This fall, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance will welcome Jungah Han as assistant professor in the Department of Theatre & Drama. Han’s broad and deep experience as a set designer and educator will contribute significantly to the department and enrich the experience of its students.
“I am excited to join the faculty of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance,” Han stated. “It is my honor to be the teacher for the students who will take the journey with me starting this fall semester. It is my hope to combine my range of experiences in teaching and design and my abilities to embrace the spirit of diversity that can contribute to students who are pursuing careers in theatre, film, and television.”
Han has worked as a set designer across many styles of theatre production as well as in film and television. Her set designer credits include The Barber of Seville (SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center); The House That Will Not Stand (Le Petit Theatre); Vier Letzte Lieder by Richard Strauss (Alchemical Studio); My Onliness & Numbness: Chapter 2 (New Ohio Theatre); Shockheaded Peter, When the Rain Stops Falling (Cygnet Theatre); Coriolanus, Paradise Lost, Cardboard Piano, Measure for Measure (Yale Iseman Theatre); Solo Bach (Yale Cabaret); A Number (Cygnet Roland Theatre); and No Exit (Diversionary Theatre).
Han has worked as an associate and assistant scenic designer for several Broadway and international productions, including Jagged Little Pill (National Tour 2022); The Empire of Light (Théâtre National de Bretagne, France); Red Waters (Opéra de Rennes, France); Derren Brown: Secret (Cort Theatre); Once On This Island (Circle in the Square Theatre, National Tour); Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Broadhurst Theatre); Harlequinade (American Ballet Theatre); Rigoletto (Die Staatsoper Unter den Linden); and Tosca (Cincinnati Opera House).
“The Department of Theatre & Drama is delighted to welcome Jungah Han to the Design & Production faculty,” noted Christianne Myers, interim chair of the Department of Theatre & Drama. “She has a stimulating portfolio that demonstrates an artistic practice rich in devised and site-specific work. Her portfolio reflects her profile as a collaborative theatre artist across a variety of genres. We were fortunate to bring her back to Ann Arbor last month for our annual Portfolio Review, so she’s already getting to know the students she will be teaching and mentoring next year.”
Han’s academic experience includes teaching courses in set design at a number of universities, including Long Island University Post, SUNY Purchase, University of California Riverside, and University of San Diego.
“It is our pleasure to welcome this exciting addition to the Design & Production faculty, as Jungah Han has developed her own strong, thought-provoking, and rich scenic design voice,” commented Sarah M Oliver, assistant professor of theatre & drama and the chair of the search committee. “Han nurtures students through a unique lens of theatrical design with work that builds connections within the context of today’s social and racial issues within theatre.”
Han earned a master of fine arts degree in set design from San Diego State University and from David Geffen School of Drama at Yale.