2026 COSTUME DESIGN
ANNA ZAUNBRECHER I Southern Methodist University
CONTACT INFO
P I 337.522.9415
E I annazaunbrecherdesign@gmail.com
W I annazaunbrecherdesign.com
Anna Zaunbrecher is a Costume and Scenic Designer. Her love of storytelling and theatre led her to pursue her Masters of Fine Art in Costume Design at Southern Methodist University where she also discovered a passion for Scenic Design. She also has studied apparel design, and loves the act of sewing. In her free time, she works on her own designs and costumes.
Anna has designed costumes for Blood Wedding by Federico García Lorca, The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol, and Constellations by Nick Payne. She has designed costumes and set for John Proctor is the Villian and Antipodes by Annie Baker.
AVA FRANCISCO I Indiana University
CONTACT INFO
P I 210.541.2282
E I avafranciscodesign@gmail.com
W I avafrancisco.com
Ava Francisco is a Canadian-born costume designer based in Bloomington, Indiana. She is completing her MFA in Costume Design at Indiana University. Before pursuing costume design, she spent several years teaching saxophone in a Texas school district, developing skills in collaboration, organization, and mentorship.
Ava approaches design through creative exploration and practical execution, with a focus on construction, fittings, and systems that support performance. She creates costumes that are functional, adaptable, and responsive to performers while supporting the overall world of production. Recent credits include Pride and Prejudice (thesis), Reefer Madness, and Our Dear Dead Drug Lord.
In addition to her design work, Ava has experience in arts administration with Santa Fe Opera and Alley Theatre. She is interested in bridging creative and organizational practices to support sustainable production processes. Outside of theatre, she enjoys music, swing dancing, reading, crafting, and building community.
BENJAMIN BURTON I New York University
CONTACT INFO
P I 513.390.2190
E I benjxburton@gmail.com
W I benjburton.com
Benjamin Burton is a New York City-based costume designer and a proud union member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. He holds an MFA in Costume Design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Benjamin's love of storytelling began with make-believe games he played with his brothers in the Ethiopian village where they grew up. His love for textiles began when he taught himself to knit in 3rd grade. He eventually earned degrees in Dramaturgy and Costume Design, merging his love for clothing and story.
Benjamin approaches design through a dramaturgical lens, establishing the culture and context of a story before designing its characters. He often employs myth and ritual in his work, and embraces the awesome and the absurd with equal enthusiasm.
Outside the studio, Benjamin enjoys writing, hosting parties, and running in Riverbank State Park.
BLADE MENTJES I University Of Missouri - Kansas City
CONTACT INFO
P I 507.273.5501
E I tmentjes@gmail.com
W I ratkingdesigns.com
Blade Mentjes is a costume designer with a visual arts background, passionate about costume crafts and puppetry. He has recently finished his M.F.A. in the Costume Design program at UMKC Conservatory. He is a Minnesota based designer who received his B.F.A. at the University of Wisconsin La-Crosse where he double majored in Theater Design and the Visual Arts with an emphasis in Sculpture. Through his art, he wishes to offer those in need with validation, healing and connection, while also challenging those in complacency out of their comfort zone to foster empathy and awareness.
His recent works include: UMKC productions, Carmen, Pippin and The Government Inspector, and puppets for Hope Repertory Theatre in Michigan for the production of, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!. Other credits include Costume Craft work for UMKC and Hope Rep for, Into the Woods, Vinegar Tom, and Mary Poppins.
CLAUDIA SPACKMAN I New York University
CONTACT INFO
P I 347.784.0204
E I claudia.spackman@gmail.com
W I claudiaspackmandesign.com
Claudia Spackman is an Australian Costume and set designer who seeks to fulfil designs in creative and innovative ways, through research and imagination in order to seamlessly transport audiences to new places and deeper into storytelling. She strives to make transitions for audiences through costumes and sets that are engaging and collaborative. She grew up on a sheep and cattle farm in central NSW where she enjoyed horse riding and animal care as well as learning to sew from her mother and grandmother. She loves travelling, reading and learning about places, people and things
COLIN FRANZ I University of Maryland
CONTACT INFO
P I 313.680.6377
E I colinfranzdesign@gmail.com
W I colinfranz.com
Colin Franz is a costume designer with a background in theatre, opera, and dance. He is originally from Detroit and received his B.F.A in Theatre Design and Technology from Oakland University, Rochester MI, and recently received his M.F.A in Costume Design from the University of Maryland. He will continue to reside in DC post graduation. He enjoys exploring the life of the character with the actor as well as collaboration in storytelling with the design team.
