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About Me

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Creating a whole new universe, just for the sole purpose of a single production, is at the core of my design work. One week, I am exploring Middle Earth, making fantastical beings come to life, while the next I’m in the Victorian-era living room of Dorian Gray, and the following week, I am scaring people out of their minds at Hill House.

 

The design must pull together pieces of the text, envisioning a unique world, whether it is recreating a historically accurate office, down to the tax forms in the binder on the desk, or imagining a post-apocalyptic space station on Titan with a hoard of mini rovers swarming the stage. Delving into these highly detailed worlds is where I live as a designer, where I spend

endless hours of research and creation. I believe the best environments on stage are those that are so intricate that the audience believes we just took a slice of the real world and set it up for everyone to explore. 

 

To be able to create these intimate environments, to sculpt the mood and theme of the piece, sits in the collaborative spirit at the heart of my designs. I work to develop a dialogue with the audience beyond the spoken word, making them feel as though there is no other possible world that the show could live in. As an ally to the director, and as a collaborative artist, I believe that everyone must work together to construct these worlds; shaping, forming, and editing the elements throughout the process to end up with a wholly unified and cohesive production. This kind of united, yet malleable spirit is what I love about this work, and what I try to bring into every detail of every design.

From a Journey of Fables
Who I Am

Katherine Stepanek is a scenic and lighting designer, originally from Kansas City, MO.  She is an Adjunct Professor of Theatrical Design and Technology at Maryville College in Maryville, TN.

Selected productions have included design work for the Clarice Brown Theatre (Knoxville, TN), Shawnee Theatre (Bloomfield, IN), the Clarice Smith Dance Theatre (College Park, MD), the Summit Theatre Group (Kansas City, MO), and the Jack Aldrich Theater (Sandusky, OH). 

She has also worked in the art department for Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War. 

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Upcoming Projects

Hansel und Gretel  (Opera)

Footloose

Frozen, Kids

Disney's Descendants

The SpongeBob Musical

Into the Woods, Jr  
101 Dalmations, Kids
The 39 Steps                        

 

Scenic Designer

Projection Designer

Scenic Designer

Scenic Designer

Scenic Designer

Scenic Designer

Scenic Designer

Scenic Designer

UT Opera Theatre

WordPlayers

Raue Center

Raue Center

Crane River Theatre

Appalachian Center for the Arts

Appalachian Center for the Arts

Appalachian Center for the Arts

TN

TN

IL

IL

NE

KY

KY

KY

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