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John H. Scharres
Managing Director
jscharres@woodstockil.gov
John started his career in the theatre by joining the Pixie Players when he was ten years old. In the years that followed he participated as both performer and backstage artisan in community and high school theatre programs. By the time he graduated from high school he had been involved in more than thirty-five productions. John received his undergraduate degree in Theatre from Yankton College with minors in Speech and Psychology.
During his college years John was an active member of the stagehands union (IATSE) while at the same time designing scenery and lighting for over fifty academic and professional shows. He also filled summer-stock positions as performer, designer and Business Manager for both the Lewis and Clark Playhouse and the University of Illinois Theatre program. He was one of the first students to receive a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign in 1977. After graduation, John worked as a freelance consultant and designer before applying for a resident professional position at the newly restored Woodstock Opera House.
John has been an Opera House staff member for twenty-seven years and involved in the production of over 8,000 shows. His professional credits include being the Past President and Newsletter Editor of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology Midwest Section, member/lecturer/presenter for the League of Historic American Theatres, Association of Performing Arts Presenters and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He has been a consultant and systems designer for over forty theatre projects including the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Turner Hall in Galena, Illinois, Stoughton Opera House in Stoughton, Wisconsin and the Black Box Theatre at McHenry County College.
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