MFA University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Ruggaber has designed over 80 drama, musical, opera, and dance productions in a wide variety of professional and academic venues across the U.S. including, but not limited to: The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Bristol Riverside Theatre, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, New World Theatre, New Century Theatre, and Sleeveless Theatre Co. In addition he has been a guest designer at The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Ohio Northern University, and The University of St. Francis. Prior to joining the faculty of CCM Ruggaber was an Associate Professor of Scenic Design at UNC Charlotte. Eighteen of his scenic designs have been nominated for awards and The Metrolina Theatre Association in N.C. recognized his design for Crimes of the Heart at UNC Charlotte for Outstanding Set Design by an academic institution. He is an active member of USITT, and a member of the United Scenic Artists.
Michael
Blankenship
Teaching Staff
Resident Scenic Artist
Michael Blankenship has been a professional scenic artist since 1987, after an internship at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He is a graduate of Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. He worked as an assistant at Cincinnati Playhouse for many years, frequently stepping into the Charge position for individual shows. He began his affiliation with CCM in 1988, painting the sets for Hot Summer Nights, and was first hired as Resident Scenic Artist in 1994. He spent many years as a member of the Resident Ensemble at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, painting, designing, and as an actor as well. He designed and painted ETC's distinctive facade, now a downtown landmark, to spur the renovation of Vine Street in 1992. In 1995, as ETC's Artistic Associate, he began the Off-Center On Stage series, producing and sometimes directing innovative and unusual works unlikely to be seen in Cincinnati at that time. Mr. Blankenship returned to CCM in 2002, and teaches the Scene Painting I & II courses. These courses are available in advanced levels to students who show aptitude, and additional credit may be earned from Independent Study courses in charge painting and special projects under Mr. Blankenship's supervision.
Kat Tudor
Properties Master