Sketches. Swatches. Scale models. Costumes. Call Sheets. Props. Painting.
Vibrant examples of theatrical design and production were displayed as the Department of Theatre & Drama presented its 2023 Portfolio Exhibition. The annual showcase is created by students pursuing the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Theatre Design & Production. The exhibition was open to the public January 27 through February 10 in the Duderstadt Center Gallery on North Campus.
Undergraduate stage managers, designers, and technicians curated displays to share a behind-the-scenes look at their work on plays, musicals, and operas at the University of Michigan. Students also drew from course assignments, internships, extracurricular work to represent their skills and experiences.
Take a closer look at the student exhibitions in the photo galleries below! (Or browse and download high-resolution photos from the 2023 Design & Production Portfolio Exhibition.)
Seniors in the BFA in Design & Production program (left to right): Laurence Vance, Abi Farnsworth, Mallory Edgell, Niamh Sullivan, Rachel Schlager, Jordan Pinet (not pictured, Ainsley Grace).
Briana Barker
Stage Manager | Class of 2023 | Website
Briana Barker Portfolio 1/4
Rehearsal Progress Tracking or “What We Have Done List” from Barker’s role as Production Stage Manager for The Heart of Robin Hood
Briana Barker Portfolio 2/4
Barker’s artwork from a Paint Practicum and examples of brick, wood and stone Scene Painting
Briana Barker Portfolio 3/4
Barker’s work samples from Hair and The Heart of Robin Hood
Briana Barker Portfolio 4/4
Briana Barker’s portfolio exhibit
Mallory Edgell
Costume Design Concentration | Class of 2023
Mallory Edgell Portfolio 1/4
Edgell’s ½ Scale Jacket and ½ scale pannier produced in costuming courses with Prof. Sarah Oliver
Mallory Edgell Portfolio 2/4
Edgell’s costuming work on the Jewels Dance Project, Caroline, or Change, and BONNETS
Mallory Edgell Portfolio 3/4
A dress mock up and images created for Edgell’s role as Costume Designer for BONNETS (How Ladies of Good Breeding are Induced to Murder)
Mallory Edgell Portfolio 4/4
Mallory Edgell’s portfolio exhibit
Matthew Eggers
Costume Design Concentration | Class of 2024
Matthew Eggers Portfolio 1/4
“Natasha Final Look” created for Eggers’ role as Costume Designer for Moscow x6
Matthew Eggers Portfolio 2/4
Examples from Eggers’ work on Moscow x6, The Kite Runner and Anna in the Tropics
Matthew Eggers Portfolio 3/4
Period Costume Construction by Eggers for coursework with Prof. Sarah Oliver
Matthew Eggers Portfolio 4/4
Matthew Eggers’ portfolio exhibit
Dallas Fadul
Scenic, Prop, & Costume Design | Class of 2025
Dallas Fadul Portfolio 1/4
A design model created by Fadul
Dallas Fadul Portfolio 2/4
Fadul’s charcoal self-portrait and examples of work on Hand to God, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and other course work
Dallas Fadul Portfolio 3/4
Dallas Fadul’s portfolio exhibit
Dallas Fadul Portfolio 4/4
Costume elements designed by Fadul
Abi Farnsworth
Lighting Designer | Class of 2023
Abi Farnsworth Portfolio 1/4
Examples from Abi Farnworth’s role as Lighting Designer on Moscow x6 at the Arthur Miller Theatre
Abi Farnsworth Portfolio 2/4
Farnsworth’s display included research on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and appropriate lighting design for diverse skin tones in theatre spaces.
Abi Farnsworth Portfolio 3/4
Examples from Farnsworth’s lighting work on Once On This Island at the Power Center, and course projects
Abi Farnsworth Portfolio 4/4
Abi Farnsworth’s portfolio exhibit
Sydney Geysbeek
Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, Maker | Class of 2024
Sydney Geysbeek Portfolio 1/4
Examples from Geysbeek’s role as Lighting Designer on The Unauthorized Peter Johnson Parody
Sydney Geysbeek Portfolio 2/4
Light Plot paper projects produced by Geysbeek for lighting course work.
