Douglas Borntrager is a theatrical sound and video designer, composer, and projection artist, but above all, a storyteller. Having received a B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan and worked at such theatres as Vineyard Theatre, CATCO, Oak Park Shakespeare Festival, and others, Borntrager found his artistic home at Know Theatre of Cincinnati as Resident Designer in 2002.
He has received numerous accolades for his designs over the years, including two Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for Outstanding Lighting, Sound, or Special Effects for Hamlet and Eurydice, a LCT award for Sound Design for When the Rain Stops Falling, and a LCT award for Video Design for Gruesome Playground Injuries.
When the pandemic lockdown went into effect, Borntrager, in conjunction with Wave Pool, created Projection Connections, a mobile light-based experience, projecting onto the lawns and houses, businesses and apartments of numerous Cincinnati neighborhoods. Collaborating with local, national, and international artists, Projection Connections offered illuminated art to nearly 15,000 residents and online viewers of 15 neighborhoods during the height of isolation.
