CHRISTIANNE MYERS
Costume Design
ReDressing the Narrative:
Combating systemic marginalization through collective engagement in costume pedagogy
by Chloe Chapin, Christianne Myers, and Sydney Maresca
This peer reviewed article reflects on what we have learned about our field through hosting ATCA workshops over the past five years. In this essay, we map the systemic challenges faced by costume educators and highlight the positive changes we’ve seen through the collective engagement in our community.
The article appeared December 2024 issue of Studies in Costume & Performance in a special issue devoted to costume pedagogy.
The American Theatrical Costume Association (ATCA)
The goal of the American Theatrical Costume Association is to fill a gap in our professional organizations, and connect a community of costume educators, focusing on the dual responsibilities of teaching and research.
This organization is an opportunity to push the boundaries of what costume scholarship looks like by empowering our collective wisdom to be synthesized and amplified and shared to the wider community.
Launched March 2024
PI: Associate Professor Sarah M. Oliver
For far too long traditional modes of teaching theatrical makeup within university training programs have privileged the global minority. Historically, mass media and the cosmetics industry have defined beauty norms by featuring lighter skin tones and smoother hair textures. Our goal was to disrupt these norms and model the best, most inclusive practices we want to see in the industry.
One Approach to Student Engagement in Educational Season Selection
This 2023 Howlround Theatre Commons article presents our departmental solution for amplifying student voices in the season selection process in the Department of Theatre & Drama at U-M. I reflect on my experience as interim departmental chair creating and facilitating this pilot process.
The class continues! It is now taught by departmental chair, Dr. Tiffany Trent with a short list of recommendations curated by the class and shared with the whole departmental community for feedback in early January each year.
by, Christianne Myers