Sydney Geysbeek Portfolio 3/4
Photos, video, and a light plot from Geysbeek’s role as Lighting Designer on Welcome to Kindergarten
Sydney Geysbeek Portfolio 4/4
Sydney Geysbeek’s portfolio exhibit
Ainsley Grace
Stage Manager | Class of 2024
Ainsley Grace Portfolio 1/4
A prop used in Grace’s role as Production Stage Manager on somebody’s children
Ainsley Grace Portfolio 2/4
Course work relating to rendering and costume design
Ainsley Grace Portfolio 3/4
Examples from Grace’s work as Production Stage Manager on somebody’s children and Bernarda Alba
Ainsley Grace Portfolio 4/4
Ainsley Grace’s portfolio exhibit
Karalyn Hood
Scenic Design & Stage Management | Class of 2024
Karalyn Hood Portfolio 1/4
Scale-model trees from Hood’s work on the stage design for The Heart of Robin Hood. (Read more about this set design.)
Karalyn Hood Portfolio 2/4
Scale models of set design created by Hood
Karalyn Hood Portfolio 3/4
Hood’s “Arches Project” scale model
Karalyn Hood Portfolio 4/4
Karalyn Hood’s portfolio exhibit
Rachael Hymowitz
Costume Design | Class of 2025
Rachael Hymowitz Portfolio 1/4
Costume design course work by Hymowitz – References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot designs
Rachael Hymowitz Portfolio 2/4
Examples from Hymowitz’s role as Costume Shop Manager for Little Shop of Horrors, and other coursework in rendering and prop design
Rachael Hymowitz Portfolio 3/4
Rendering final project created by Hymowitz
Rachael Hymowitz Portfolio 4/4
Rachael Hymowitz’s portfolio exhibit
Elianna Kruskal
Lighting & Stage Management | Class of 2025
Elianna Kruskal Portfolio 1/4
Lighting Design assignment “Cyc Skies Project” – research and designs created by Kruskal
Elianna Kruskal Portfolio 2/4
Examples from Kruskal’s lighting work on Witch at the Arthur Miller Theatre, lighting for the David Thayer Theatre, and Dogfight with Last Night Productions
Elianna Kruskal Portfolio 3/4
Design coursework by Kruskal, including a scenic model process display and renderings of three of the “Seven Deadly Sins”
Elianna Kruskal Portfolio 4/4
Elianna Kruskal’s portfolio exhibit
Mila McCoy
Costume Concentration | Class of 2024
Mila McCoy Portfolio 1/4
Photos from McCoy’s role as Costume Designer on Dogfight with Last Night Productions.
Mila McCoy Portfolio 2/4
A display showing McCoy’s collaborative design process for HoT New Works
Mila McCoy Portfolio 3/4
Examples from McCoy’s roles as Assistant Costume Designer on The Heart of Robin Hood and as Wardrobe Crew Head on The Cunning Little Vixen and Ties that Bind
Mila McCoy Portfolio 4/4
Mila McCoy’s portfolio exhibit
Jordan Pinet
Stage Manager | Class of 2023
Jordan Pinet Portfolio 1/4
Examples of work from Pinet’s role as Production Stage Manager for Sophisticated Ladies
Jordan Pinet Portfolio 2/4
Examples from Pinet’s work on Chicago and Rock of Ages as Stage Management Apprentice with Theatre Aspen
Jordan Pinet Portfolio 3/4
Coursework in drafting and examples from Pinet’s role as Production Stage Manager for Men On Boats
Jordan Pinet Portfolio 4/4
Jordan Pinet’s portfolio exhibit
Esmay Pricejones
Stage Management | Class of 2025
Esmay Pricejones Portfolio 1/4
Costume design process display from Pricejones’ work on The Heart of Robin Hood
Esmay Pricejones Portfolio 2/4
Costume plot, props preset, and photos from The Heart of Robin Hood with other coursework by Pricejones on costume design and construction
Esmay Pricejones Portfolio 3/4
Garment reconstruction project (jacket) and skirt project created by Pricejones in coursework with Prof. Sarah Oliver
Esmay Pricejones Portfolio 4/4
Esmay Pricejones’ portfolio exhibit
Rachel Schlager
Scenic Design | Class of 2023
Rachel Schlager Portfolio 1/4
This Bandstand concept model produced by Schlager was accompanied by research, scenic design, and drafting work from the project.
