“A BLOOMING COLLABORATOR IN THE WORLD OF TECHNICAL THEATER” -Scott Jackson, Executive Director, Shakespeare at Notre Dame

Ryan Belock grew up in Strongsville, Ohio, where he spent his childhood creating castles out of recycled paper towel rolls, selling original stationery to his neighbors, and performing magic shows for his family every Christmas night. His passion for performance continued to grow during high school through active involvement in school bands, choirs, and shows.

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts, Ryan received "the arts guy" accolade from the then-Dean of the College of Arts and Letters and current Provost John T. McGreevy. Ryan had triple-majored in Film, Television, and Theatre (theatre concentration), Art, Art History, & Design (graphic design), and Music (percussion performance). In his final two years at Notre Dame, he laid the foundation for a student arts advisory group to improve the integration and collaboration of professional, student, and departmental performances and exhibitions on campus. His involvement extended to various campus organizations, including the Notre Dame Drumline, the Notre Dame Glee Club, the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival, the Pasquerilla East Musical Company, the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre, and Opera Notre Dame.

Ryan earned his MFA in Integrated Media for Live Performance from the University of Texas at Austin, where projection designer Sven Ortel and multimedia director Charlie Otte advised him. During his time at UT-Austin, he had the opportunity to shadow the Chile-based theatre company TEATROCINEMA, where he contributed voice work for Histoir de Amor and drew inspiration from their innovative hybrid performances that combined cinematic three-dimensional worlds and live actors on stage. For his MFA thesis production, RE/CONNECT, co-conceived with costume technician Kristen Weller, Ryan integrated various disciplines into live performance, including Arduino LED costumes, immersive video projections, movement, and live music, all of which told a story about contemporary trends in communication, technology, and intimacy.

Beyond his professional work in theatre design, Ryan applied his passion for social concerns as a graphic designer. He contributed to the mission of the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), a national non-profit organization dedicated to giving a voice to individuals affected by obesity and helping them on their journey toward better health. He directed the OAC's visual presence, encompassing all Association graphic design, video, and multimedia platforms. He served as a creative strategist, streamlining tools for design-centered thinking and project management.

Additionally, Ryan served as a graphic designer for the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NYC, supporting their mission "to create an environment with the purpose of nurturing theatre artists and audiences who value humanity as their first and most precious priority while providing art and education to the greater community."

Ryan worked with the Blue Man Group video department and was the Associate Projection Designer on the pre-Broadway tour of A Wonderful World. Other recent work includes assistant editor for designer Peter Nigrini's studio, contributing to productions like Here Lies Love (Broadway) and Dear Evan Hansen (Broadway, West End, and U.S. tour).

Ryan currently serves as Assistant Professor of Digital and Immersive Media at the University of Missouri - Kansas City (UMKC) Conservatory, a role he began in Fall 2024. In addition to his academic position, he is the Associate Projection Designer for the Broadway production of A Wonderful World. Ryan also contributes to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, volunteering as one of the featured projection designers for their signature event, Broadway Bares.

Projection and video design credits include Off-Broadway: Communion (the cell); On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (Irish Repertory Theatre); Dogs of Rwanda, A Deal (Urban Stages); The Jury, Powerline Road (TheatreNowNY); Musical of Musicals, Me & Ella (York Theatre). Associate/Assistant: A Wonderful World (Broadway, Steven Royal, Designer); Here Lies Love (Animator, Broadway, Peter Nigrini - designer), Dear Evan Hansen (Understudies Assistant Editor, Broadway, West End, U.S. Tour, Peter Nigrini - designer); My Very Own British Invasion (Paper Mill Playhouse, Andrew Lazarow - designer); Party People (The Public Theater, Sven Ortel - designer); Sojourners, Her Portmanteau (New York Theater Workshop); Rags (Goodspeed Opera, Luke Cantarella - designer); The Masked Ball (Austin Opera, Wendall Harrington- designer); Jane Eyre (Center for Contemporary Opera, Luke Cantarella - designer); Are You Now (MetroStage); And Then They Came For Me (Indiana Rep); Earthrise (The Kennedy Center). Regional: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Regional Premiere - South Bend Civic Theatre); West Side Story (City Springs Theatre Co.); Carrie (Tantrum Theater, Ohio University); Gypsy, Cabaret, Show Boat, Oklahoma! (Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra); In the Heights, Into the Woods (Austin, TX); Jesus Christ Superstar (Univ. Notre Dame). Galas: The Juilliard School, Urban Stages, Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival. World Premieres:  The Passion (Notre Dame Folk Choir); Dreaming/Undreaming (in collaboration with Kosmologia commissioned for The Princeton Festival and presented at Chicago Ear Taxi Music Festival); Sorin: A Notre Dame Story (University of Notre Dame); New Voices in Michiana: From Thoughts to Music 2021 (Ensemble Concept 21) Colossal, Re/Connect (Cohen New Works Festival).

Ryan resides in Kansas City with his wife, Michelle, their son, and a golden retriever named Sydney, affectionately known in the studio as "Pixel."