Workshop Description: Where do you even begin when designing a set? In this hands-on workshop, students will build an understanding of some of the concepts scenic designers use when selecting and placing the elements of their design. In the morning, participants will engage in discussions regarding design elements, director concepts, and stage positions while viewing and evaluating examples of these components in actual designs. In the afternoon, the group will move to the stage and practice these concepts by arranging and rearranging actual set elements on stage to achieve different effects.

This workshop is appropriate for a wide variety of backgrounds--whether you’re an artist with an interest in applying design elements to a three dimensional space, an actor or director interested in learning more about the set design process, or someone with no prior theatrical or artistic experience, this is guaranteed to be an interesting and beneficial learning experience!

About the Instructor: Dan Long has been a working professional in the theatre for over 30 years with credits in local, educational, and regional companies including Center Stage, Hilberry Repertory Company, and Princeton Ballet. In that time he has designed scenery for over 80 productions, lighting design for more than 50 productions, and provided technical direction for 60+ productions. Dan's consulting work includes theatre curriculum development for colleges, theatre arts high schools, and public school systems as well as design and equipment consultation for the construction of six theaters/conference centers. Dan’s training includes an MFA in Scenography and Technical Theatre from Wayne State University, as well as master classes with internationally known designers Josef Svoboda, Dr. Paul Reinhardt, and Ming Cho Lee. His teaching experience includes time on the faculties of Towson State University, Morgan State University, Cecil College, and Mercer College as well as guest lectures in numerous venues. Dan loves to work with aspiring theater artists and is a frequent guest instructor with the Young People’s Theatre Program of Cecil College where he teaches concepts of set design, leads construction workshops, teaches lighting workshops, and serves as an advisor to the set and lighting designers.

Workshop Description: Costume Designers for stage and screen use renderings, similar to fashion sketches, to communicate their designs with the director and the actor. The designer uses line, color, and various other techniques to evoke the character they are depicting. We will learn about various rendering techniques and how to effectively communicate your own individual designs by referencing different types of design sketches. Some strategies we'll touch on and try out include figure drawing, watercolor painting, pencil sketching, and even digital illustration. Through learning about and experimenting with these techniques, we will learn how to communicate our creative ideas through new artistic mediums. The techniques and skills we will develop will be valuable for creatives of all types.

About the Instructor: Ben Argenta Kress is a Costume Designer based in Baltimore. He works as the Associate Costumer at Baltimore Center Stage, and also freelance designs at other professional theaters in the Baltimore/Washington area. Ben graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier Ohio, where he studied both Theater and Psychology. As a midwest native, he is happy to have found his creative home here on the East Coast.