Tink Boord-Dill MFA 83 Scene Design
Junk journals are a popular trend that involves creating books out of recycled items. Tink started her junk journal business on Etsy two years ago, and that’s just one of her three income streams. In the 90s, Tink designed needlework books that were sold on Amazon, then she started publishing fiction in the 2010s and added the Etsy business more recently. About the simplicity of her system, Tink explains, “I create something, I put it up and it sells. Set and forget it.”
About her unique name, Tink explains, “my mother spent the last few months of her pregnancy listening to the soundtrack from Peter Pan,” so that should make the name’s origin obvious. As for Tink’s own theatrical experience, she started in her high school drama club in Newark, Delaware (NOTE: It’s pronounced “New Ark” and the locals won’t let you forget it).
During her undergrad in Lighting Design at the University of Delaware, she took a shop class and loved it. That solidified her career direction in tech theatre. After she graduated, Tink ended up working at a Montclair, NJ summer stock venue where Lou Szari (former department Technical Director and Head of Lighting) was a designer. He was getting ready to begin his job at VCU and needed an assistant, so that’s how Tink ended up in Richmond.
After graduating, Tink spent two years as a scenic designer and TD at Hickory Community Theatre in North Carolina. “My first time full-time position.” After a year at St. Albans Girls’ School in Washington, DC, she started free-lancing in the DC area.
After that, she moved back to Wilmington, DE and became a union stage hand. “I worked at both union houses in the city, sometimes switching between the theatres on the same day.” While working summer stock at Shawnee Playhouse in the Poconos, she met Jeffrey Boord, the costume designer. They got married and combined their names to Boord-Dill. Jeffrey is still a costume designer at Eastern Kentucky University.
Looking back on her career, Tink muses, “I’ve always worked for myself and everything I’ve done since college were things that I didn’t know existed when I was in high school: Architectural illustration, scene and light design, needlework design. I knew you could be a writer, but didn’t know about self publishing.”
About her experience in theatre Tink says, “A theatre degree was the best prep for life. You learn how to break down a problem and solve it. It demystifies the myths of creativity. You just have to figure it out and do the work.”
their English Mastiffs (left to right: Tino, Guido, Mamselle)
Compiled by Liz Hopper (professor emeritus) and Jerry Williams (BFA ’71) for the September 2022 Theatre Alumni newsletter