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Spring arts preview profile: Michael Schweikardt

View Profile of Michael Schweikardt - Set Designer for the Sarasota Opera from Sarasota's Creative Loafing online magazine.

Michael Schweikardt Set Design Henry V

Michael Schweikardt, Henry V

Michael Schweikardt, Set and Costume Designer

Born and raised in New Jersey, Michael chose to combine his love of theater, painting and architecture by studying set and costume design at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutger's University. He studied with John Jensen, Desmond Heeley, R. Michael Miller and David Murin. During his time there, Michael worked professionally as a scenic artist. He was awarded his B.F.A in 1993 and moved to the West Coast where he worked for the Disney Company as a painter and a draftsperson.

Feeling too far removed from the New York and the Regional Theater Scene, he left Disney in 1994 and spent the summer with the acclaimed Williamstown Theater Festival. Having the opportunity to work closely with Broadway caliber actors, designers and directors encouraged him to seek work in New York City and before the summer had ended Michael was already employed by Playwright's Horizons as Charge Painter for A.R. Gurney's "A Cheever Evening" (John Lee Beatty, designer). He enjoyed several successful months as a scenic artist before he moved on to assisting other designers.

While working in the studios of Jim Noone, Allen Moyer and Ken Foy, Michael was fortunate enough to be hired by set and lighting designer Peter Dean Beck and he spent the bulk of those next two years in his studio. It was during this time that William Doble, General Manager of Blue Light Theater Company, invited Michael to design the set for his first Off-Broadway show, Clifford Odets' "Golden Boy" directed by JoAnne Woodward. It was a hit and the first of three productions he would design for Ms. Woodward, including Odets' "Waiting For Lefty" which starred Marisa Tomei, and "The Big Knife". Michael continued his association with The Blue Light Theater Company designing memorable productions of "The Seagull" directed by Austin Pendelton, and Michael Cristofer's "Amazing Grace" starring Marsha Mason. He went on to design "All Under Heaven",Valerie Harper's one woman show about Pearl S. Buck, Tovah Feldshuh's "Tallulah Hallelujah!" and two successful Theaterworks U.S.A. tours for director Ted Pappas who brought Michael to The Pittsburgh Public Theater

For Mr. Pappas, Michael has designed acclaimed productions of "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum", "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf", "H.M.S. Pinafore", "The Pirates Of Penzance" and "You Can't Take It With You". He also designed the critically acclaimed production of "Tea" for director Pamela Berlin.

In 2003 Douglas Fisher invited Michael to make his professional debut as a Costume Designer at Florida State Opera. He has since designed sets and costumes for the Baroque Opera "Semele" and for Rossini's "Le Comte Ory".

Michael has designed for Syracuse Stage, Florida State Opera, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, HB PLaywrights Foundation, SoHo Rep., The Workhouse, Sacramento Music Circus, Theaterworks in Hartford, TheaterVirginia, Merrimack Rep., Barrington Stage Company, The Emelin, Westchester Broadway Dinner Theater, The Williamstown Theater Festival, Julliard, Philadelphia Theater Company, and others.

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