[ This Just In! ]

For Immediate Release
Date: January 17, 2005

Next Resident Company Member Announced by Salvage Vanguard Theater

AUSTIN, TX- Salvage Vanguard Theater has officially added another Austin artist to its paid Resident Company member roster: designer Chase Staggs.

The Resident Company Member program was started by SVT to keep artists in Austin. So far the company has been able to provide three Austin artists with a $5,000 yearly stipend. Dan Dietz, award-winning playwright and actor, was the first to receive the honor in 2002. Composer and band leader of the Golden Arm Trio Graham Reynolds and Critic's Table honored actress Jenny Larson were added on in 2003. After extensive design work within the Austin community, Staggs was an obvious and welcomed addition.

"It's always good to be recognized and appreciated, especially good when it's mutual. I am wowed by the artists I work with at SVT and I am glad to be among them," says Staggs.

Staggs has worked with SVT numerous times, as a technical director for MotherBone and 16 Spells to Charm the Beast and as set designer for tempOdyssey, the revival of Cry Pitch Carrolls, Know Dog, Death of a Cat and is presently designing for the premier of SVT's newest opera, Genghis Khan, which opens in March.

"For a while, I wasn't sure how we were going to get the funding," says SVT Artistic Director Jason Neulander. "But the Tobin Foundation in San Antonio came through for us just last week. Chase is such an incredible asset to our whole community. It's awesome to be able to do this for him."

In exchange for their Resident Company member status, each is to asked participate in some capacity, either as an artist or as a volunteer, on each of Salvage Vanguard Theater's shows. Second, each Resident Company Member must work actively in theater in Austin, with SVT and other companies.

"What's cool about the program is that it's about keeping artists in Austin and working in the community," says Neulander. "It's not proprietary--we want to see our residents working with everyone so we all benefit. Chase has his fingers in so many pies. He's really the perfect candidate for the program."

Chase Staggs received his degree in graphic arts from the Art Institute of Houston. He has designed for the stage since 1988 and has recently been Art Director and Set Designer for film and television. He frequently combines roles as desinger, technical director, scenic painter, property designer and special effects designer. Staggs’ hands-on approach to his work has been fed by a life-long fine arts training and experience as a painter and sculptor. He also has designed costumes, lights, and sound. After years of dabbling in nearly every aspect of theater (including writing the book and music for two musicals) Staggs’ has finally decided to focus his energy primarly on graphic design. He has designed the sets for SVT's productions of tempOdyssey, The Cry Pitch Carrolls (2003), Know Dog, and The Death of a Cat. Dan Dietz [right], SVT Resident Company Member since 2002, presents newest Resident Company Member Chase Staggs with a (literally) large check for $5,000.

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