His recent works include: Macbeth (University of Maryland), Frozen Jr. (Theatre J Youth Camp), Fiddler on the Roof (Design Associate, Signature Theatre), and Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor. (Maryland Opera Studio).
DONI ROTUNNO I University of Maryland
CONTACT INFO
P I 954.826.4923
E I donirotunnodesigns@gmail.com
W I donirotunnodesigns.com
Doni Rotunno is a costume designer with a background in theatre and dance, as well as hair and makeup. She received her B.F.A in Design and Technical Production from Marymount Manhattan College, and recently received her M.F.A in Design from the University of Maryland. She works to elevate storytelling through her designs, and build meaningful connections with her collaborators.
Her recent works include: She Loves Me (Univserity of Maryland), Into the Woods (Howard Community College), As You Like It (Design Assistant, Folger Theater), and for colored girls who considered suicide/when the rainbow is enough (University of Maryland).
Doni will be based in New York City beginning June 2026.
GENEVIEVE McCORMICK I New York University
CONTACT INFO
P I 910.709.1017
E I mccormickj16@ecualumni.ecu.edu
W I genevievemccormickdesigns.com
Genevieve McCormick (They/ Them) is a New York based Costume Designer and native North Carolinian. Their work as a professional costumer largely consists of theater and a smattering of dance with both Design and Technology executions.
Genevieve graduated with a BFA in Painting and Drawing with a minor in Theater Production with an emphasis in Costume Design from East Carolina University. They are currently Attending New York University Tisch School of the Arts for their MFA in Costume Design.
Prior to Graduate School, Genevieve has worked as the Costume Shop Manager at East Carolina University, Head Costume Designer at Ocala Civic Theatre, and a Draper at Barrington Stage Company.
JIMENA SOTO MEJIA I University of California - Los Angeles
CONTACT INFO
P I +52(55) 1684.0988
E I jimenasotomejia@gmail.com
W I https://readymag.website/u2577908219/6223364/
Jimena Soto Mejía is a Mexican costume designer, born and raised in Mexico City and currently based in Los Angeles, California. She holds a BFA in Fashion and Textile Design from Centro de Diseño, Cine y Televisión and is completing her MFA in Design for Theater, Film, and Television at UCLA.
Her recent work includes theatrical costume design for the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s productions of Rodrigo(Spring 2025) and The Turn of the Screw (Fall 2025), both directed by James Darrah. Her film work at UCLA TFT includes The Heart Posture (dir. Juwan Rashaad), Manual Breve para una Mesa Blanca (dir. Giovanni R. Tirado), Use-Case (dir. Akhil Koppisetti), as well as SPFX work for Tommy Has to Go (dir. Sisi Zhao).
She is interested in building worlds through garments that feel intimate, familiar, and built in lived experience, pieces that carry quiet an emotional weight and create a deeper connection between character, body, and story.
JOSHUA WALTZ I University of Florida
CONTACT INFO
P I 302.985.1958
E I joshuarwaltz@gmail.com
W I joshuawaltz.com
Joshua Waltz is a Costume Designer originally from New Castle, Delaware and a recent graduate from the University of Florida (MFA Costume Design) and Wester Chester University (BA Musical Theatre Performance). With a background in performance and design, Joshua is a human-centered designer focusing on process driven work that uplifts individuals of all abilities – both visible and invisible – as well as diverse backgrounds, body types and lived experiences. Centering his design philosophy on inclusivity and authenticity in artistic spaces, Joshua is a storyteller that uses his own lived experiences and privilege to uplift and empower marginalized voices through the medium of clothing.
