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John J. Rawlings, Jr. (He/Him)

John joined the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance as Technical Director in 2024. He received his Bachelor’s degree from The University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida, and his M.F.A. in Technical Direction from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. John is an active participant in the United State Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), the International Thespian Society, and The Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC).

His previous employers include Porthouse Theatre, Royal Palm Players, Kent State University, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, Sarasota County Schools, Cleveland Public Theater, and Pensacola Opera. John has been fortunate enough to work as a Technical Director and Project Manager for a wide range of clients from children’s theatres to The Cleveland Browns.

John has worked professionally as a theatre technician for nearly two decades on shows with varying levels of complexity from one-person theatre pieces to massive musicals and festivals with dozens of stages with individual needs. His work includes serving as the Technical Director for the Theatre Communications Group Opening Night Gala (2015), Technical Director for Cleveland Fall Fest (2015), Cleveland Public Theatre’s Pandemonium (2012, 2014 and 2015), and Station Hope (2015).

As a theatre educator, John has worked with students ranging from elementary school to university. He has also worked with Broadway Buddies, a theatre program based in Chagrin Falls, Ohio that produces theatre for children and young adults with special needs. John’s research interests are focused on shop management and organization, studying the intersection between industrial manufacturing and theatrical production to find ways to make the process more efficient for theatre artists.

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