People
Faculty and Staff
Matthew P. Benjamin
Professor Benjamin is in his tenth year at Wright State University. Professional credits
include six seasons as the resident lighting designer for the Opera Theatre of Lucca, Italy,
along with lighting and/or sound design work for the Dayton Opera, Aspen Music
Festival, Alley Theatre, Muse Machine, the Human Race Theatre Company, Interlochen
Center For The Arts, Opera at Florham, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, ballet
tech ohio, New Horizon Theatre Company, South Jersey Regional Theatre, Childrens
Ballet Theatre of New Jersey, Little Theatre Of The Rockies, Taj Mahal Casino,
Evolving Arts Theatre, and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences -
Eastern Regional Emmy Awards, among others. He has taught at Stockton College of NJ,
University of Cincinnati, Interlochen Center For The Arts and the New Jersey
Governors School for the Arts. He also has extensive professional credits as a master
electrician, production manager, technical director, and sound engineer. He holds an
M.F.A in theatrical design and technology from the College-Conservatory of Music at the
University of Cincinnati and a B.F.A in lighting design from the North Carolina School
of the Arts. His favorite productions include his son, Dylan, and daughter, Taylor.
Current Students
Jeremy Cunningham
Senior, Lighting Design
jrc.lxd@gmail.com
Nate Helton
Senior, Lighting Design
helton.15@wright.edu
Miranda Peterson
Senior, Sound Design
randa.peterson@gmail.com
Tien Cao
Junior, TD/Sound Technology
cao.8@wright.edu
Brian Cox
Junior, Lighting Technology
cox.92@wright.edu
Shawn Nielson
Junior, Lighting Design
nielson.3@wright.edu
Greg Barrett
Sophomore, Lighting Design
gbarrett03@yahoo.com
Alex Crocker-Lakness
Sophomore, Lighting Design
a.crockerlakness@gmail.com
Amanda Hosking
Sophomore, Lighting and Sound Design
hosking.2@wright.edu
Adam Schumaker
Sophomore, Lighting Design
schumaker.8@wright.edu
Nathan Wolgast
Sophomore, Lighting Design
wolgast.5@wright.edu
Kyle Jurick
Freshman, Lighting and Sound Design
jurick.2@wright.edu
Jason Nickson
Freshman, Sound Design
asteroidjas@yahoo.com
Tara Roberts
Freshman, Sound Design
thehobbitgirl@yahoo.com
Cory Shy
Freshman, Lighting and Sound Design
shy.3@wright.edu
Alumni
Adam Bergeron, BFA 2004
Lighting Technician for the Blue Man Group, Las Vegas
Greg Bober, BFA 2002
Sound Engineer Blue Man Group, Las Vegas
Former A1 for national tour of Hairspray
Former Audio Engineer Yale University
Diane Fairchild, BFA 1995
Managing Director of the Infamous Commonwealth Theatre, Chicago, IL
Freelance Lighting Designer in Chicago, IL
Ross Feilhauer, BFA 2003
Deck Electrician for the Blue Man Group, Las Vegas
Former Head Lighting & Sound Technician Royal Caribbean Cruises
Dave Gerdes, BFA 1997
IATSE Stagehand, Cincinnati, OH
Carrie Hill, BFA 1996
Freelance Lighting Designer, Chicago, IL
Josh "Bubba" Horvath, BFA 1998
USA829 Sound Designer
Freelance Designer - Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Alley Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre, and many others
Teaches sound design at DePaul University
Thad Kramer, BFA 2004
Enrolled in MFA Design Program at UMass-Amherst
Former Senior Event Technology Specialist for PSAV, Las Vegas
Jason Livingston, BFA 1998
Freelance Lighting Designer in New York City
Steve Mack, BFA 2001
Lighting Technician / Associate Programmer Love (Cirque du Soliel) Las Vegas
Former Lighting Director Dayton Contemporary Dance Concert
Assistant Lighting Designer Cincinnati Opera
M. F.A. in Lighting Design (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music)
JT Mauric, BFA 2007
Assistant Shop Manager for Vincent Lighting Systems, Cleveland, OH
Donny McCray, BFA 2000
Lighting Supervisor North Carolina Dance Theatre
Geoff Moss, BFA 1999
Assistant Technical Director, Clark State Community College, Springfield, OH
Lyn Palmer, BFA 2001
MFA in Lighting Design 2005 University of Texas at Austin
Sean Pederson, BFA 2004
Moving Light Technician for PRG Toronto and PRG Europe
Former Head Lighting & Sound Technician Royal Caribbean Cruises
Adam Purath,BFA 2002
Audio System Designer - Be Media, Inc., Los Angeles
Jeff Robinson, BFA 1995
Operations Manager at Vincent Lighting Systems, Cleveland, OH
Matt Rosenfeld, BFA 2007
Audio Technician for Stage Tech, Inc Indianapolis, IN
Joel Shier, BFA 2006
Automated Lighting Tracker The Little Mermaid Broadway
Assistant Lighting Designer Sweeney Todd North American Tour
Assistant Lighting Designer Lestat Broadway
Brian Shoemaker, BFA 2002
A1 for National Tour of My Fair Lady
Former A1 for national tour of The Full Monty
Former A1 for Las Vegas production of Spamalot
Former A1 for Las Vegas production of Le Reve
Former Audio Engineer for Goodspeed Opera House
Eric Webster, BFA 1992
Project Manager for Progressive Electronics, Kansas City, MO
Jenn Wilcox, BFA 1996
Assistant Production Electrician at the Juilliard School, NYC, NY
Rachel Wilson, BFA 2007
Rental Administrator for Vincent Lighting Systems, Cleveland, OH
Brent Winderlich, BFA 2001
Operations Manager / Lighting Director BMG Events Productions, Indianapolis, IN
Former Lighting Director Tops In Blue (Air Force International Tour)
Elizabeth Zernechel, BFA 2000
Assistant Professor of Lighting Design DeSales University
Former Assistant Professor of Lighting Design Michigan Stage University
M. F.A. in Lighting Design (University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music)