His design work includes Rent (University of Florida), Spring Awakening (West Chester University), Pipeline (University of Florida), The Winter’s Tale (West Chester University), The Visit (Wig Design, University of Florida), Lady Molly of Scotland Yard (Assistant Design, Asolo Repertory Theatre), Come From Away (Assistant Design, Asolo Repertory Theatre), Amerikin (Research Assistant, Off-Broadway).
LUCAS O’BRIEN I New York University
CONTACT INFO
P I 781.879.3081
E I lucasarthurobrien@gmail.com
W I lucasobriendesign.com
Lucas O’Brien is a New York City-based costume designer and stylist in New York City. He holds an MFA in Costume Design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Lucas was adopted from Colombia as a child, and shares a wonderful multi-ethnic family from Boston, MA. His love for performance, story-telling, and creativity is central to his personal and creative identity. Lucas is a graduate of Kenyon College (BA, Drama) where he honed his craft in theater design and costume building. His studies and professional career have taken him from internships with designers like Paul Tazewell, on photo sets with Tonne Goodman, to working on HBO’s The Undoing costume team, and most recently as a Market Editor for Vogue Magazine.
Lucas approaches design through a historical and fashion driven lens. His love for collecting and combining materials is not only a mode of storytelling, but a dear pastime.
Outside the studio, Lucas enjoys cooking, enjoying the myriad of New York activities in and out of the arts world, and returns to.
MACKENZIE MITCHELL I Northwestern University
CONTACT INFO
P I 760.710.9339
E I makenziemitchell@gmail.com
W I mackenziemitchell.work
Mackenzie Mitchell grew up in Encinitas, California, with her parents and younger sister. In middle school, she started designing costumes from recycled waste for a creative academic program. This experience, along with her love of literature, ignited her passion for costume design. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater, concentrating in costume design, and a minor in African American Studies. Her goal is to create costumes that evoke emotional responses and reinforce the narratives' themes. She believes that theatrical collaboration encourages all participants to expand their creative boundaries, to infuse universal themes with specificity, and to respect the integral boundaries of individual processes. Mackenzie maintains that making the costume design space more inclusive is crucial for fostering creative innovation and facilitating meaningful cultural change.
NALA M. ZINNGRABE I University of California - Los Angeles
CONTACT INFO
P I 92.717.2319
E I zinngrabenm2319@gmail.com
W I https://readymag.website/u827563148/6250613/
Nala M. Zinngrabe is a Costume Designer from the Midwest and is currently based in Los Angeles. Graduated with a BFA in Costume Design in Theater from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and completing their MFA in Design for Theater, Film, and Television at UCLA. Their previous work includes Girl on an Altar, directed by Anna Rajala, and Frontières sans Frontières, directed by Eric Swartz, both while attending UCLA. An upcoming project for them is Pericles, directed by Margaret Shigeko Starbuck at the Boston Court Pasadena. They have a fervour for designing people within scripts that feel grounded and clothing that is lived-in and true to the character's core. Storytelling is not only for the passionate designers who are involved in it, but also to connect to the audience as a whole.
NAYA TADAVARTHY I Northwestern University
CONTACT INFO
P I 651.260.4960
E I nbtadavarthy93@gmail.com
W I https://nbtadavarthy93.wixsite.com/naya-tadavarthy
Originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota, Naya Tadavarthy graduated from the University of Notre Dame with majors in studio art and German. She spent the next year in Vienna, Austria on a Fulbright Combined Grant, teaching middle and high school English and researching the connections between nineteenth-century fashion and costume design. As she completes her MFA at Northwestern University, her design practice engages in dramaturgical, historical, artistic, and emotional research to create a visually layered and meaningful language for storytelling onstage. Credits include This Is Modern Art (University of Notre Dame), Sunday on the Rocks, As It Is in Heaven, Dr. De Soto, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Northwestern University).
