TECHnically Speaking

Today we’re on the line with 2020 USITT Award for Scene Design Sponsored by Rose Brand winner Afsaneh Aayani. Afsaneh is a Houston-based scenic designer, puppeteer, puppet maker, mask maker, voice actress, and artist with over 15 years of industry experience. She began her artistic journey in Iran where she developed her skills as a puppeteer and puppet maker, performed as a voice actor on television, and built her foundation as an artist. She completed her Bachelors in Puppetry from the University of Art in Tehran and shortly thereafter and performed in festivals internationally including in China, Poland, and Sri Lanka.

After building extensive experience in Iran, Afsaneh took a leap of faith and moved to the USA where she earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Scenic Design from the University of Houston in 2020. She has been engaged in exciting work around Houston including scenic design, costume design, props master, puppet and mask making, and puppet instructing. Afsaneh continues to seek ways to express herself, her vision, and learn new things at every opportunity to create magic.

If you’d like to keep up with Afsaneh’s work, you can visit her website at www.afsanehaayani.com

Today we’re on the line with sound designer and winner of the 2020 Robert E. Cohen Sound Achievement award, Jeff Sherwood. Jeff is finishing his final semester of the MFA Theatre Sound Design program at Purdue University where he studies under his mentor Richard K. Thomas. He is an emerging theatre artist specializing in sound design, music composition, and audio engineering. He strives to bring original and innovative ideas in collaboration with creative teams in the art of storytelling. Prior to his graduate studies, Jeff spent several years in New York City working at Off-Broadway theatres including The Public Theater, The New Group, Signature Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company, and others. Jeff is starting his second season as Audio Supervisor at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. As a Purdue University Graduate Assistant, Jeff enjoys mentoring and fueling the passion of the rising generation of sound artists and engineers. He teaches the Introduction to Sound Design and Introduction to Sound Recording Studios classes in addition to managing the Pao Hall Audio Production Recording Studio.

Recent credits include: Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley (Sound Design & Incidental Music), She Kills Monsters (Composer), By the Way, Meet Vera Stark (Sound Designer), The Beaux’ Stratagem (Composer). Regional: The Amish Project (PlayMakers Repertory Company), Untitled Russia Play, Jump, The Amish Project (Chautauqua Theater Company); Take the Car (Williamstown Theatre Festival PTP). Film/TV: Master of Return, White Noise, Troilus & Cressida, We Are ROM3 (Short); Expats 101 (Pilot). Awards: USITT Robert E. Cohen Sound Achievement Award 2020; Excellence in Teaching Award for Graduate Teaching Assistants 2020; Kennedy Center ACTF National Finalist 2014, 2012. MFA: Purdue University; BFA: Oklahoma City University.

If you’d like to keep up with Jeff and his work, please visit www.sherwoodsound.com.
If you’d like to learn more about USITT visit us usitt.org where we are offering a list of industry online resources, PPE opportunities, and weekly free webinars taught by both our exhibitors and industry experts.

Welcome to Technically Speaking, the official podcast of The United States Institute for Theatre Technology where we discuss the stories and work of our members as well as industry topics and happenings. I’m your host, Jenn, USITT’s Content Specialist and today we’re on the line with production designer and this year’s Herbert D. Greggs Award winner in the Honors category Caitlyn Garrity. A product of two years of research, Caitlyn’s winning article Building a Better Workplace highlights the negative experiences of women+ in their industry workplaces and how specific issues such discrimination, gender-based harassment, and lack of support for families are forcing women+ to leave the industry. The question Caitlyn set out to answer through her research was not how do we attract women+ to work in theatre, but rather how do we keep women+ working in theatre?

Today we’re on the line with 2020 Rising Star Award winner Joe Klug. The Rising Star Award sponsored by LDI/Live Design is given annually to a young professional at the beginning of their career. Joe is a Freelance Scenic Designer and currently the Assistant Professor of Scenic Design at University of Arizona. According to his artistic statement, His works centers around trying to re-engage with a theatre audience that is disconnected in this social media driven society. By exploring, shifting, and challenging the traditional relationship between Audience and Performer his work aims to shake the audience awake and engage them with the story being told on stage.

If you’d like to keep up with Joe’s work, take a look at his website at www.jckscenicdesigns.com or check out his Instagram at @jckdesigns. If you’d like to learn more about USITT visit us at usitt.org where we are offering a list of free and low-cost industry online resources, PPE opportunities, and weekly free webinars taught by both our exhibitors and industry experts.

In this episode, Deb Sherrer and I discuss her service on USITT's Board of Directors, advice for those in the live entertainment industry, the process of switching careers, and her most influential mentor to date.
For more information on our three spring webinars, please visit https://www.usitt.org/education-training/usitt-webinars.

For more information on USITT, please visit usitt.org.

Technically Speaking is the official podcast of The United States Institute for Theatre Technology. Join us as we discuss the stories and work of our members as well as industry topics and happenings. to learn more about USITT, please visit us at usitt.org.

Welcome to TECHnically Speaking, the official podcast of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology. Here we’ll discuss the stories and work of our members as well as industry topics and happenings. In this episode we're joined by intimacy director Sarah Lozoff. We discuss the importance of intimacy directors in the live entertainment industry as well as some of the most common misconceptions of the profession. If you'd like to learn more about USITT please visit us at usitt.org