TRFT Welcomes Two New Permanent Faculty Members

ANDREA BECHERT

Andrea has designed scenery for over 300 productions and numerous world premieres at theatres across the country including TheatreWorks, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Center Repertory Theatre, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, American Musical Theatre of San Jose, The Starlight Theatre, Wildwood, Marin Theatre Company, Opera San Jose, and many others. She has worked at or been a guest designer at several universities including University of Chicago, Stanford University, University of Michigan, Ohio University, Butler University, and University of Wisconsin.  Numerous awards include three Bay Area Theatre Critic’s Circle Awards, a Denver Ovation Award for Macbeth, and her designs were included in the 2005 World Design Expo and the 1996 Prague Quadrennial.  Andrea is a Member of United Scenic Artists, IATSE local 829. Andrea gave up a fancy job at University of Chicago to join us here in the Bay Area.

 

MICHAEL LOCHER

Michael is a scenic designer with longtime Bay Area roots, who has been teaching as an adjunct lecturer at SJSU since 2013. His recent regional credits include productions for the Guthrie Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Yale Repertory Theater, Centerstage (Baltimore), Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Great Lakes Theater, and Playmakers Repertory Theater. His designs have been seen Off-Broadway and at venues throughout New York and the northeast. Here in the Bay Area, local credits include numerous productions with the Magic, Cal Shakes, CenterRep, and the Cutting Ball Theater, where he is a longtime artistic associate. Michael is a founding member of Hollywood-based Tiled Field Productions, a graduate of the University of California San Diego and the Yale School of Drama. He also works as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, specializing in marketing material for the performing arts.