Rachel Schlager Portfolio 2/4
Examples from Schlager’s roles as Scenic Paint Apprentice on M. Butterfly and Tristan un Isolde
Rachel Schlager Portfolio 3/4
Photos from Schlager’s work as Technical Director for Once on This Island, set design for Jitney Concept and Everybody, and photos/video from production design work on the film Branch Out: A Comedic Thriller
Rachel Schlager Portfolio 4/4
Rachel Schlager’s portfolio exhibit
Niamh Sullivan
Set Design & Scenic Painting | Class of 2023
Niamh Sullivan Portfolio 1/4
Sullivan’s large-scale painting of the Walgreen Drama Center produced for Advanced Scenic Painting
Niamh Sullivan Portfolio 2/4
Coursework by Sullivan in set design concepts, hand drafting and CAD, and an educational theatre project
Niamh Sullivan Portfolio 3/4
Examples from Sullivan’s role as Master Carpenter for Bernarda Alba and in the scene shop for somebody’s children
Niamh Sullivan Portfolio 4/4
Niamh Sullivan’s portfolio exhibit
Audrey Tieman
Scenic Design & Puppet Design | Class of 2024 | Website
Audrey Tieman Portfolio 1/4
Tieman’s Half-Inch Scale Color Model Arches Project of the Karlsplatz Metro Station (Vienna, Austria)
Audrey Tieman Portfolio 2/4
Puppet designs by Tieman for “Audrey Two” in Little Shop of Horrors
Audrey Tieman Portfolio 3/4
Examples of Tieman’s scenic design coursework and scenic design on Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Audrey Tieman Portfolio 4/4
Audrey Tieman’s portfolio exhibit
Laurence J. Vance
Set Design & Props Artisan | Stamps Art & Design Minor | Class of 2023
Laurence J. Vance Portfolio 1/4
Vance’s model stage design of a shop front for Sweeney Todd.
Laurence J. Vance Portfolio 2/4
Vance’s display of scenic design and props ideations for Once on This Island
Laurence J. Vance Portfolio 3/4
Examples from Vance’s scenic design and props work on Little Shop of Horrors
Laurence J. Vance Portfolio 4/4
Laurence J. Vance’s portfolio exhibit
Ellie Vice
Scenic Painting | Class of 2025
Ellie Vice Portfolio 1/4
24 Hour “Create-athon” Painted Tempura art project, created by Ellie Vice, Mari Komidoi, Jane Nguyen and Amber Maxwell with Living Arts Engine
Ellie Vice Portfolio 2/4
Vice’s tree scenic study (a 1 Hour “Fast Scene Paint”) and painted stone, brick, and wood created in scene painting coursework
Ellie Vice Portfolio 3/4
Examples (left) of Vice’s work as Scenic Artist on The Heart of Robin Hood, Sophisticated Ladies, and painted graffiti for somebody’s children. At right, design and rendering coursework.
Ellie Vice Portfolio 4/4
Ellie Vice’s portfolio exhibit
Summer Wasung
Costume Concentration | Class of 2025
Summer Wasung Portfolio 1/4
Garment reconstruction project by Wasung: a Regency era spencer jacket
Summer Wasung Portfolio 2/4
Examples of Wasung’s coursework in costume design and rendering
Summer Wasung Portfolio 3/4
Wasung’s Rendering final project, Thematic Shapes project, and production work binders
Summer Wasung Portfolio 4/4
Summer Wasung’s portfolio exhibit
William Webster
Lighting Design | Class of 2025 | Website
William Webster Portfolio 1/4
At right, Webster’s research and renderings of a Lighting Concept for MT New Works Festival: HoT.
William Webster Portfolio 2/4
Examples from Webster’s lighting coursework and role as Lighting Designer on Animal Farm
William Webster Portfolio 3/4
Webster’s Light Plot from Animal Farm
William Webster Portfolio 4/4
William Webster’s portfolio exhibit
Gabriela Ribeiro Znamensky
Class of 2025
Gabriela Ribeiro Znamensky Portfolio 1/4
Znamensky’s Rendering final project
Gabriela Ribeiro Znamensky Portfolio 2/4
Rendering work samples, and examples from Znamensky’s work as Art Director on Deadbeat
Gabriela Ribeiro Znamensky Portfolio 3/4
Znamensky’s two-part Dance Concert Light Plot for the E.C. Mabie Theatre
Gabriela Ribeiro Znamensky Portfolio 4/4
Gabriela Ribeiro Znamensky’s portfolio exhibit
Miles Zoellick
Stage Manager & Designer | Class of 2024
Miles Zoellick Portfolio 1/4
Scale model stage design by Zoellick
Miles Zoellick Portfolio 2/4
Examples from Zoellick’s scene design coursework
Miles Zoellick Portfolio 3/4
Examples from Zoellick’s experience in sound design on The Heart of Robin Hood, lighting design on Little Shop of Horrors, and work as 1st Asst Stage Manager on The Ties That Bind
Miles Zoellick Portfolio 4/4
Miles Zoellick’s portfolio exhibit
Browse and download high-resolution photos from the 2023 Design & Production Portfolio Exhibition.