Thomas C. Umfrid
Professional Memberships
USA 829 Since 1980; by examination
OISTAT - Independent member
USITT - Independent member
Design Assistant
The John Conklin Studio – Studio and Traveling Assistant – Manhattan, NYC; Oper Forum, Amsterdam and Enschede, Holland; San Francisco Opera, Hartford Stage, and Williamstown Theatre Festival
Kansas City Rep – Resident Design Assistant Kansas City, MO
The Wizard of Oz – Paul Shortt, Design – Ordway Theatre, St. Paul, MN
Scenic Arts And Props Craft
The Santa Fe Opera – Staff Scenic Artist - 3 Seasons, Prop Department – Santa Fe, NM
The Guthrie Theatre – Props staff – Minneapolis, MN
Grants And Fellowships
National Institute for Music Theatre – 1-year study grant in New York City – The John Conklin Studio
The Bush Foundation Fellowship – Tuition/stipend scholarship; 2 years – The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Academic Appointments
Professor and Resident Designer – College-Conservatory of Music/CCM – University of Cincinnati, OH
Professor and Head of Design – Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts – S.A.R. Hong Kong, China
Guest Scholar in Residence – Shanghai Theatre Academy – Shanghai, China
Guest Scholar in Residence – Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts – Perth, Western Australia
Senior Lecturer - Design – Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts – S.A.R. Hong Kong, China
Associate Professor - Design – University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Assistant Professor - Design – University of South Dakota
Guest Lectures of Distinction
Shanghai Institute for Visual Art (SIVA) – Shanghai, China
Hong Kong Polytechnic - Applied Design – S.A.R. Hong Kong, China
National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts – Beijing, China
Shanghai Theatre Academy – Shanghai, China
Education
University of Minnesota-Minneapolis - MFA - Stage Design
California State University - Long Beach - BA - Technical Theatre
Opera
Candide – dir. Emma Griffin – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Cunning Little Vixen – dir. Tom Hawkes – Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts
Cendrillon – dir. Robin Guarino – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Il Signor Bruschino / The Telephone – dir. Robin Guarino – CCM Spotelo, Spotelo, Italy
Le nozze di Figaro – dir. Robin Guarino – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Falstaff – dir. Robin Guarino – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
L'etoile – dir. Robin Guarino – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Don Pasquale – dir. Omer Ben Seadia – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
A Midsummer Night's Dream – dir. Ceri Sherlock – Hong Kong Academy of Performing Art
Don Giovanni – dir. Paula Williams – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Le nozze di Figaro – dir. Paula Williams – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Werther – dir. Nic Muni – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Crucible – dir. Nic Muni – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Of Mice and Men – dir. Nic Muni – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Nose (NYC Premiere) – dir. Lou Galterio – Manhattan School of Music NYC
Le Donne Curiose – dir. Lou Galterio – Manhattan School of Music NYC
Dialogues des Carmélites – dir. Steven Goldstein – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Lucia di Lammermoor – dir. Fabrizio Melano – Cincinnati Opera OH
Falstaff – dir. Malcolm Fraser – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Rake's Progress/CCM – dir. Malcolm Fraser – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Rake's Progress/RCM – dir. Malcolm Fraser – Royal College of Music, London
Zaide (world premiere of complete opera) – dir. Malcolm Fraser – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH / The Juilliard School
Cosi fan tutte – dir. Malcolm Fraser – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
La Boheme – dir. Malcolm Fraser – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Rusalka – dir. Malcolm Fraser – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Guilio Cesare in Egitto – dir. Malcolm Fraser – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Suor Angelica / Gianni Schicchi – dir. Kevin Miller – Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts
The Ballad of Baby Doe – dir. Thomas de Mallet Burgess – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Pelleas et Melisande – dir. Thomas de Mallet Burgess – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Don Pasquale – dir. Jonathan Eaton – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
L'incoronazione di Poppea – dir. Jonathan Eaton – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
L'scala de seta – dir. Jonathan Eaton – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Susannah – dir. Jonathan Eaton – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Albert Herring – dir. Jonathan Eaton – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Il barbiere di Siviglia – dir. Karen Coe Miller – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
L'elisir d'amore – dir. Sandra Bernhard – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Musicals
They Were You – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
