Dunsi Dai

B.A., Central Academy of Drama (China), 1982; M.A., Stanford University, 1989; M.F.A..University of Illinois, 1992; At Webster since 1996.

Dunsi was born and grew up in China. He received his BA in Stage Design from the Central Academy of Drama, which is the best theatre training program in that country. He designed professionally national wide there, and taught scene design at the Central Academy of Drama for four years before he came to the States in 1986 for further education. In the States, Dunsi received a MA in Theatre History/Stage Design from Stanford University in 1989, and a MFA in Scene Design from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1992
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As a professional scene designer (USA Local 829), Dunsi has designed both Off-Broadway as well as at regional theatres across the country. The scope of his design works include: straight drama, musical, opera, experimental production, children theatre, event/corporative theatre. His favorite designs including RITA'S RESOURCE (Pan Asian Rap, NYC), ONCE UPON THE MATRASS (Brook Hollow Players, NY), CARMAN (Trenton State Theatre, NJ), DESERT SONG (Hampton Playhouse, NH), WEST SIDE STORY (Struthers Library Theatre, PA), MARA/SADE (Stanford Rep, CA), BIG RIVER (The Human Race Theatre, OH), BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY (True Color Theatre, GA), WIT (The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), WATER NIGER and WAITING FOR GODOT (St. Louis Black Rep.), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Stages of St. Louis), OFF THE MAP (TNT), HEARTS and KINDER TRANSPORT (The New Jewish Theatre), TWO HEADED (Black Cat Theatre), REMNENT and AN ALMOST HOLLY PICTURE (Mustard Seed Theatre), MAME and 1776 (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre). His scene design of REMNENT (Mustard Seed Theatre, 2007) received Kevin Kline Award of Outstanding Scene Design (2008). His scene design of TWO HEADED (Black Cat Theatre, 2008) was nominated for Kevin Kline Award of Outstanding Scene Design (2009). As a teacher, Dunsi taught scene design at State University of New York at Stony Brook (1992 -1996) and the Central Academy of Drama in China (1982-1986). He is a professor of scene design in Webster University, teaching scene design in the Conservatory of Theatre Arts.