CURRENT RESIDENCE: Skokie, Illinois
YEAR JOINED ENSEMBLE: 2022
AMERICAN BLUES THEATER CREDITS
(UPCOMING) Always…Patsy Cline – Lighting Designer
(UPCOMING) It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago (2025) – Assistant Lighting Designer & Lead Electrician
Lighting Designer: Misery; Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight
Assistant Lighting Designer: It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! (2024),
Lead Electrician: Golden Leaf Ragtime Blues; It’s a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! (2024); The Columnist – Jeff Award nomination Production-midsize
Scenic Designer: Stand Up if You’re Here Tonight
Technical Director: The Last Wide Open; Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight; Little Shop of Horrors – Jeff Award nomination Production-midsize; Looking Over the President’s Shoulder; Side Man; Yankee Tavern; It’s a Wonderful Live in Chicago! (2015-17 & 2021-24) – Jeff Award nomination Production-midsize & Jeff Award nomination Short Run Production
ABOUT MICHAEL
I am a Chicago based Theatrical Lighting Technician and occasional Lighting Designer. I received my BFA in technical theatre from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 2011. I am currently employed full-time at Northwestern University as the Associate Lighting and Sound Supervisor for the Wirtz Performing Arts Center and with American Blues Theater as their part-time Facilities Manager.
Prior to these positions, I have worked with many theaters in various capacities in Wisconsin (Peninsula Players Theater, Musical Masquers, Kaukauna Area School District) and the Chicago area (American Blues Theater, Lookingglass Theatre, Paramount Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Goodman Theater, and Shattered Globe Theater [Artistic Associate]) among many others.
My primary focus is lighting related, mainly as a technician/electrician. I first became interested in lighting during my sophomore year of high school, when I ran the light board for the fall musical. Since then, it has grown quickly from a hobby into a fast paced and amazing career. My other focus is technical direction and carpentry. After working in the scene shop at Stevens Point, I discovered a liking for construction and planning how scenic elements would be created.
My approach to any production I work on is one of collaboration. Seeing a project through from start to finish along with other artists aiming at the same goal is one of the great aspects of theater. I also strive, with every production, to better understand my craft and personal approach to it. I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as knowing everything about one’s trade, and I am always open to learning new things.
Outside of the theater, I enjoy spending time with my wife and our dog, reading, biking, listening to most any genre of music, photography, collecting coins, and board games (to name a few).
Online Portfolio: https://mrtrudeau23.wixsite.com/mtrudeaudesigns
FUN FACT
As mentioned, I enjoy biking. In fact, from March to November it is my primary form of commuting to work (unless it’s raining). I track my mileage every time I ride, not just work commutes, and my goal each year is to log more miles than the year prior, even if it’s just a few more. 2024 total mileage was 1,464 miles.