The Hollywood Reporter names UNCSA costume concentration in the School of Design & Production among Top 10 in the world for ninth year

The costume design & technology concentration in the School of Design & Production (D&P) at UNCSA is among the Top 10 of its kind worldwide, according to the annual list published by The Hollywood Reporter. This is the ninth consecutive year the program has been in the Top 10 since the publication began keeping the list in 2018. The university is one of only two public universities on the list.

The article highlights that UNCSA “offers an immersive, production-based education” and costume students are able to work on fully realized productions with the schools of Music, Filmmaking, Dance and Drama. It quotes faculty member Michael Sharpe who emphasizes that students develop skills required for careers in theater, film, television, opera and themed entertainment “all to remain competitive in the modern age.”

Renowned D&P alumnus and Academy Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell (“Wicked”), Tricia Barsamian (“Sirens”), Kristen Mendez (“The Gilded Age”) and Andja Budincich (“Disclosure Day”) are highlighted as notable alumni.

The costume design & technology program is one of several undergraduate concentrations in the School of Design & Production — the nation’s only standalone conservatory of its kind, not housed within a theater program — including a separate Wig & Makeup Design concentration. There are also graduate concentrations in Costume Design and Costume Technology, among nine other concentrations.

Michael J. Kelley, dean of the School of Design & Production and alumnus of the scene design program, said, “Being recognized among the world’s leading costume programs for the ninth consecutive year is a testament to the strength and consistency of our training, and to our extraordinary faculty. Our students learn in an immersive, collaborative environment that allows them to put their training into action, and prepares them to shape the future of costume design and technology across theater, film, television and the global entertainment industry.”

Current design and technology faculty include alumnus Michael Sharpe, who has worked on Broadway productions such as “Into the Woods” and “Wicked,” on film productions such as “First Wives Club” and “Kate & Leopold,” and on TV productions such as “Smash” and “Jessica Jones”; alumna and Assistant Dean Kjersten Lester-Moratzka, who teaches costume technology and has experience as a principal draper for Santa Fe Opera and as a freelance draper for The Metropolitan Opera and Broadway productions; and Director of Costume Technology Brent Bruin, who has been a professional costumer in theater, opera, film and television for 15 years in costume construction and department management including as costume department manager for the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles.

D&P alumna Jen Gillette (M.F.A. ’16) is the newly appointed director of costume design, bringing extensive professional experience in theatre and opera to the program. Gillette has designed for companies across the country, including the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Asolo Repertory Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Manhattan School of Music and Washington Ballet. She is the author of “Digital Painting and Rendering for Theatrical Design” (Routledge, 2024), which approaches digital rendering as an artistic medium and creative practice rather than simply as a software tool. In this role, Gillette will combine her professional design experience with a commitment to preparing students for the evolving demands of theatrical design.

About the School of Design & Production

As the nation’s only standalone conservatory dedicated to design and production, the School of Design & Production (D&P) at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts offers an immersive, collaborative environment where students gain hands-on experience from day one. Through realized productions and cross-disciplinary collaboration across the university’s five arts conservatories on one campus, D&P students learn to create — and to lead — in every corner of the entertainment industry.

Faculty who are active industry professionals provide cutting-edge training that prepares graduates to thrive in theater, film, television, opera, dance, themed entertainment, concert production, and more. Concentrations include animatronics, costume design, costume technology, lighting, production and project management, scene design, scene painting, scenic art, scenic technology, sound design, stage automation, stage management, stage properties, technical direction, and wig and makeup design. 

Employers from Broadway to Hollywood to Disney and the world’s largest scenic and sound providers actively recruit UNCSA students. At the School of Design & Production, students join a community driven by collaboration, imagination and technology — preparing to power the $2.3 trillion Global Entertainment industry.

Alumni of D&P have won or been nominated for top honors including the Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Critics’ Choice, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Helen Hayes awards. Notable alumni include Oscar, Tony and Emmy Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell, TV and film executive producer Tanase Popa, photographer David LaChapelle, actress Hunter Schafer, wig and makeup artist Destinee Steele, SpaceX environmental health and safety engineer Randy Rees and many others.

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