Bringing Set and Costume Designs to Fruition: Made by Teams

Bringing Set and Costume Designs to Fruition: Made by Teams dives into the collaborative working relationships between set and costume designers with their technical counterparts throughout the theatrical production process, from concept to execution.

Set and costume designers render environments and characters for a wide array of performative events; skilled artisans and technologists bring these visions to life. This book explores the dynamic between those who decide what the set and costumes should look like and those who make them work, including scene designers, costume designers, scene shops, and costume shops. The book discusses how to identify resources, ask the right questions, and engage in healthy collaborations. Following these fundamentals are practical activities and interviews with industry professionals that demonstrate how these skills can be applied to a broad range of productions and other avenues for creative design and production.

Bringing Set and Costume Designs to Fruition is written for emerging professionals in set and costume design, as well as students in courses across a theatre degree program, including stagecraft, costume construction, scene design, and introduction to theatrical design and production.

Jennifer Dasher (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Costume Design in the College of the Arts at The University of Florida and the recipient of the Morris Foundation Visiting Artist Grant at University of Buffalo. Jen was recently selected as a TEDx speaker, amplifying the intersection of visual messaging, design, and identity in Why is Anyone Listening to Me?. She is the owner of J.Dasher Creative, a creative studio that has produced designs for Cirque du Soleil, Paula Abdul, Glimmerglass Opera, The Washington Ballet, Ford’s Theatre, PBS, Ballet X and a selection of Broadway and Off-Broadway works.

Lynne M. Koscielniak (she/her) is a member of United Scenic Artists USA Local 829 in the set and lighting design categories, and a Professor of Theatre in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University at Buffalo. Lynne’s work has been seen both regionally and internationally, including at the Prague Quadrennial and at World Stage Design Expositions. Select honors include an emerging designer residency at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Michael Merritt Scholarship for Excellence in Design and Collaboration, and a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion Award for extraordinary contributions to the teaching/producing of theatre.

Jonathan Shimon (he/him) is an Associate Professor of Theatre Technology in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University at Buffalo and an Associate Trainer for The Chicago Flyhouse. His specialties include industrial hygiene for theatre, scenic automation, structural design and analysis, rigging, material labor estimation, and management. A certified theatrical rigger and recognized trainer through the Entertainment Technician Certification Program, Jon was selected to be the Technical Director for the US entries in the 2019 Prague Quadrennial.