ASTC Announces New Fellows and Members at Annual Meeting

The American Society of Theatre Consultants (ASTC) has elevated Heather McAvoy and Peter Rosenbaum to fellow status and admitted eight new members and two associate members. Fellowship is the highest honor awarded to members in recognition of their service to ASTC and contributions to the theatre consulting profession.

This marks the most members admitted in a calendar year since ASTC's founding year, 1983.

McAvoy has been a theatre consultant for 40 years, now with her own theatre and lighting design practice, and a member of the ASTC since 2005. She served on the board of directors for ten years, including terms as president and vice president. Her work has received awards from organizations including AIA and USITT. Jim Hultquist, ASTC, says that she teaches "how to listen carefully to clients and how to understand a venue as a single, working building rather than a collection of parts...She understands performance, operations, architecture, technical systems, and the human behaviors that sit between them."

Rosenbaum, a principal at Fisher Dachs, became a member of ASTC in 2011 and served on the board of directors for nine years, including six as president. He has consulted on the designs of over 250 performance venues in the United States and internationally, which have garnered awards from institutions such as AIA, AIA New York, and SCUP. His contributions to ASTC include establishing the ASTC Outreach and Education Committee and the ASTC Mentorship Program, leading the organization through COVID, and creating the initiative to open membership in ASTC to theatre systems designers who have been leaders in their discipline.

The new members are:

Hazem Al-Saheb studied architecture at The Hashemite University, Harvard University, and Georgia Institute of Technology. His work can be seen at Radford University Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity, comprised of multiple performance spaces. He has led the design for various projects, including The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Belmont University in Nashville and the Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University. He is an associate principal at Theatre Projects.

Paul Copenhaver has consulted on numerous high school theatres. His significant projects include the Gene Tomas High School in Richmond, Texas, Waller High School in Waller, Texas, and Brazoswood High School in Clute, Texas. He is an associate principal at Passerelle Design Group.

Chris Holland has designed theatrical equipment systems for many challenging renovations, including the Cleveland Institute of Music, the University of Utah Meldrum Theater, and the Palace Theatre in New York. He is a theatre consultant at Theatre Projects.

Adam T. Huggard's resume includes more than 200 performing arts projects across his 25-year career, in which he was the principal-in-charge or lead designer. Significant projects include the Tobin Center in San Antonio; the Gaillard Center in Charleston, South Carolina; and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York. Recent openings include the Knight Recital Hall at the University of Miami and the Roger Glass Center for the Arts at the University of Dayton. He is a principal consultant at Stages Consultants.

Besides Scott Madaski's three decades of professional experience in technical theatre, his recent consulting work focuses on stage automation and rigging. Significant projects include Norwegian Cruise Lines, David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, and the Royal Academy of Music Susie Sainsbury Theatre in London. He is the stage technology and rigging systems design lead at Fisher Dachs Associates.

Micah Rahn has 23 years of lighting system and technical theatre experience. He has wide experience in entertainment and architectural control systems, theatrical power systems, integration, architectural coordination, and construction. His recent theatre projects include Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia; renovations of The College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati; and the Peace Center Concert Hall in Greenville, South Carolina. He is a principal consultant at Stages Consultants.

Recent projects for Niles Ray include the Robert W. Wilson Space -- MCC Theatre in New York, the Billie Holiday Theatre renovation in New York, Penn 2 -- Town Hall (above Penn Station) in New York, multiple theatres of the Hilberry Gateway venue for Wayne State University, and the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. He is an associate principal at Aperio Design.

Michael Wyant's experience includes working as a production manager and technical director at leading regional theatres. Recent projects include Gulfshore Playhouse - The Baker Theatre and Education Center in Naples, Florida; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC; and Southampton Playhouse in Southampton, New York. He is a project manager and associate at Fisher Dachs Associates.

The associate members are Jean C. Gonzalez-Hill has been the theatre technical lead for Lincoln High School Theatre renovation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and the Fashion Institute of Technology Haft Auditorium in New York. Projects under construction include Texas Christian University Ed Landreth Hall in Fort Worth, Texas. She is a senior theatre planner at DLR Group.

Collin Huse has several projects under construction, awaiting completion to qualify for regular membership. He has completed several theatres, including the Pomfret School - Hard Auditorium in Pomfret, Connecticut, and Williamsville Sherman High School Auditorium in Williamsville, Illinois. He is a theatre consultant at Nextstage Design.

The full roster of members can be found here: theatreconsultants.org/members/astcmembership-roster/.