Middlebury, Vt. - On Saturday, Sept. 29, the Middlebury College Theatre Program will host a daylong theatrical design symposium at The Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts, located on Route 30. The events, which begin at 1 p.m. and conclude at 9:30 p.m., will include more than 20 workshops and seminars exploring various aspects of theatre design, from makeup and lighting to scene illustration and sound design. All workshops and seminars are free and open to the public.

Workshop presenters include Middlebury alumni and staff as well as guest presenters Randy Mercer, an internationally renowned Broadway makeup designer and Phillipe Pointard, a master mask maker from the National School of Theatre in Montreal. Mercer and Pointard will present demonstrations of their artistry throughout the afternoon.

The afternoon workshop sessions will cover numerous topics including costume design, computerized scenic illustration, scene painting, sound design, and color in light design. There will also be an afternoon panel discussion titled “The Agony and Ecstasy of the Collaborative Process.” Sessions will conclude in the late afternoon, followed by a symposium dinner at Rehearsals Cafe.

Following the dinner, there will be a panel discussion in the concert hall titled “The Artist Within,” featuring professional alumni designers who will share their insights about accessing creativity. Chaired by Middlebury College resident designer Hallie Zieselman, panelists will include production designer Tom Meyer, costume designer Alexandra Sargent, and light designer Josh Bradford. Meyer, Sargent and Bradford are members of the Middlebury College classes of 1990, 1989, and 1993 respectively.

The evening will culminate with a coffee and dessert reception in the Seeler Studio Theatre, which  will be transformed into a gallery to feature the costume and set designs of current Middlebury College students and notable alumni, as well as examples from past departmental productions.
A full schedule and listing of events is available at the Middlebury College Web site at www.middlebury.edu/arts/newspub/. Sign-up sheets for the Saturday afternoon sessions will be available at the Web site www.mysignup.com  beginning on Sept. 21. Tickets for the dinner are $15 and are available online at the Middlebury College Web site at http://www.middlebury.edu/arts/tickets/ or call the Box Office at 802-443-6433.  All other symposium events are free and open to the public.


To follow is a schedule of symposium events:

Middlebury College Theatrical Design Symposium
The Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts
Saturday, Sept. 29

1 p.m.   Symposium Sessions
More than 20 sessions will be included covering a wide range of theatre design topics. Sessions include “The Costume Maker’s Art,” “Costume Rendering With Markers,” “Scenic Illustration With the Computer,” “Scene Painting,” “Color in Light Design,” “Light Design for Dance,” “Sound Design,” “Fashionable Icons,” “Dressed to Rule” and a panel discussion titled “The Agony and Ecstasy of the Collaborative Process.” To download a schedule of sessions, go to the Middlebury College Web site arts section at www.middlebury.edu/arts/newspub/.
The Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts, sessions will be held in various locations throughout the building.

2 p.m.  Design Exhibition Opens
Costume and set designs by current Middlebury College students and notable alumni, as well as examples from previous departmental productions. Exhibition will be on view through Oct. 12, 2007.
The Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts, Seeler Studio Theatre

6:30 p.m.  Design Symposium Dinner
Tickets: $15, buy tickets online at http://www.middlebury.edu/arts/tickets/ or call the Middlebury College Box Office at 802-443-6433. Open to the public.
The Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts, Rehearsals Cafe

8 p.m.  Panel Discussion: The Artist Within
Professional alumni designers will share their insights about accessing creativity. Chaired by resident designer Hallie Zieselman, panelists will include production designer Tom Meyer ‘90, costume designer Alexandra Sargent ‘89 and light designer Josh Bradford ‘93
The Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts, Concert Hall

9:30 p.m.  Design Exhibition Reception
The Kevin P. Mahaney ‘84 Center for the Arts, Seeler Studio Theatre

A full schedule and listing of events is available at the Middlebury College Web site at http://www.middlebury.edu/arts/tickets/. Sign-up sheets for the Saturday afternoon sessions will be available at the Web site www.mysignup.com  beginning on Sept. 21. Tickets for the dinner are $15 and are available online at the Middlebury College Web site at http://www.middlebury.edu/arts/tickets/ or call the Box Office at 802-443-6433.  All other symposium events are free and open to the public.