Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2021 - 42

JP Riddle's (UH) costume design for the Tiger -Team Yellow. | Image courtesy Tammy Honesty.
having the group meetings on Friday
evenings.
Transformative Project
This project developed out of the sense
of isolation and loss of in-person theatrical
design due to the COVID-19
pandemic. Every
school
and
every
person had a different response to the
pandemic. Many individuals struggled
with feelings of loss, depression, and
anxiety and how the pandemic would affect
their livelihood. Some universities
pivoted to online and recorded productions
with varying levels of involvement
from their students and faculty. Others
were still producing shows in-person
with COVID-19-mitigation
guidelines
in place. Other schools were not producing
productions at all. During the
project, Houston was impacted by a
blizzard and areas were without power
for days. Students were learning remotely,
in-person, or asynchronously.
Some students had family members
diagnosed with COVID-19. Some were
dealing with vaccine side effects. The
third-year MFA students were anxiously
sending out application materials for
jobs, interviewing for jobs, and awaiting
offers or acceptance of negotiations.
42 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | FALL 2021
Faculty were teaching in multiple modalities
and trying to plan for the next
school year. These extenuating circumstances
always hovered around the periphery
of the project. Yet despite all the
challenges, each group created strong
conceptual designs. " This was fun, I
think everyone learned a lot about process,
and product, " said Professor Paige
A. Willson. " It was informative listening
to how other professors critique and
guide design and directing students. I
believe this is a valuable experience.
The digital platform allowed us to reach
beyond our own microcosm and extend
to a national perspective, like the PQdirected
White Plague project. I am excited
to see how this project can grow
and transform. "
Associate Professor Alan McEwen
agreed. " Looking at our methodology of
how we teach these subjects in pandemic
times can yield positive results, and
some might yield projects/techniques
into the future. " I see the opportunity
for this type of a project to enhance
and expand our students' educational
experiences to better prepare them for
a career as a professional artist. I also
envision variations on this project in
future.
Students " will consciously (and unconsciously)
take this experience and
what they learned during this class with
them into the future, and it will shape
them as artists for the rest of their life, "
noted Professor McClung.
Tammy Honesty is a scenic
designer, scenic artist, and
educator currently based in
Ohio. Currently, she is the
Associate Professor of Scenic
Design at Kent State University. Her work
has been showcased in World Stage Design
2013 online gallery, the USA-USITT
Prague Quadrennial Gallery Exhibit (along
with her student's work), USITT, and
USITT Ohio Valley's Peggy Ezekiel Board's
Choice Exhibit. Tammy's designs have been
seen on stages from New York City (Off-OffBroadway)
to the Midwest. She co-authored
The Fake Food Cookbook: Props You
Can't Eat for Theatre, Film, and TV.
Tammy is a proud member of USA 829 and
the Vice President of Education & Training
for USITT.

Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2021

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