Tristan Decker headshot

Tristan Decker

Associate Professor of Professional Practice and Technical Director
Theatre
Walsh Performing Arts Center 220F

t.decker@tcu.edu | 817-257-6744

Education

BA, Drama, University of Dallas
MA, Drama, Texas Woman's University

Courses Taught

THEA 11203: Stagecraft
THEA 41203: Advanced Stagecraft

Areas of Focus

Theatre Production and Design with an emphasis in Scenery, Lighting, and Automation.

Tristan Decker is in his 7th year as the Technical Director and Associate Professor of Professional Practice for Texas Christian University’s Department of Theatre. Having started out as an actor, Tristan has become a noted, award winning freelance designer and technical director who has designed for many of the area’s leading regional theater companies. Having gained a reputation as a “fixer,” his passion to experiment and blend new technologies with traditional techniques drives his work and fervent belief that the idea of “We can’t do X” is simply a new challenge to be turned into “We can do X and this is how.” Among the nearly 300 productions he has been involved with, his work has been seen on the stages of The Dallas Theater Center (A Macbeth), Undermain Theatre (Uncle BobSaint NicholasHomeworkA Por Quinly ChristmasBlastedThe Appeal), Second Thought (Hunter Gatherers), Our Endeavors Theater Co. (CaligulaThe Last One-Nighter on the Death TrailArtificial Jungle, Dainty Shapes and Hairy Apes), Trinity Shakespeare Festival (Twelfth NightMuch Ado About NothingAs You Like ItThe Merry Wives of WindsorThe Comedy of ErrorsA Midsummer Night’s DreamRichard III), Echo Theater Company (End Days), River City Rep (Glass Menagerie (with Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie) DoubtMoonlight and MagnoliasMember of the Wedding (with Oscar nominee Margaret Avery), Texas Woman’s University, The University of Dallas, The Contemporary Theater of Dallas (The Cemetery Club),  Theatre 3 (The MinotaurDefianceThe Imaginary InvalidMetamorphoses), and Shakespeare Dallas (Romeo and JulietTwelfth NightRichard IIILove’s Labour’s LostTaming of the ShrewMerry Wives of WindsorAll’s Well That Ends WellOthello), and Oklahoma City Rep (Heisenberg, August: Osage County, Lysistrata, My Fair Lady), among many others. He was also hired by Disney to design one of the first high school productions of High School Musical: The Musical which was also the subject of the 2007 documentary High School Musical: The Music In You. He was the lighting designer for first season of the nationally syndicated talkshow The Flipside with Michael Loftus. He is an original company member and Artistic Associate of the Trinity Shakespeare Festival serving in many areas as a set designer, lighting designer, technical director, and scenic studio supervisor. He is a winner of multiple DFW Theater Critic Forum Awards and has been nominated for several Leon Rabin and Column Awards. Additionally, he is published in the Texas Theater Journal for his paper “The Myth-Application of Vitruvius’ Echea.” Most recently he was featured in American Theatre Magazine’s “6 Theatre Workers You Should Know.” Before coming to TCU as an Associate Professor of Professional Practice, he was the Resident Set and Lighting Designer and Technical Director for The University of Dallas. A 14 year resident of Fort Worth, Tristan is happily married with three young ones.

A Tuna Christmas, Lighting Design, Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, 2016

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lighting Design, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, 2016

Measure for Measure, Lighting Design, University of Dallas, 2016

The Women of Lockerbie, Lighting Design, Texas Christian University, 2016

The Flipside with Michael Loftus, Lighting Design, For Profit Productions, 2015-2014

Vanya, Sonia, Masha & Spike, Lighting Design, Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, 2014

Comedy of Errors, Lighting and Set Design, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, 2014

Celebration, Lighting Design, Texas Woman’s University, 2014

Taming of the Shrew, Scenic Design, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, 2013

Merry Wives of Windsor, Lighting Design, Trinity Shakespeare Festival, 2012

As You Like It, Lighting Design, Trinity Shakespeare Festival 2011

DFW Theatre Critics Forum Award for Creative Contribution: 2014, 2013