Thomas Dixon (he/they) is a theatrical sound designer, composer, and educator from Chicago.
I believe the best theatre is intensely collaborative, bringing the viewpoints and talents of a diverse group of artists together to tell a story that illuminates vital aspects of the human condition. I enjoy working on productions that embrace that collaboration by assembling a team of designers and performers that each bring their own unique experiences, ideas, and opinions to the work, led by an inspiring director and the playwright's text, to create something that none of them could have achieved individually.
I am committed to working to evolve theatrical traditions in the art I make. We must work to allow theatre to change and grow, experimenting with processes, conventions, and aesthetics. I'm always excited to create in truly original ways, employing new vocabularies of storytelling, spectacle, and emotion. As the world changes around us, I strive to use my theatrical work to continue to reflect, enliven, and challenge our communities and audiences in ways that reflect our shared histories and explore the way we move into the future.
My music and design work has been on stages from coast to coast, including at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Cleveland Play House, Victory Gardens Theater, Jacob's Pillow Dance, Portland Center Stage, and many more. I am an ensemble member at Steep Theatre Company in Chicago, where I have designed and composed for dozens of productions. I have also served as artistic curator of Steep's non-theatrical performance series, programming music, storytelling, comedy, variety shows, performance art, and lectures and interviews.
I am a graduate of Northwestern University and Interlochen Arts Academy, and I currently teach at The Theatre School at DePaul University. I've previously taught at Columbia College Chicago and been a Gretchen and Richard Iben Endowed Fellow at Bradley University. My work has been recognized by the Joseph Jefferson Awards, and I was named by Newcity as one of their 2019 Players––The Fifty People Who Really Perform for Chicago.