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Matthew Smucker is a Seattle based scenic designer whose work has appeared locally at Seattle Repertory Theatre, ACT, The 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Opera, Intiman Theatre, Village Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, New Century Theatre Company, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Book-It Repertory Theatre, The Empty Space, Tacoma Actors Guild, and Youth Theatre Northwest; and nationally at Playmakers Repertory Company, The Denver Center for the Performing Arts, The Paper Mill Playhouse, Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars, Arizona Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Minneapolis's Children’s Theatre Company, and Tempe's Childsplay Theatre. Matthew was a founding ensemble member of Deus X Machina, and a long time company member and resident designer with Seattle’s Annex Theatre.
Matthew received Theatre Puget Sound's 2011 Gregory Award for Outstanding Scenic Designer for work including All My Sons, Three Tall Women, and Jesus Christ Superstar, and was nominated for a Gregory Award in 2010 for work including Candide, in 2012 for the world premier of First Date, in 2014 for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and again in 2015 for The Invisible Hand. Matthew received a 2012 Spotlight award from Seattle Magazine, was nominated for the 2015 Stranger Genius Award in Performance, appeared on The Stranger’s 2011 Genius Awards Shortlist, and was profiled in Seattle Weekly’s 2004 Best of Seattle issue. Matthew has been honored with Seattle Times Footlight Awards for Best Scenic Design for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in 2014, The Pillowman and Wine in the Wilderness in 2006, and Nora and The Gingerbread Man in 2003. He has been nominated for the Henry Award in Scenic Design for Last Night and the Night Before (2019), and the Gypsy Rose Lee Award in Scenic Design for Or, (2012), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (2014), Our Town (2016), Cabaret (2016), Brooklyn Bridge (2017), and Dry Powder (2018). Matthew was the recipient of the Gypsy in 2019 for Dracula.
Matthew is Professor of Scenic Design in the Performance Production Program at Cornish College of the Arts, and has taught at the University of Washington, Seattle University, and as a teaching artist through The Seattle Repertory Theatre. Matthew received his MFA in scenic design from the University of Washington School of Drama, and is a member of USA Local 829.