Smaida Massatt
Assistant Professor, Entertainment Lighting and Media Production
Biography
Smaida M膩ra Massatt worked as a lighting designer and electrician in the Chicago and Minneapolis areas. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she obtained her B.S. in Business at St. Gregory鈥檚 University in Oklahoma (2017), and her MFA in Lighting Design at the University of Minnesota (2020).
She designed for dance, theatre, and opera, including James and the Giant Peach at the Minnesota Children鈥檚 Theatre Company, Die Fledermaus at Ted Mann Concert Hall, Pippin at the Rarig Center, Hot Crowd Dance Co.鈥檚 Spring Concert, and The White Card at Penumbra Theatre (as an associate designer).
She has worked as an assistant lighting designer at the Minnesota Opera, Theatre Latt茅 Da, Interact Theater Company (Dowling Studio), and Minnesota's Children's Theatre Company. She has also worked in several capacities in numerous theaters and dance companies including Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago Opera Theater, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, and Chicago Puppet Festival. She has taught frequently at Chicago鈥檚 Hyde Park Arts Center summer camp for children and teens, focusing on performing and visual arts.
Before working in technical production, she worked extensively in dance. She performed in numerous major theatres in Brazil, such as the Rio de Janeiro Opera House, the Jo茫o Caetano Theatre, the International Festival of Joinville, and the Bradesco Theatre in S茫o Paulo. She also helped promote, coordinate, and perform as an artist at the 2013 Rio de Janeiro World Youth Day, which was one of the most major international events ever to happen in her hometown.