Kurt Sharp is a set designer and scenic artist who enjoys collaborating on new works, especially those combining politics and music. Based in Chicago since 1991, he has designed sets for many area companies including: Center Theatre Ensemble, Chicago Cultural Center, Evanston’s Light Opera Works, Live Bait Theater, The New Tuners, Porchlight Music Theatre, The Silk Road Ensemble, Stage Left Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Theatre at the Center, and Victory Gardens Theater.As the resident set designer for Drury Lane Oak Brook he designed over forty productions including seven Joseph Jefferson Award Best Musical nominees: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Crazy for You, 1776, My One and Only, big- the musical, Kiss Me Kate, and Fiddler on the Roof.
Kurt works as a union scenic artist and has enjoyed painting scenery for Broadway bound productions (The Addams Family, The Producers, The Song of Jacob Zulu), Broadway touring productions (Mary Poppins, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked), for regional theater and opera companies (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Court Theatre, The Goodman Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Marriot’s Lincolnshire Theatre, The Missouri Repertory Theatre, Northlight Theatre, Remains Theatre, Skylight Opera Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Touchstone Organic Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, Wisdom Bridge Theatre,) for television shows (Bozo’s Circus, The Jenny Jones Show, The Jerry Springer Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Siskel and Ebert At the Movies,) and for museums and public organizations (The Art Institute, The Brookfield Zoo, The Chicago Botanical Garden, The Chicago History Museum, The Field Museum, The Kohl Children’s Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry)
Mr. Sharp is a proud member of the professional labor union for scenic artists and designers, United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829, IATSE. He serves as trustee on the National Executive Board of the union as an elected representative, and is on the central regional board.
In the related field of film and television design, Kurt has served as set designer for the motion pictures and television shows filmed in Chicago including My Best Friend’s Wedding, In the Loop with I-Village, The Steve Wilkos Show and The Jerry Springer Show.
Kurt lives in a studio in Uptown, and when he is not painting he enjoys hiking at Starved Rock State Park and playing with his brother’s dogs, Jake and Patches. |
