Antiracism in Theatrical Design

How do our racial and ethnic contexts contribute to the design process?
How does culture influence the way we hear, see, and process?
How do we, as designers, educate ourselves regarding different design choices around the world?
How do we collaborate with a creative team to place our work in a particular context?
What does it mean to design a show in an antiracist way?
​
There is a clear hunger in theatre for diverse productions that reflect the diverse lives of our actors, designers, directors, and audiences. In April 2025, I finished my MFA thesis, Constructing an antiracist framework for theatrical sound design. It aimed to break the process of designing a show down into its components (from initial design all the way to strike), implement antiracist strategies in each, and piece them back together to create a design process that is inclusive, thoughtful, and equitable.

I will be presenting my research with a team of diverse theatrical designers from other disciplines at a presentation titled Antiracist Practices in Theatrical Design at USITT 2026 in Long Beach, CA. Come listen in!