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Rachel Kinsman Steck

She/her or They/them

Faculty Associate Dean for Faculty Development; Professor of Theatre and Women's & Gender Studies
Specialty: Lighting Design and Production

Headshot of Rachel Kinsman Steck

Contact Information

Salem Campus

Address
Smullin 108
900 State Street
Salem  Oregon  97301
U.S.A.
Address
900 State Street
Salem  Oregon  97301
U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6271

Biography

Rachel Kinsman Steck joins the Theatre Department as Lighting Designer, and Production Supervisor from Imago Maske Ensemble where they held the position of production manager/lighting director. Previously, they could be found working as a lighting designer, production manager, and electrician for Diablo Ballet, California Shakespeare Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Smuins Ballet/SF, Theater of Yugen, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, Portland Playhouse, CoHo Productions, the Berkeley Opera, Woman's Will, the Greater Buffalo Opera Company, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, HAG Theatre, Litelab Corporation, and the New Jersey Shakespeare Theatre.

In addition, Rachel is also a member of the Women's and Gender Studies Program where they teach feminist theory, feminist theory in performance, queer theory, and masculinities. Rachel's areas of interest include: queer theory & performance, politics & performance, spectators & citizenship, sustainability & theatre practices, and Lighting design history & practice.

Education

  • Ph.D in Dramatic Arts, University of Oregon
  • Master of Arts in Humanities, Women and Gender Studies, Theatre, and Film Studies, State University of New York at Buffalo
  • BA in Arts & Performance, Wells College
  • Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. August 2020.
  • HERS Leadership Institute, Bridgeport MA, June 2023

Productions and Performances

 Willamette University Theatre

Lighting Designer & Production Supervisor, In The Deep (Premiere). 2003
Lighting Designer & Production Supervisor, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind. 2024
Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, & Production Supervisor, Dancing at Lughnasa. 2024
Lighting Designer, Blithe Spirit. 2023.
Lighting Designer, Projections Designer, Twelfth Night2022.
Production Supervisor, Moving Forward • Screendance2021.
Sound Designer, Projections Designer, Twelfth Night2021.
Production Supervisor, Moving Forward • Screendance2021.
Sound Designer, Projections Designer, & Production Supervisor,, A Bright New Boise. 2021.
Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, & Production Supervisor, The Memo. 2020.

More Willamette productions

Regional and Local Theatre, Other Performances 

Lighting and Sound Designer, Holiday Shorts, Theatre 33, Salem, OR 2023.
Lighting Designer, BEE زنبور, LES SHAKESPEARE CO, Portland, OR, 2023.
Lighting and Sound Designer, 
The Names. Theatre 33, Salem, OR, 2023.
Lighting Designer, Working for Crumbs. Theatre 33, 2023.
Lighting Designer, Dear Elizabeth. Enlightened Theatris, Salem, OR, 2023.
Lighting Designer, The Ghost of David Belasco (world premiere). Lakewood Theatre Company, Lake Oswego, OR, 2023.
Lighting and Sound Designer, A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play. Theatre 33, 2022.

More regional and local productions
Lighting and Sound Designer, The Russian Troll. Theatre 33, 2021.
Lighting, Sound, & Video Designer, Unbuttoning Virginia. Theatre 33, 2021.
Lighting, Sound, & Video Designer, The Merchant of Stratford. Theatre 33, 2021.
Sound Designer, The Christmas Gift (world premiere). Theatre 33, 2021.
Sound Engineer & Co-Host, "Building Play," podcast series dedicated to the art and craft of building new plays. Theatre 33, 2020.
Lighting & Sound Designer, A Curiously Wonderful Christmas (world premiere). Theatre 33, 2019.
Lighting & Sound Designer, Midsummer. The Verona Studio, Salem, OR, 2020.
Lighting Designer, Avenue Q, by Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, and Jeff Whitty. Enlightened Theatrics, Salem, OR. 2019.
Sound Designer, Burst, by Rachel Bublitz. Theatre 33. 2019.
Lighting Designer, Bethany Sees the Stars, by Emily Golden. Theatre 33, 2019.
Lighting Designer & Sound Designer, The Harder Courage, by Leslie Slape. Theatre 33. 2018.
Touring Consultant, Letters from Homewritten & performed by Kalean Ung. 2018.
Sound Designer, Amanda Transcending, by Connie Bennett. Theatre 33, Salem, Oregon. 2018.
Sound Designer, Martine Out of Time, by Nora Douglass. Theatre 33, 2018.
Lighting  & Sound Designer, Forgiveness Tree, by Kathleen Tomko. Theatre 33, 2018.
Lighting Designer, Lost Dog, by Deb Vaughn. Theatre 33, 2018.
Lighting Designer, Jesus Christ Superstar, by Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber. Performance Riverside, California, 2018.
Sound Designer, Santa’s Bag, by Elisabeth Rothan & Allison Saucy. Theatre 33, 2017.
Lighting Designer, Tenders of the Feet, by Ciji Guerin & Hal Logan. Theatre 33, 2017.
Sound Designer, Shorn, by Nora Douglass. Theatre 33, 2017.
Lighting Designer, 36 Perfectly Appropriate Mealtime Conversations, by Brianna Barrett. Theatre 33, 2017.
Lighting Designer, Playhouse Creatures, by April de Angelis. CoHo Productions, Portland, Oregon, 2016.
Touring and Production Consultant, The Gun Show, by E. M. Lewis. CoHo Productions, 2016.
Lighting & Sound Designer, Christmas Carol, a 1940’s Radio Show, adapted by Thomas Nabhan from the short story by Charles Dickens. Theatre 33, 2016.
Sound, Projections & Lighting Designer, Maresfield Gardens, by Susan Coromel. Theatre 33, 2016.
Sound Designer, Maresfield Gardens. Spring Works Festival. Stratford, Ontario, 2016.
Sound & Lighting Designer, Production/ Touring Consultant, Blonde Poison, by Gail Louw. Play On! Productions, Orlando Fringe Festival, Florida, 2016.
Lighting Designer, Apple Season, by E. M. Lewis. Theatre 33, 2016.
Lighting Designer, A Squirrel Boy, A Robot Cat, But Also Parent, by Jonathan Graham. Theatre 33, 2016.
Lighting Designer, Sisters Folk Festival, Sisters, Oregon, 2015.
Lighting Designer & Production/Touring Consultant, My Case is Altered: Tales of a 21st Century Roaring Girl, devised by Twenty-First Century Chorus. Urbana, Illinois, 2015.
Willamette University

Theatre

Address
M. Lee Pelton Theatre
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6222