RODRI HERNANDEZ MARTINEZ I New York University
CONTACT INFO
P I 607.379.2099
E I rhmtz22@gmail.com
W I RodriHM.com
Rodri Hernandez Martinez (they/them) is an incredibly hot and beautiful scenographer and artist from Cancun and Mexico City working in different mediums including performance art, theatre, opera, and dance using design elements as dramaturgy. They love working on projects that display the nuances of systems like immigration, gender and race with a sense of mischief, subversion, and other fancy words. They hold an M.F.A. in Design for Stage & Film from NYU Tisch and a B.F.A. in Theatre Production Arts from Ithaca College.
SARA MATHEW I Boston University
CONTACT INFO
P I 859.912.3296
E I smathew3296@gmail.com
W I sarammathew.com/
Sara Mathew is a Boston based costume designer for opera and theatre. She grew up in Union, Kentucky surrounded by the arts, a background that is evident in every design and rendering. She blends her love for visual art with a keen eye for detail, creating costumes that not only adorn but also tell compelling stories.
As a costume designer, Sara focuses on deeply understanding each character through script analysis, collaboration, and research, aiming to portray each character authentically and empathetically. Her goal is to tell stories that intrigue and entice the audience, while encouraging conversation about the world she has helped create.
Her recent credits include Top Girls (Costume Designer, Boston University), Wonder (Stitcher, American Repertory Theatre), Austen’s Pride (Draper, STAGES St. Louis).
STEVEN SMITH I New York University
CONTACT INFO
P I 214.498.7615
E I sascostumes@gmail.com
W I stevensmith.work
Steven Smith is a multi-disciplinary theatre maker with a primary focus in design and directing. His favorite place on earth is the rehearsal room! He believes that human beings are naturally curious about one another and that specific and nuanced storytelling can ignite empathy and respect for alternative perspectives, uproot the collective hegemonic consciousness, and, like…be really fun. Like, come on let’s just have more fun in the theatre! Promise?
His degrees are somewhere in a drawer in his mother’s house. They say: “MFA in Costume Design from NYU Tisch Design for Stage and Film” and, “BFA in Theatre Studies from Southern Methodist University.”
TAYLOR ARAGON I University of California - Los Angeles
CONTACT INFO
P I 571.359.7988
E I tmariearagon@gmail.com
W I tmaragon.com
Taylor Aragon is a Latinx Costume Designer in the Northern VA/D.C. and Los Angeles Area. Graduated with a BFA in Costume Design and Technology at Virginia Commonwealth University and currently pursuing an MFA in Design for Theater, Film, and Television at UCLA, She is very excited to continue her journey through education and onward. Some recent works include Emma: No One but Herself and The Courage to Right a Womans Wrongs at UCLA, directed by Danielle Kay and Michael Hackett respectively. With a passion for storytelling and creating real people we can connect with, Taylor strives to curate and design theater experiences that everyone can relate to in one way or another.
VIOLET CLEMONS I University of Texas
CONTACT INFO
P I 773.510.4742
E I vmfclemons@gmail.com
W I violetclemons.wixsite.com/costume-design-1
Violet Clemons is a costume designer from Chicago, Illinois. Her work blends theatrical design and cultural inquiry. She earned her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin and holds a BS in Costume Design with a minor in Vocal Performance from Ball State University. Fascinated by how clothing serves as a cultural archive, Violet uses design to uncover and express untold stories. Her current research explores race, class, and identity through the lens of the white sneaker. Her recent credits include Cabaret; A Beautiful Day in November (UT Austin); The Ohio, Texas Remix, a short film by Ya’Ke Smith; and Bread N Butta, a short film by Benji Unanaow.
2026 COSTUME DESIGN + TECHNOLOGY
MAURA KESTERSON I University of Cincinnati
CONTACT INFO
P I 712.249.9094
E I maurakesterson@gmail.com
W I maurakesterson.com
Maura Kesterson recently graduated with their MFA in Costume Design & Technology from University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Their costume design for Hair at CCM recently received a Peggy Ezekiel Distinction Award. Before that, they received a BA in Theatre from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where they unlocked a passion for costumes and earned distinctions in Creative Achievement and Overall Achievement in Theatre. Maura is passionate about designing queerness and wrote their thesis, Breaking the Binary in Costume Design, about the importance of telling queer stories and building a gender inclusive costume practice. They are currently based in Cincinnati with their partner, Kit, and their cat, Whimsy.
