Lakeside School

by Matthew K. ’28

Devin Petersen designs sets in Seattle that read like lived-in rooms. He starts with a script, locates the small details that tell a story, then builds quarter-inch models and draws elevations to test sightlines and movement. His recent work at ArtsWest required a kitchen that functions for actors and reads clearly to the audience; his answers came from geometry, shop conversations, and material choices that work well under stage lights and with budget sheets. He frames every choice by asking what the space must do for an actor and what it must say to an audience.
He saw “Phantom of the Opera” when he was 9 years old and felt awed by how a set could magically transport him. At Lakeside he performed in musicals, ran the lighting board at assemblies, and, as a junior, found technical theater.

You never have to do only one thing. Try everything. Fail often. Let your curiosity get messy. Fulfillment doesn't come from playing it safe. — Devin Petersen

Now an adjunct professor at the University of Puget Sound, Petersen designs mainstage shows and teaches practical stagecraft. He balances teaching, freelance design, being a supportive spouse, and parenting a toddler. He is blunt about the job’s limits and clear about what matters: Community. Supporting actors. Creating a space that makes an audience care.