Kate Field, MFA Scenic Design/Technical Production, 2018
During her undergrad at University of Kentucky, Kate worked summer stock as a scenic artist at Porthouse Theatre, the professional company at Kent State University. She met VCU students there and later connected with Ron Keller (former Head of Design) at a conference and decided to go to VCU for her masters.
Kate credits Keller with being instrumental at VCU. “He’d started creating opportunities for grad students to design at Virginia Rep to get professional credit.” While at VCU, Kate designed nine shows across three states, with four at VCU and three at Virginia Rep, including their production Doll’s House Part 2, which was directed by Theatre Department AD, Sharon Ott. Sharon commented, “Her set was assembled on the November stage when the pandemic hit, so we had to wait a full two years to see it finally realized, but it was worth every minute of the wait!”
Kate also enjoys working on corporate events and music festivals, something she discovered when she worked as the Creative Design Manager for Bombshell Productions from 2019-2021, working on events like Superbowl LIV and the iHeart Radio Music Festival. Comparing it to theatre, she comments, “There’s usually a good budget and they sometimes use new technologies that a lot theatre professionals don’t know about.” She cited using vinyl printing for complex paint treatments as an example.
While Kate served this year as Visiting Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at the University of Kentucky, she is also the Scenic Studio Director at LDC Design Associates, where she serves as an Associate Scenic Designer under Lex Liang on multiple productions, including the world premiere of Mr. Holland’s Opus, directed by BD Wong and Yes I Can Say That, a one woman show by Judy Gold, just closed off-Broadway.`
In 2022, Kate was asked to come to University of Kentucky as visiting professor. Next year, she starts as full-time faculty. About being an Experiential Designer, she explains, “I really enjoy being able to feel like I’m in a different world in the actual place of the play. As humans, we are heavily affected by the physical space. Being able to transport the audience into some place different is one of my favorite parts of theatre.”
Compiled by Liz Hopper (professor emeritus) and Jerry Williams (BFA ’71) for the May 2023 Theatre Alumni newsletter