American Idiot – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Carousel – dir. Diane Lala – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Chicago – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Falsettos – dir. DeeAnne Bryll & Ed Cohen – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Evita – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Little Women – dir. Thom Warren – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Pajama Game – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Pirates of Penzance – dir. Jeremy Kronenberg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Man of La Mancha – dir. Michael Hamilton – Stages St. Louis, Missouri
Camelot – dir. Michael Hamilton – Stages St. Louis, Missouri
Brigadoon – dir. Richard Hess – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Pirates of Penzance – dir. Russel Treyz – Utah Shakespearean Festival
On The Town – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
My One and Only – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Man of La Mancha – dir. Brad Carroll – Utah Shakespearean Festival
Man of La Mancha – dir. Michael Hamilton – Stages St. Louis, Missouri
The Secret Garden – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Sweet Charity – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Little Me – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Forever Plaid – dir. William Martin – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
And the World Goes Round – dir. Richard Hess – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Something's Afoot – dir. William Martin – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Assassins – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Blame It On Movies – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Two Gentlemen of Verona – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Carousel – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Nunsense 1 & 2 – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Anything Goes! – dir. Darwin Knight – Walso-Astoria Theater, Kansas City, KS
3 Guys Naked From The Waist Down – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Sally Blane, World's Greatest Girl Detective – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Baker's Wife – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Happy End – dir. James Holmes – New Mexico Rep, Santa Fe, NM
Dramas
The Heidi Chronicles – dir. Richard Hess – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Coram Boy – dir. Richard Hess – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Macbeth – dir. Brant Russell – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
You Can't Take It With You – dir. Richard Hess – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
The Curse of the Starving Class – dir. D. Lynn Meyers – College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) OH
Twelfth Night – dir. Marcia Taylor – Shakespeare-Santa Cruz, CA
All in the Timing – dir. Steve Rothman – Playhouse-in-the-Park, Cincinnati, OH
The Compleat Wrks of Wllm Shkspr – dir. Pamela Hunt – Playhouse-in-the-Park, Cincinnati, OH
A Streetcar Named Desire – dir. Cynthia White – Utah Shakespearean Festival
A Flea In Her Ear – dir. Mark Rucker – Utah Shakespearean Festival
A Midsummer Night's Dream – dir. Gavin Cameron Webb – University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Othello – dir. James Holmes – New Mexico Rep, Santa Fe
Tartuffe – dir. Paul Barnes – Utah Shakespearean Festival
Tartuffe – dir. Libby Appel – New Mexico Rep, Santa Fe
Ah, Wilderness! – dir. R. Terrell Finney – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
Arsenic and Old Lace – dir. J.R. Sullivan – Utah Shakespearean Festival
Ah, Wilderness! – dir. James Edmondson – Utah Shakespearean Festival
Love Labour's Lost – dir. Kathleen Conlin – Utah Shakespearean Festival
Dancing At Lughnasa – dir. R. Terrell Finney – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest – dir. Richard Hess – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
Harvey– dir. Henson Keys – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
Hay Fever – dir. Paul Barnes – Utah Shakespearean Festival
Cymbeline – dir. Michael Hankins – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
Richard III – dir. Michael Hankins – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
A Flea In Her Ear – dir. Aubrey Berg – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
The Royal Family – dir. Howard Milman – Utah Shakespearean Festival
Reckless – dir. Karen O'Brien – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
Love's Labour's Lost – dir. Michael Hankins – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
Fortinbras – dir. Lucinda Holshue – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
Nora – dir. Meredith Alexander – College-Conservatory of Music/(CCM) OH
On Golden Pond – dir. Pat Brown – Tiffany's Attic Theatre, Kansas City, MO
Much Ado About Nothing – dir. Paul Barnes – University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Dance
The Nutcracker Ballet – Choreography by Peter Anastos – Cincinnati Ballet, OH
The Nutcracker Ballet – Choreography by Horiuchi & Mayer – Toledo Ballet Association, OH
The G Conncetion – Choreography by Germaine Goodson – Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
Themed Events And Environments
Cincinnati Opera 2011 Gala – Cincinnati Opera, OH
Cincinnati Opera 2010 Gala – Cincinnati Opera, OH
The Race for Atlantis - for I-MAX – Bruce Robinson Design – The Shops at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, NV
"The creative process was a joy, and the end result as fine as anything one might see on an opera stage anywhere in the world. (The opera design) had charm, style, individuality and artistic integrity. Having worked with many designers in many theaters both in North America and Europe, I am happy to say Prof. Umfrid ranks among the best of them." — Jonathan Eaton, Director