Will Butler, set designer, actor, teacher, and theatre buff, began his company, Butler Scenic Co., in 2019 as a one-stop shop for design, fabrication, and educational services for the theatre industry. From Sumner County, Tennessee, Butler graduated from Belmont University with a degree in theater performance. He moved to New York after graduating to pursue acting. After he realized acting was not the right fit, he moved back home to Middle Tennessee in 2011.
Back from New York, he took a job in interior design working for a friend of a friend within the industry. Working for a few years, he truly enjoyed the job, and it carved the path towards set design.
In 2014, he applied for a teaching position as a theatre teacher at Hillsboro High School. The previous teacher had a background in set design, and Butler, too. He fit. There, he met his wife, Kristin, also a theater teacher at Hillsboro.
While creating sets for the high school’s theatre department, the theatre community took notice. Through word of mouth, Butler was onto a booming business, busy nonstop. He has contributed to and designed over a hundred sets. Butler has worked with named theaters such as Studio Tenn, Nashville Children’s Theatre, Maples Repertory Theatre in Missouri, The Theater Bug, and Belmont University, just to name a handful.
Butler has won recognitions such as TPAC’s Spotlight Awards for Outstanding Design Concept in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023. He won Outstanding Set Design in 2015 for Hairspray and 2019 for Rock of Ages. In 2019, he won Best Set Design for the Broadway World Nashville Awards. In 2023, Butler won the First Night Award for Outstanding Set Designer. And in 2024, he was a Star Award Recipient.
One of the sets that most stands out to Butler is his work on the musical Into the Woods by playwright James Lapine. The set came together, “like lightning in a bottle,” Butler describes, “all the pieces fell into place.” Because the musical takes place with characters from fairy tales, Butler wanted the scenes to be conceptually set in an abandoned and rundown library.
The set was two stories high with bookcases as hidden doors opening and closing with “magical fluidity.” Behind the scenes, the tech crew opened and closed the doors on command. The aesthetic looked like the characters had magic powers to open and close the doors.
A quote from the musical states, “Tell him the story of how it all happened.” A library setting was very suitable as the backdrop for the stories that unfolded on stage.
Butler is not only a thespian and set designer, but he also works in experiential design, creating themed experiences for clients across the country. Butler created two pop-ups for the Fairlane Hotel in Nashville: “The Dollhouse at Fairlane” in 2023, during the summer Barbie came out in theaters, and the second was “Emerald City at Fairlane” for the musical Wicked. Butler designed and fabricated an immersive Wizard of Oz Halloween event for the company SEASIDE in fall 2025. Butler traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio, to put together the “Tinselhaus” pop-up in December 2025.
The process of creating a set can be daunting, but it is a welcomed challenge to Butler. He likes bringing a play to life, creating something memorable for the audience. He hopes that audiences can find something within his designs that hits home or resonates with them.
“Sets create the psychological and emotional environment for the actors to play and the audience to enjoy,” said Butler.
As trends come and go, the set design industry has evolved too. Not only do sets involve construction, but now new additions like LED screens, up-to-date fly systems, and new audio and visual components have revolutionized the industry.
From start to finish, Butler meets with the director and converses about the themes and what the audience will see. Second, he reads the play or musical several times, looking for themes to emphasize. Putting pencil to paper, he sketches his ideas. He uses 3D modeling software and mood boards, too. Once the director is happy with the results, Butler and his crew start the process of building, which lasts about one to two months. And through the hard work of many, the set is ready for opening night.
Butler has a crew of 5, each with their own expertise ranging from sculptural artistry to scenic painting to electrics and lighting to fabrication. Many of his employees are past students.
Up and coming production designs are Hello, Dolly! at Hillsboro High School Feb. 27-March 2, and Hamlet at Nashville School of the Arts April 9-12.
butlerscenic.com
“Sets create the psychological and emotional environment for the actors to play and the audience to enjoy,” said Butler.