Over the past few years, we’ve been busy strengthening our core services and expanding into new markets. As part of this investment in our future, we’ve recently added two key staff members to our team. We’re thrilled to announce these appointments and hope you’ll join us in welcoming Peter Wilson and Thomas Bukovac to Theatre Projects!
A licensed architect, Peter joins our design team as an accomplished venue designer. His responsibilities will include auditorium design, room shaping, and seating layouts for environments such as theatres, entertainment venues, concert halls, corporate spaces, immersive spaces, and public gathering spaces. He brings a wealth of experience in designing performing arts spaces from his previous roles at respected architectural firms such as Gensler and Barton Myers Associates. He’s also crossed paths with our team several times over the years on projects where he was a project architect, and we were the theatre consultant! Those collaborations include all three theatres in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, which recently celebrated the opening of its third major performance venue, the 1,700-seat multiform Steinmetz Hall.
Thomas is our new audiovisual and integrated technology team leader. A licensed professional engineer (PE), he focuses on the design of high-performance audio, video, and control systems for any space where people gather. This includes auditoriums, classrooms, or building-wide experiential technology intended to enhance the built environment. In addition to room design, he and his team also provide strategic technology planning to create a consistent technology experience and operations model across a building, campus, or organization. Thomas brings over a decade of technology design and strategic planning experience. Having worked previously at consulting firms such as Kirkegaard and Arup, his project portfolio spans numerous markets from performing arts to healthcare, from corporate headquarters to higher education. He has collaborated with our team in the past, most recently at the new music facility at Haverford College.
But there’s much more to Peter and Thomas than their experience in designing performance spaces and their integrated technology systems. They’re also great fun to be around! We asked them a few questions so you can get to know them better.
Q: If you could plan your perfect day, what would it involve?
A: Cycling in the morning, rock climbing in the afternoon, and theatre in the evening – and lots of baked goods in between.
Q: What creature comforts can’t you live without?
A: Cookies, full stop.
Q: Tell us about one of your favorite memories.
A: I cycled cross-country for my 40th birthday, almost 4,000 miles over six and a half weeks, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Q: What’s on your bucket list?
A: Eating my way across Asia while seeing traditional forms of theatre like Beijing Opera, bunraku puppetry, and Noh Drama.
Q: What excites you about working at Theatre Projects?
A: The people! There is such a diversity and depth of experience here. I’m excited to pick the brains of my colleagues and learn new approaches to design.
Q: What kind of theatre do you love most?
A: I love all theatre, but being a Chicago improviser, I have to say that there is nothing quite like a perfect Harold (a structure used in longform improvisational theatre). In these performances neither the audience or the performers know what will happen, which when done well makes for a thrilling and totally unique performance that can never be recreated. The risk/reward aspect of it is not for everyone, but I love it.
Q: What personal items do you have on your desk?
A: A raku fired business card holder. My Mom is an artist who specializes in pottery, and she made it for me a few years ago. I also have a variety of mugs from different travels and experiences.
Q: Of all of your adventures to date, which one was your favorite?
A: I backpacked across Portugal with my best friend back in 2015. We went to a number of different cities, but in Lisbon we stayed at a hostel called “home.” Every night the hostel hosted a community dinner of authentic Portuguese food, cooked by the owner. Everyone sat at one very large table and you got to meet people from all over the world. We made new friends every night and it was a feeling of community that was so unique to find on the other side of the world. Also, if you’ve never been to Portugal, there’s nothing quite like an underground Fado performance at a Portuguese dive bar.