Rachel K Steck

Rachel Kinsman Steck is a Professor of Theatre and Women’s & Gender Studies. They teach classes in lighting & sound design, production & stage management, queer & feminist theory, and sustainability in design. Rachel is also a founding member of Theatre 33, a new play development company that, in 2021 & 2024, received national recognition with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. Local design credits include Enlightened Theatrics, Verona Studio, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, Imago Theatre, Portland Playhouse, Lakewood Theatre, and CoHo Productions. Regional design and production credits include Riverside Performing Arts, Diablo Ballet, California Shakespeare Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Cal Performances, Smuins Ballet/SF, Theatre of Yugen, Berkeley Opera, Women’s Will, Brava! Center for Women in the Arts, Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, HAG Theatre, LiteLab Corporation, and the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. Rachel’s focus is on developing new plays and promoting PNW artists within our communities.

Rachel completed a certificate in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell in 2021 and participated in the 2023 HERS Leadership Institute in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, both have been instrumental in their goal of striving to bring theory to practice in their daily work.

Rachel holds a Ph.D. in Dramatic Arts from the University of Oregon, a Master of Arts in Humanities from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a Bachelors of Arts in Arts & Performance from Wells College.