Theatre and Dance

patrick

David Edward Patrick

Professor and Chairperson Emeritus
Email: DE-Patrick@wiu.edu

Professor Patrick earned both his B.A. in Theatre (1972) and M.F.A. in Scenic Design (1974) from The Ohio State University. While a student, Patrick served as a scenic design undergraduate and graduate assistant and designed sets and lights for ten OSU main stage productions. He also worked at Players Theatre in Columbus, Ohio.

Immediately after receiving his MFA, he worked at the Towpath Dinner Theatre, Miamisburg, Ohio, and LaCommedia Dinner Theatre, Springfield, Ohio. He designed numerous plays and musicals at those two theatres.

Patrick came to WIU in 1975 and stayed for the next 39 years, retiring June 1, 2014. During that time, Patrick designed sets, lights, costumes (one show only!), or technical directed, for 192 productions. Five productions that were designed by Patrick were performed at American College Theatre Festival regional festivals and he won two ACTF excellence awards in scenic and lighting design and graphic design. Professor Patrick taught courses in Décor, Scenic Design and Lighting Design, Theatrical Drafting, Technical Production, and Intro to Theatre. He has a keen interest in architecture, particularly that of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie Style. Whenever he taught Décor, Patrick took his classes on a field trip to Springfield, Illinois, to visit one of the major Prairie Style private residences, the Dana-Thomas House, along with the Illinois state capitol building.

For thirty-four Summer Music Theatre seasons, Patrick served either as Managing Director, Scenic and Lighting Designer, Technical Director on a variety of musicals. For the 1987 reopening of the renovated Hainline Theatre and the new Scenic Studio, he brought in Cathy Rigby for the title role and designed scenery for PETER PAN. In Florida, Patrick designed several sets for Stagecrafter’s Theatre and Seascape Dinner Theatre and consulted on a new facility for Stagecrafter’s. Patrick also designed for Circa ’21 Dinner Theatre in the Quad Cities.

Professor Patrick received a University Faculty Excellence Award, an Outstanding Teacher Award for the College of Fine Arts and Communication, was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and an award from the Performing Arts Society for significant contributions to the Bureau of Cultural Affairs. He served on many University and College committees including the Center for Performing Arts Executive Committee, Faculty Senate Secretary, and the Council on Curricular Programs and Instruction as chairperson and member.

Upon his retirement, April 23, 2014 was proclaimed David Patrick Day in Macomb by Mayor Mike Inman.