R. J. Ogren

R.J. Ogren (Scenic Artist) was one of the original four management artists at Walt Disney World in the 1970s and 1980s in charge of creative control. He painted and created figures, sets and murals for attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight, Thunder Mountain, and The Hall of Presidents. He has designed sets for professional and community theatre for four decades, including productions of 1776, Same Time Next Year, Arsenic and Old Lace, Anything Goes, Deathtrap, Guys and Dolls, Dial “M” for Murder, On Golden Pond, and Laura. R.J. was scenic artist for the U.S. premier of Jerry Springer – The Opera in Chicago. As an adjunct professor and technical director of Mill Theatre at Elmhurst College, he and one of his students were given a Kennedy Center Award for their design of Wit. He recently won a WDI Colby Award for his scenic artistry on Picasso at the Lapin Agile. He was the designer and scenic artist for this season’s productions of Incorruptible and Black Comedy. R.J. works full time as an artist painting murals, portraits, and landscapes and creating cartoons. He owns the R.J. Ogren Cartoon and Fine Art Studio on Third Street in Geneva. Originally from St. Charles, R.J. now lives in Naperville with his writer/actress wife Suzanne, who is also a Wheaton Drama member. www.rjogren-artist.com

Bio from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels