About Kristeen

Kristeen Willis holds a BA from Centre College, Danville KY, in Dramatics Arts and a MFA from Wayne State University, Detroit MI, in Lighting Design. She is a scenic, lighting and properties designer as well as an electrician and scenic artist.  She spent 10 years teaching at Alma College and Reed College where she acted as departmental production manager, technical director, scenic designer and lighting designer.  She taught courses in scenic, lighting, props & sound design as well as stage management, theatre technology and scene painting. She left academia 3 years ago and is experiencing the joy of just being an artist, but will likely need to get back into a classroom eventually.  To squelch that need to some degree, she is the director of Third Rail’s Mentorship Program and enjoys watching and helping those young artists discover their path through the crazy world of theatre.

 

She received a 2014 “Outstanding Scenic Design” Drammy for her design of Gidion’s Knot and a 2014 “Outstanding Lighting Design” Drammy for her design of A Bright New Boise. She was also nominated for a LA Ovation Award in Lighting Design (Intimate) for her design of Foxfinder for Furious Theatre and Artists Repeertory Theatre in Pasadena, California.

 

Kristeen is Associate Producer and Production Manager as well as Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer of Artists Repertory Theatre. She is privileged to be invited to play on the stages of Portland Center Stage, Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Profile Theatre, NWCT, OCT, Miracle Theatre, Coho Theatre, Corrib Theatre, BadAss Theatre, and many more.

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Kristeen is also a proud union member of United Scenic Artists 829.

 

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