MICHAEL SMANKOTHEATRICAL PROP CRAFTSMAN  -  DESIGNER  -  PRODUCTION MANAGER1015 RICHARD BOULEVARD, RAHWAY NJ  07065-1936732-382-9727(VOICE)         732-499-0289 (OFFICE)         908-499-1081 (CELL)            info@prismprops.comwww.prismprops.com EDUCATION                B.A. (FINE ARTS / THEATER)  MONTCLAIR STATE COLLEGE  N.J. (1971)& TRAINING:           M.F.A. (THEATER- DESIGN)  THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY  (1977)                                                STUDIO & FORUM OF STAGE DESIGN (SCENE PAINTING-LESTER POLAKOV) BROADWAY PRODUCTION CREDITS (partial):                                      THE MUSIC MAN- WITH DICK VAN DYKE (ASST. PROPS)                                                BRIGADOON- AGNES DeMILLE / VIVIAN MATALON REVIVAL (ASST. PROPS)                                                WALLY’S CAFE- STARRING: JIMMY COCO/ RITA MORENO/ SALLY STRUTHERS (PROP MASTER)                                                DREAMGIRLS- (PROP MASTER- PRODUCTION & ENTIRE BROADWAY RUN)                                                LUCIFER’S CHILD-STARRING JULIE HARRIS (PRODUCTION PROPS)                                                PRIVATE LIVES- STARRING JOAN COLLINS (PROP MASTER)                                                THE KENTUCKY CYCLE- 1993  (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                PASSION- THE SONDHEIM/LAPINE MUSICAL- 1994  (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                INDISCRETIONS- (LES PARENTS TERRIBLES) - 1995  (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                THE TEMPEST- STARRING PATRICK STEWART  (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                PATTI LUPONE ON BROADWAY (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                SACRILEGE- STARRING ELLEN BURSTYN- (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                THE RSC- A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM  (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER- SONDHEIM MYSTERY  (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                BRING in da NOISE, BRING in da FUNK- (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                TAKING SIDES- STARRING ED HARRIS-  (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                ANNIE- 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR WITH NELL CARTER (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                STEEL PIER-1997-  (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                THE RSC- THE HERBAL BED - 1998 (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                THE WIZARD OF OZ AT MSG STARRING MICKEY ROONEY (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                COPENHAGEN – (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)AIDA- ELTON JOHN & TIM RICE’S MUSICAL FOR DISNEY - (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)THE GOAT or WHO IS SYLVIA – EDWARD ALBEE’S NEW PLAY- (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)WHOSE AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF-– EDWARD ALBEE’S CLASSIC - (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)               WELL- Written & performed by Lisa Kron - (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)  BUTLEY- Starring Nathan Lane - (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)CYRANO- Starring Kevin Kline & Jennifer Garner - (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)PASSING STRANGE-  Stew’s offbeat new musical - (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)  NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL TOURS:A FUNNY THING/FORUM STARRING MICKEY ROONEY- USA TOUR (PRODUCTION PROPS)WEST SIDE STORY- WITH JACK WAGNER- USA & JAPAN TOURS- (PRODUCTION PROPS)THE SOUND OF MUSIC- WITH DEBBIE BOONE- USA & JAPAN TOURS  (PRODUCTION PROPS)MY FAIR LADY WITH NOEL HARRISON- USA & JAPAN TOURS  (PRODUCTION PROPS)A CHORUS LINE - 15th ANNIVERSARY TOUR- USA  - (PRODUCTION PROPS)EVITA - 1989 USA & CANADIAN TOUR - (PRODUCTION PROPS)THE KING & I- STARRING STACY KEACH - USA & JAPAN TOURS  (PRODUCTION PROPS)WEST SIDE STORY-1990 USA TOUR- (PRODUCTION PROPS)JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR- USA & CANADIAN TOUR- (PRODUCTION PROPS)THE WILL RODGERS FOLLIES- STARRING KEITH CARRADINE (PROP MASTER setup national tour)LETTICE & LOVAGE- STARRING JULIE HARRIS USA TOUR (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)EVITA- Broadway Tour of America - 1993- (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)WEST SIDE STORY- 1996- (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR) THREE TALL WOMEN- numerous tours & set downs- (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)BRING in da NOISE, BRING in da FUNK- USA & CANADIAN TOUR- (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)DREAMGIRLS- USA & CANADIAN TOUR- (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)ANNIE- 20th ANNIVERSARY TOUR WITH SALLY STRUTHERS- USA & CANADA- (PROD PROP SUPERVISOR)THE WIZARD OF OZ- STARRING MICKEY ROONEY- (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)                                                