Professional Title/s
Professor : Department ChairFaculty Credentials
B.S. Northwestern University, M.F.A. University of Texas-Austin, Ph.D. University of PittsburghBiographical Information
Michael Mehler has designed scenery and lighting for more than 30 years in Atlanta, Charleston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Texas, and Virginia. Favorite designs include Remembrances (world premiere with Ballet Austin), The Importance of Being Earnest (Unseam’d Shakespeare Company), Waiting for Godot (Pitt Repertory Theatre), Civil War Christmas (Allegheny College Playshop Theatre), Mnemonic (Baylor University Theatre), and Romeo and Juliet (Virginia Shakespeare Festival).
Michael is currently the Chair of the Fellows of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT). Past national leadership positions include Vice President of Programming and Vice President of Communications for USITT, the Education Committee for the Broadway Green Alliance (BGA)and Design & Technology Focus Group Representative for the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). At Allegheny College, he has served as faculty chair of the Council on Diversity and Equity (CoDE), Finance and Facilities Committee, and Faculty Council.
Michael has given more than thirty presentations on design & production history, theory, and pedagogy at regional and national conferences. Current research focuses on sustainable design and production, specifically investigating new materials and alternative practices that integrate long term planning and an environmental justice mindset within the creative process . He regularly works with Allegheny students and staff to discover and implement more sustainable practices for the Playshop Theatre.
Michael holds a BS in theatre from Northwestern University, an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin, and a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh. At Allegheny College, he teaches theatre design, stage management, sustainable production, and critical theory.
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Office Hours
- Monday: 1:30 - 2:30 pm
- Tuesday: 8:30 - 9:30 am
- Wednesday: 10:00 - 11:00 am
- Thursday: 9:00 - 10:00 am
- Friday: None
By Appointment