Big Easy Awards

The Spider Queen wins Best Costumes in this year's Big Easy Awards!  This fantastical show featured 17 of my masks, amazing garments by costume designer Hope Bennett, and five puppet characters designed by Kenneth Thompson working in unison to bring  a new world to life! The NOLA Project earned two other accolades on The Spider Queen—Best Original Work of Theatre … Continue reading Big Easy Awards

NW Coast Masks and the Lelooska Foundation

For two Saturdays in March, I traveled to the Lelooska Foundation in Ariel, WA, to learn more about the art of mask carving in the Pacific NW. The Lelooska Foundation is home to one of the chieftainships of the Kwakwaka'wakw tribe. Many tribes in the NW have amazing mask traditions as a part of their … Continue reading NW Coast Masks and the Lelooska Foundation

The Mask Maker

I've often found that people aren't quite sure what I mean when I say I'm a mask maker. Chris Hatcher of Field Guide Films gives a terrific peek behind the curtains in this video. The Mask Maker from Chris Hatcher on Vimeo. The masks I'm making here are for the production of The Spider Queen by … Continue reading The Mask Maker

An Italian Summer(y)

Centro Maschere e Strutture Gestuali Earlier this summer, I posted about my study with the Sartori in Abano Terme, a small city of 19,000 near the larger city of Padova. Here are a few photos of the rest of that work!   From our initial designs on paper, we sculpted our masks in clay. Then … Continue reading An Italian Summer(y)

Hunting for solutions

Behind the Scenes: The King Stag This show was produced at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR, and designed by Professor Michael Olich. I worked as the movement consultant for the actors and as an assistant designer/ builder of various mask and puppet items. Seven months before the show would open, we met to share broad concepts, … Continue reading Hunting for solutions

So. Epic.

The Epic Project Inspired by the study of mythology by Joseph Campbell (a favorite of mine too!), as well as theatre creators Ariane Mnouchkine, Jacques Lecoq, Peter Brook, and Complicite, Professor Stephanie Roberts is leading an exciting collaboration between UMKC Theatre and  the UMKC Conservatory IMP Ensemble. The working title is The Epic Project. It is a three … Continue reading So. Epic.

Devising mask theater

Hoping for a Remount in Fall 2015! Over the course of the last three years, I've had the great pleasure to work with Many Hats Collaboration's Jessica Wallenfels and Eric Nordin (and a slew of other talented artists) on the development of an original work of dance theater, The Snowstorm.  It's been a great journey, and I … Continue reading Devising mask theater