ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE

DAVID FERGUSON
Technical Director
A graduate of the FSU School of Theater, David has worked in professional theater for 35 years. He is responsible for budget management, purchasing, scheduling, supervising and coordinating personnel, and the installation and execution of scenery. He enjoys working in AutoCAD and appreciates its ability to help solve technical problems. David works in conjunction with the education & outreach department of Asolo Rep and lectures about technical theater in local schools and in the Access to the Arts program. He is a member of IATSE locals 412(stage) & 477(film).

STEVEN P. HOGAN
Scenery Construction/Shop Foreman
Steve is a fourth generation Sarasota native. He joined Asolo Rep in 1969 as a technical apprentice while still in high school and never left. As one of the mainstays at the Asolo, his duties include evaluating finish product scenery prints, drafting working drawings, supervising construction, loading scenery for transport, and scenery installation and set-up. Steve's credits include hundreds of Asolo productions. Other projects include The End of Summer television special starring Helen Hayes; the Patriots production for the Great Performances series for PBS; scenic elements for Universal Studios Earthquake! attraction; master carpenter on the movie Cocoon, where he built a 60 foot fishing boat in 30 days; and The Great Wallenda Story starring Lloyd Bridges and Brit Eicklin. Steve loves the challenge of building the impossible and specializes in sculptured curved scenery and spiral staircases. He's been a member of IATSE 412 and film local 477 for over 25 years. Steve is proud to have been able to share his knowledge with several technical graduate student interns over the years.

MARLENN MAROTTE WHITNEY
Property Master

Marlenn Marotte Whitney graduated from University du Quebec a Montreal in Performing Arts. After creating a new and Avant-Garde theatre troupe; la “Troupe du Mil’lieux”, in which she was performing, Marlene started working behind the scene in the movie industry as an on-set dresser. Being adventurous in photography, she decided to leave Quebec for the U.S.A. on a single engine plane doing aerial photography. After flying all over Florida she fell in love with Sarasota and landed for good. She then started a career as the Property Coordinator for the Sarasota Opera Association. Marlene is now grateful to work with Asolo Rep, which she considers one of the most compelling live theatres hosting the greatest artistic staff in the country.

BILL ATKINS
Head Stage Carpenter
Bill has been at Asolo Rep since 1997. In addition to skills as a carpenter and flyman, he has worked as a lighting and sound operator. A native of the Chautauqua area of New York, Bill's diverse career includes seven years as a lighting director for Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. While he was with Ringling he co-designed their ‘gold touring unit' lighting rig with Emmy winner Bob Dickinson and was a production electrician on the Emmy-nominated CBS-TV specials of the circus. Bill was also briefly the head electrician for Ringling's sister company Hagenbeck-Wallace, creating scenic elements and props for Disney on Ice. Bill has traveled the U.S. and abroad, with credits on over 4000 performances with some 500 different productions in over 200 locations. In addition, he has worked with Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Ballet and was master electrician at Van Wezel Hall. He was an electrical rigger on the film Great Expectations and a steel rigger at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. His hobbies include gardening, writing, drawing, painting and photography. Bill studied lighting design at Florida State University under Broadway designer Pat Simmons. He holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pittsburgh and has studied for an A.S. in Computer Systems Analysis. Bill is a member of IATSE local 412.

JOANN WATERS-ATKINS
Scenic Charge Artist
With Asolo Rep since 1989, JoAnn paints no less than a dozen sets each year for the Asolo and Conservatory and pushes a few additional side projects out the door as well. Recent work includes "pre-Broadway" productions of Wonderland and Tale of Two Cities. With both professional studio and freelance experience to her credit, JoAnn has developed a reputation in Southwest Florida for top quality work as an artist in all forms of entertainment media, including the 20 th Century Fox production of Great Expectations and Rialto/Neverland Film's Palmetto, for which she was charge artist. Additionally, JoAnn is well known for speciality work for circus' and carnivals, particularly carousel horses, and is also an experienced draftsperson and graphic artist. Prior to working at the Asolo, JoAnn was a scenic artist for Hagenbeck-Wallace, producing scenic elements and props for Ringling Brothers Circus, Disney on Ice, Siegfried and Roy, and others. Her work has been seen at Sarasota Opera, Sarasota Ballet and other theatres around Sarasota. Her hobbies include gardening and stained glass work. JoAnn holds a B.A. in Fine Arts (Graphic Design) from the Ringling School of Art and Design and an A.A. in Arts from St. Petersburg Junior College in Tarpon Springs, where she was raised. JoAnn is a member of IATSE locals 477 and USA 829.

JEFFERY W. DEAN
Scenic Designer/Senior Property Master
Jeffery has designed well over 200 shows in Florida including designs for television and film. Asolo Rep shows include: Broadway Bound; The Smell of the Kill; The Front Page; Inherit the Wind; The Corn is Green; Broadway; You Can't Take it With You; Look Homeward, Angel; Much Ado About Nothing; The Diary of Anne Frank; and I'm Not Rappaport. Sicilian Vespers, Ernani, Tales of Hoffman and L'Ariesiana for the Sarasota Opera. Execution of Justice, Invictus and The Sum of Us for Florida Studio Theatre. Anna in the Tropics, Dracula and We Got Gershwin for American Stage. He has also a nationally recognized sculptor and recipient of two Florida Individual Artist Fellowship Awards for Set Design.

PETER CASEY
Scenic Artist
Peter is an internationally recognized muralist and master scenic artist, having worked with David Hockney and the L.A. Opera, Disney, Universal Studios, PBS and The Hard Rock Café, where he created backdrops for Ringo Starr, The Who, Hank Williams Jr. and Robert Palmer. His work has taken him to Japan, Thailand and Dubai. A graduate of The New England School of Art, with a double major in fine art and advertising design, he has freelanced as a muralist and faux artist, book and newspaper illustrator, portrait artist, woodcarver and signmaker. Peter has created landscapes, seascapes, portraits and abstracts that are held in many private collections, and recently he produced a series of pen & ink renderings of historical sites and buildings that have been distributed nationally. Peter spent eight years as charge painter and art department manager at Adirondack Scenic before moving to Asolo Rep in 1990. Peter is a member of USA local 829.

BERT TAYLOR
Master Scenic Carpenter/Metal Fabrication
Bert joined Asolo Rep in 1973 and for twenty years he was the resident sound designer, creating show tapes and sound effects for more than 200 mainstage and tour productions. During the off season he worked for Asolo Scenic Studios developing his skills on scenery and prop construction on a wide variety of productions, not only for the Asolo but various other performing arts organizations. In addition, he has worked on projects for NBC, CBS, PBS and several major motion picture production companies. In 1993 Bert became the master scenic carpenter for the Asolo and two years later he also assumed responsibility for the metal fabrication dept. Bert is a skilled carpenter, welder and also enjoys creating decorative ironwork. His computer skills include Photoshop, AutoCad and web design. Bert holds a B.A. from the University of South Florida and is a member of IATSE locals 477(film) and 412(stage).

RICHARD NORRIS
Scenic Carpenter
Rick came to Asolo Rep in 1986 and has worked in various capacities including scenic carpenter, master flyman, master stage carpenter and propman. In addition, he is a skilled instructor of stage combat and a devoted father. Over the last thirteen years Rick has worked on over 130 productions involving stage, opera, ballet, film, commercials and television. His credits include productions for Asolo Rep, Sarasota Ballet, Sarasota Opera, as well as commercials for ESPN, Nintendo, and Chevrolet of Canada.