COPENHAGEN – (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)WHOSE AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF—West End production & national tour - (PRODUCTION PROP SUPERVISOR)       CONCERT DANCE TOURS:                        ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER (TECHNICAL SUPERVISOR & PROP MASTER)                                                                                               8 NATIONAL TOURS      5 INTERNATIONAL-STATE DEPARTMENT TOURS  1974-80                                                THE JOFFREY BALLET  (PROP SUPERVISOR)    2 TOURS  1976                                                MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY (PROP SUPERVISOR)  2 TOURS  1978 & 1979 DESIGNS, TV/FILM & PROJECTS:NUMEROUS STOCK, DANCE  &  EVENT DESIGNS  (DETAILS & PHOTOS ON REQUEST)JOSEF SWOBODA MASTER CLASS INVITATIONAL PARTICIPANT 1973 1986 STATUE OF LIBERTY FESTIVAL at  LIBERTY STATE PARK- EVENT DESIGNERBALLET DÉCOR  for  NEDERLANDS DANCE THEATRE- DEN HAAG, NEDERLANDS 1989FACULTY MEMBER: RUTGERS UNIVERSITY - TAUGHT PROFESSIONAL PROP CRAFTS  1983-84ABC-TV: RE-DRESS STUDIO PROPMAN - ABC-LOVING (SOAP)  1985-87THEATRE CRAFTS RETROSPECTIVE ARTICLE – SPRING 2002- PNEUMATIC LOCKING CASTERSUSITT PANELIST- ‘PROPPING UP THE WORLD’ – MINNEAPOLIS 2003USITT PANELIST- PROP-A-MINUTE’ – LONG BEACH 2004STATE FARM INDUSTRIAL SHOW – 2006 – Venues: McCormack Place Chicago – Thomas & Mack Las Vegas 

34 YEAR MEMBER IATSE -  ATAC - USITT 

FOUNDER-OWNER-PARTNER OF PRISM PRODUCTION SERVICES LLC, RAHWAY,  NJMONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY – SCHOOL OF THE ARTS – EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERREFERENCE LIST SUPPLIED ON REQUEST  MICHAEL SMANKO                       Having worked professionally for over 35 years, I have been a member of Broadway and touring staffs since 1974.   Educated at Montclair State College with a major in fine arts and a minor in theater, I hold an MFA in theater-design from the Pennsylvania State University.   My additional professional training is in scene painting from Lester Polokov at the Forum and Studio of Design in NYC. I’ve toured the world, on the staffs of Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham and Robert Joffrey, traveling to 36 countries on 5 continents to present performances, many times under the auspices of the State Department - United States Information Agency.  These experiences taught me to condense complicated set-ups into simpler projects with the use of logic, basic diagrams and color-coding. Broadway credits include Filumena starring Joan Plowright, directed by Franco Zefferelli and Laurence Olivier, the original production of Michael Bennett’s Dreamgirls, several productions directed by George C. Wolfe, including Bring in da Noise…Bring in da Funk and Harlem Song, and Disney’s AIDA. More recent credits include Edward Albee’s The Goat, The Rocky Horror Show, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Hairspray.   Having extensive experience with the unique production demands of creating new works for Broadway or other venues, I have a thorough understanding of the serendipitous process of creating stage properties and effects. Touring to most of the major road venues in the US and Canada, I have extensive experience with the demands of preparing a production to tour with efficiency and economy of space and labor.  Efficient packaging can often ‘make or break’ a tour.   While touring I gained some reputation for being able to ‘handle’ star performers with a combination of good humor, pampering and efficiency.  In 1986 I founded Prism Production Services as an entity for the design and fabrication of specialty props.  In 1997 Prism was expanded to a partnership LLC and began changing the way that prop supervisors managed their shows.  Prism became a full service shop with specialty areas in wood, metal and miniature automation.  In addition paint, mold & sculpting, and soft prop fabrication were added.  Prism offered a stock of rental furniture, small hand props, ephemera collection as well as rental workboxes and complete tour packaging.  With a staff of 23, Prism Production Services had credits on most productions on tour and on Broadway. That entity ceased operations in 2004.   In 2007 PRISM PROPS was started for which I serve as owner, craftsman & creative director. I have been a member of the IATSE for 32 years, a member of the Association of Theatrical Artists & Craftspersons (ATAC) since its inception and have contributed to their publication the NY Theatrical Sourcebook.  Additionally I have been a member of the United States Institute for Theater Technology (USITT) and participated as a panelist at the 2003 & 2004 Conferences (‘Propping Up the World’ & ‘Prop-a-Minute) panels for the Scenic Design Commission.  Respecting my educational beginnings, I have remained active in alumni associations.  I am presently an emeritus board member of the COLLEGE OF THE ARTS at MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY in New Jersey. Currently I am employed as the production prop supervisor on EQUUS at the Broadhurst Theatre, NYC