Author: Dan Scully

Recent design credits include ‘Joan of Arc’ and ‘Dead End’ at Rutgers Theater company. 

Her professional work includes an apprenticeship at Dorset Theater Festival in Vermont. There she supervised wardrobe for the four productions of their summer season, and worked closely with the shop manager stitching and assisting with orders and stock maintenance.

Her studies at MGSA included attending the Rutgers Globe Program, where she studied with Jenny Tiramani at the School of Historical Dress in London, and took a millinery course from Sean Barrett at the Globe Theater. 

Ashley Y. Kong is a makeup and costume designer for film and theater based out of the New York Metropolitan Area. She has worked in film, theater, opera, and dance in the New York Metro Area. She holds a BFA in Costume Design from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. She was also one of three winners for the Costume Industry Coalition’s Design Challenge 2020, CosBond’s Creator Contest 2020, AnimeNEXT’s Costume Competition Judge Choice winner in 2018, and Albolene’s Halloween Makeup Challenge Winner in 2017. Her passions outside of the industry include her cosplay work, where she runs her personal brand ToxieKat LLC. This brand was established in 2012 and has since spread to various platforms, amassing a substantial audience. In the future, she hopes to not only sell more commission work through the brand, but selling merchandise as well as competing in various cosplay competitions around the country.

Costume Artisan Victoria (Tori) Timmins is a New York and Los Angeles based designer and technician with a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Tori has experience working in design for theatre and as a music video stylist, as well as experience as a technician for theatre, dance, television, and for tours.

While pursuing her undergraduate degree Tori studied under costume artisan Mio Guberinic where she enhanced her skills in thermoplastics and foam construction as well as studying hat making under Milliner Sean Barrett. Tori is also trained in fabric dyeing, draping, flat patterning, and garment construction, as well as being an Eveden certified bra fitter.

In addition to her passion for elaborate costume construction, Tori is also incredibly enthusiastic about historical dress, having spent a semester studying at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and with Jenny Tiramani at The School of Historical Dress in London, England. During COVID-19 Quarantine Tori has also been working at her local Historical Society, documenting patterns from their collections in the hopes of publishing her first book.

Kim has designed for theatre, musicals, dance and opera. She has worked on national tours, at regional theaters and in educational theatre. Kim enjoys creating characters, backgrounds and personalities through costume design and research. Collaboration with directors, the design team, and the actors is integral to her process from beginning to end. She is excited by storytelling that is inspiring, thought provoking and challenging to both the creative team and the audience. 

She is originally from Houston, Texas and received her BFA in Theatre Design & Technology with a minor in music from Baylor University and her MFA in Costume Design from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. As part of the fulfillment of her masters at MGSA, she studied at Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare’s Globe and The School of Historical Dress in London, England.

Ashley Houck is a recent graduate from Mason Gross School of the Arts receiving her BFA under the tutelage of Don Holder. During her time in school  she designed many shows, most recently Joan of Arc for the Rutgers Theater Company. She had the privilege to also study at Shakespeare’s Globe in London where she was trained under scenographer Michael Pavelka during one of her Fall semesters. Ashley Houck is a lighting designer who was born and raised in Red Bank, New Jersey. Design credits include: Vinegar Tom and The Other Shore. Assistant design credits include: Private Lives for Dorset Theater Company and The Rehearsal for Rutgers Theater Company. 

Cat J. Cusick is a lighting designer who graduated with a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University under the tutelage of Don Holder. She studied scenography under Micheal Pavelka at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. Her credits include Faust, Ten Blocks on the Camino Real and the MGSA Dance and Colab Showcase. Assisting credits include Moi Meduse, Henry IV Part I & II, An Octoroon, Heel and (Hera)kles with Rutgers Theatre Company.

Madeleine Claire is a Los Angeles based specialty costume maker and crafts artisan who has made pieces for theatre, dance, burlesque, drag, television as well as couture commissions and commercial Halloween work. She has been making costumes professionally since 2011 and is proud to enter 2021 with her MFA in Costume Technology.

Madeleine has performed many of the roles in a costume shop. She enjoys draping and traditional costume construction but also has an affinity for working with unusual materials found in the craft room such as thermoplastics and buckram. She is also experienced with dyeing and distressing and paint application. There is nothing she loves more than encountering a new challenge and finding the unique solution to the problem.

In addition to her master’s degree, Madeleine has received her BA in Theatre from the University of California, San Diego. As part of her MFA she spent a semester in London at the Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare’s Globe where she was privileged to learn under milliner Sean Barrett and study at The School of Historical dress with Jenny Tiramani. In addition to these educational institutions Madeleine has always leapt at the chance to learn something new, taking educational internships with Jim Henson Studios (NYC) as well as several independent designers.

Colleen’s love of lighting design is rooted in the power of storytelling and its ability to change the world. The lighting design of a show creates the air that characters breathe–the audience breathes that same air and is pulled into the world of the play​.

Colleen is originally from Jacksonville, Florida, and has a double BFA in Lighting Design and Musical Theatre from Florida Southern College. She has worked on musicals, plays, opera and theatre for young audiences. Prior to her time at Rutgers she lit multiple productions for the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre and worked as their Assistant Master Electrician. Colleen is grateful to receive her MFA from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts and is excited to continue her journey as a theatre maker.