1983 Kathleen Conery

Wow. How to compress almost 30 years into a coherent paragraph?

Short story: I lived the life of many a theater professional for quite a while; moving from place to place, taking jobs at any level in every level of theater until I found the place and people I could finally settle down with.

Long story: After graduating Point Park College with my degree in Theatre (having been seduced away from the dance program) I went on to receive my MFA in Costume Design for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I then worked the next couple of years as a designer at Creighton University in Omaha, and a stitcher at the Alley Theatre in Houston, with summers as a cutter/draper at American Players Theatre in Wisconsin. I then spent a few years in Cleveland as a cutter/draper at the Cleveland Playhouse (where I worked with designers like William Ivy Long, Jane Greenwood and Ann Roth), with occasional forays as wardrobe at the Cleveland Opera, and designer at the Cleveland Ensemble Theatre. During this time I also guest designed a production with the Cleveland Symphony starring John Neville. Deciding that I wanted to go back into the university setting I worked for the following three years at Cornell University where I designed costumes for one production each semester, draped for the season and taught construction and makeup classes. It was here that I got back into designing for dance, something I had missed for quite a while. I also designed costumes for severaleducational films, was makeup artist for a NOVA segment filmed locally, and managed the costume shop (as well as designing the final musical) for a Summer season at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca. In 1994 I was hired by James Madison University in Harrisonburg Virginia to be the Costumer. In this position I managed the costume shop, drape patterns for a six show season, teach construction classes, and share design responsibilities with the two costume design faculty members (usually including at least one dance piece a year). I also design costumes for the three show children's theatre season we have in the summer. OUtrside of JMU I have desinged for The American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, the Negrin Project (for choreographer Shane O'Hara), and teach knitting and surface design (beading and embroidery) to local fiber guilds.

Personal info: I do a plethora of textile activities including knitting, spinning, weaving and surface design. I play very beginner Irish fiddle and warble the occasional song. I recently married a wonderful man (a non-theatre person) and we live on the border of National Forest in a little cabin with three cats.