David Boechler, Set and Costume Designer

Pacific Opera Victoria
Set and Costume Designer, La traviata
October, 2009

David Boechler is a set and costume designer who resides in Toronto via art school in England and dinner theatre in Saskatchewan. Following a year at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne's Fine Arts Department on a Rotary Foundation International Scholarship, he graduated with a BFA in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta.

David spent three years in Edmonton after graduation, working in the feisty local scene. His collaborative process was in many ways molded by DD Kugler, Artistic Director of Northern Light Theatre, who was engaged in pushing the boundaries of audience/performer relationships, and exploring the full potential of integrated, necessary design. It was during this time that David co-founded a small theatre company of Saskatchewan ex-pats called Noises in the Attic, which became known for its own brand of dark theatricality. Beginning on the fringe circuit and later mounting independent productions the troupe was endowed with the title “Oddball Company of the Year” by local critic Liz Nichols. While on the fringe circuit, David met up with Foursight Theatre from Wolverhampton, UK, leading to collaboration on Frankenstein's Mothers courtesy of an individual artist's grant from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

After this formative three years David moved to Ontario and the Shaw Festival, where he would design for the next eight seasons. It was also around this time that he began a long relationship with many regional theatres, and he has since worked across Canada with many of the country's top directors. He was also Resident Costume Designer for three seasons on Alberta Theatre Project's playRites! Festival.

Living in Toronto has provided David with other opportunities to expand his repertoire: he has dabbled in film and television art departments, did some commercials, and has been creative director on many industrial and corporate shows, from a full-on staged Hindu wedding for a book launch at the ROM to an international promotion for MAC cosmetics involving giant butterflies and blue-painted girls. Other projects include the opening and closing ceremonies for the Canada Summer Games in London, Ontario, and set design for a number of years for Fashion Cares. There are two Betty Awards, a Sterling, and a Dora Award on his bookshelf.

Recent and upcoming credits include set and costume design for Julius Caesar at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival with director James Macdonald and costume design for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for Theatre Calgary with director Dennis Garnhum.

Other credits include costume design for quondam by Sabrina Matthews (Royal Swedish Ballet); Cabaret (Stratford Shakespeare Festival ); Fire! (Canadian Stage Company/Citadel Theatre); My One and Only (Stratford Festival 2007 with director Michael Lichtefeld); Equus (Citadel Theatre, with director James MacDonald); and set design for Glorious! ( Belfry Theatre / Arts Club Theatre).

August, 2009