Christopher Henry Smith

One of dozens of events we produced each year, the Dr. Dennis Washburn visit featured one of the country’s pre-eminent translation scholars in student visits, a public lecture, and a reception with our community. (photo credit: Zoë D. Photography, https://zoedphotography.com/)

Across three days of panels, a public episode screening, receptions, and one-on-one student activities, our team hosted screenwriters and producers from Apple TV+’s Pachinko at various Dallas locations. (photo credit: Sara Seeton, https://www.saraseeton.com/)

Part recruitment event, part homecoming spirit-day, this outdoor celebration involved the English Department in partnership with Fondren Library to showcase English programs for the thousands of campus guests, all while passing out free popcorn and swag.

Working at The Chicago High School for the Arts, our team would work throughout the year to produce our annual fundraising event, Kerfuffle! (photo credit: Mark Ballogg, balloggphoto.com)

Kerfuffle! became a family reunion of sorts for the arts community of Chicago who had helped start the school and a chance to reunite and celebrate the amazing things happening at ChiArts. (photo credit: Mark Ballogg, balloggphoto.com)

Kerfuffle! was hosted by Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and The Art Institute of Chicago.  My role was to work alongside our Production Manager, Executive & Artistic Director, and Director of Development to plan logistics, direct student activities, assist with programming, and work to ensure a smooth evening for our guests. (photo credit: Mark Ballogg, balloggphoto.com)

Another enormous project at ChiArts was the annual graduation.  More than your traditional high school graduation, we were hosted by the Harris Theater for Music and Dance and welcomed Herbie Hancock, Charlie Barnett, and Hebru Brantley as commencement speakers. (photo credit: Mark Ballogg, balloggphoto.com)

In October 2014, I, along with the team at ChiArts opened the doors to our new building for the largest community event we had ever hosted.  Local vendors donated food and takeaways, Arts Partners offered workshops for guests, and our incredible students performed and presented in venues all throughout the school. (photo credit: Preston Thomas, prestonthomas.net)

Though not of the same scale as some of the larger events I helped produce at ChiArts, this one held a special place in my heart, not only for the autonomy I was granted in helping run the event, but also in seeing our students and the new community in West Town interact in such a positive setting.  (photo credit: ChiArts Visual Arts Sophomore)

For the 2014-2015 school year, I was invited to work alongside the wonderful team at Chicago Public Schools' Department of Arts Education, acting as Artistic Director and Production Stage Manager for their year-end performance with all twelve city-wide arts ensembles. (photo credit: Ray Yang)

After months of working with the inspiring students, staff, and ensemble directors, we came together at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance for one furious and enthusiastic day of mapping out technical elements, staging, and then presenting the work to the largest audience All-City has had to-date. Hats off to the indelible team of technicians and crew at the Harris for making us look so great. (photo credit: Ray Yang)

Wearing a very different hat, I worked with EX-Pats Theatre Co. producing not only plays but also events and festivals.  In keeping with our slightly irreverent style, we hosted this outdoor fundraiser commissioning new works from local playwrights and showcasing nearly twenty talented actors.  The conceit: by the time the curtain opened, the brave actors had been drinking for 12 hours straight.  ADLIB: Actors Drinking Live in a Backyard. (design credit: Chris Smith) 

A more low-key summer fundraiser, "Rock-Yer-Billy" featured many things a theatre company comprised primarily of Texans loved dearly: live music, barbecue, novelty raffle prizes, and drinking games. (photo credit: Chris Smith)

And in what proved to be one of our favorite recurring events, EX-Pats hosted a weekly open mic under the auspices of the good people at Uptown Lounge.  We invited fire jugglers, musicians, comedians, magicians, visual artists, and anyone we could find to come share their work for the promise of a free drink and a good time. (design credit: Roy Gonzalez and Chris Smith)

Launching a new fundraising initiative, we turned the idea of a stuffy gala on its head with an immersive experience full of artist performances, activities, and one-of-a-kind moments.