2026 COSTUME TECHNOLOGY
MATTHEW SMITH I University of Texas
CONTACT INFO
P I 254.205.0521
E I matthewglens@gmail.com
W I matthewglensmith.com
Matthew Smith is a costume maker and designer from Texas. He is a recent graduate from the Costume Technology M.F.A. program at the University of Texas at Austin. He was honored to be selected as the winner of the prestigious Barbara Matera Award in Costume Making from U.S.I.T.T. He holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Costume Design/Technology from Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
Matthew's costume work spans from Off-Broadway to regional L.O.R.T. theatres, world-renowned opera and dance companies such as Houston Ballet, Baltimore Center Stage, Everyman Theatre, and Santa Fe Opera. He values collaboration and believes in distributed authorship when leading a team to realize designs.
Matthew is an active member of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (U.S.T.T.), Costume Society of America, and the Texas Educational Theatre Association (T.E.T.A.).
WILL V. GALARNEAU I Boston University
CONTACT INFO
P I 716.361.5242
E I wvgalarneau@gmail.com
W I wvgalarneau.com
Will V. Galarneau (they/them) is a costume technician working out of the Hudson Valley region of New York State. They work across the field of costume technology, with skills in patternmaking, crafts, and stitching. They are primarily a crafts artisan, and love learning new skills and techniques for every bizarre situation crafts provides. Notable projects include: Crafts Artisan at The Glimmerglass Festival, Puppet Builder at The Rock Shop, Crafts Artisan at Parsons-Meares, and Crafts Lead at Barrington Stage Company. Will V Galarneau loves to go new places, meet new people, and make art. This summer they will be back at The Glimmerglass Festival as an Assistant Crafts Manager, and look forward to a thrilling summer and all that lies beyond.
COSTUME PRODUCTION
BLAKE JAMES I Pennsylvania State University
CONTACT INFO
P I 832.794.2927
E I blake.james.costuming@gmail.com
W I blakejames.net
Blake James is returning to The Santa Fe Opera this summer as a first hand, and has been a stitcher at The Utah Shakespeare Festival and The Alley Theatre. Recently, they were awarded their MFA in Costume Production from The Pennsylvania State University.
While at Penn State, Blake specialized in men’s tailoring and studied under Laura Robinson. For their thesis project, The Fashion of the Queer EGO(T), they researched the history of menswear and its adoption by queer fashion icons from the early twentieth century to the present day. The project culminated in the creation of a wide range of fully realized garments designed for a diverse group of performers representing a spectrum of gender identities.
CLARE RICHEY I Pennsylvania State University
CONTACT INFO
P I 414.731.2681
E I clare.richeykaplan@gmail.com
W I clarericheycostumes.com
Clare Richey is an experienced costume technician with many years of professional practice in theatrical costume construction and production. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Costume Construction from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 2015. Following her undergraduate studies, she freelanced with several prominent regional theaters, including American Players Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Writers Theatre, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
In 2017, she became the Costume Shop Supervisor at Northern Illinois University, where she oversaw costume production and shop operations. In 2023, she left this position to pursue graduate studies at Penn State University. Throughout her career, she has maintained an ongoing relationship with American Players Theatre, returning for fourteen summer seasons and progressing from wardrobe crew member to draper.
Her graduate work focuses on fitting larger-bodied actresses in period garments, with particular attention to historically informed undergarments and proportional design choices that support performer comfort, confidence, and stage presence.
VANESSA BUCK I Pennsylvania State University
CONTACT INFO
P I 1.801.851.0177
E I vanessa@houghtons.org
W I sew-what-vanessa-buck.com
Vanessa Buck is a Native American Costume production student that is currently graduating from Penn State University. She is passionate about making clothing and dressing up. In past Vanessa worked at The Glimmerglass Festival, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Period Corsets, a prop shop called Ghost Ride, a alteration shop at Nordstrom, Tuacahn Amphitheatre, and Utah Shakespeare Festival.