Kirk Domer Appointed Acting Associate Dean of Academic Personnel and Administration

Kirk Domer, Professor of Scene Design in the Department of Theatre, has been appointed Acting Associate Dean of Academic Personnel and Administration and will serve in this position July 1-December 31, 2022, while Sonja Fritzsche, Associate Dean of Academic Personnel and Administration, is on research leave. "I am excited to join the College of Arts & Letters Deans' Team to…

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Assignment to Design Auditorium Lobby Renovation and Major Donor Costume

A class assignment by Kirk Domer, Professor of Scene Design, and Lucas Nunn, Academic Specialist of Sound Design, had their MSU Department of Theatre students thinking about renovating the MSU Auditorium Lobby for a mock grand reopening that also included the creation of a costume design for a “major donor.”  The MFA in Theatre students each worked in their field…

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Collaborators from MSU’s Department of Theatre Help Bring Musical to Texas Stage

Four collaborators from Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre have teamed up to help bring the world premiere of MacGyver: The Musical to Stages in Houston, Texas. Kirk Domer, Professor of Scene Design at MSU, is the scene designer for the production. MSU alumna Kristina Ortiz Miller is the costume designer and is being helped by Mona Jahani, an MFA…

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Honky Tonk Musical in Houston Showcases MSU Scene Design

A new musical opening in Houston, Texas, at Stages Repertory Theatre features scenic design by Michigan State University Professor of Scene Design Kirk Domer and Department of Theatre student Michael Gault (BFA Theatre Design ’20). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, performances will be live-streamed Nov. 10-15, giving audiences in Michigan and around the world an opportunity to see what typically can only be seen by an in-person audience.

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Renovating Learning Through Compassion and Innovation

After 10 years and two terms as Chairperson of Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre, Professor Kirk Domer is returning to the faculty. His time as Chairperson, he says, has been defined by three words: renovation, innovation, and compassion. He has built a reputation of leading from a place of compassionate and collaborative risk-taking, using the art of theatre to serve as a civilizing agent in society. He summed up his tenure as Chairperson by saying: “My goal has…

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MSU Colleges Create 3D-Printed Face Shields in Response to COVID-19

Michigan State University is helping local health professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus by making 3D-printed personal protective equipment (PPE). To address the critical need for donations, medical face shields are being produced in a joint effort with colleges across MSU’s campus, including the College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Engineering, College…

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Learning Continues Remotely at MSU’s Department of Theatre

On Thursday, March 12, Department of Theatre sophomores gathered for the course THR 292, also known as Sophomore Seminar. The class explores theatre-making and its connections to non-theatrical contexts. What made this particular class session unique is that it took place just one day following MSU’s decision to move all face-to-face classes to remote teaching and for the first time students…

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MSU Theatre Setting the Stage for Design and Mentorship

In the theatre world, reviews tend to focus on the performers more than costumes, sets, or lighting. But for a recent production of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner by the A.D. Players at the George Theatre in Houston, Texas, theatre critics were raving about the set designed by Kirk Domer, Chairperson and Professor of Scenic Design for the MSU Department of Theatre. “I was completely dumbstruck…

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New Adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’ Examines Gender Norms Through Non-Traditional Casting

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre is presenting a new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic gothic horror novel, Frankenstein. Through the use of some creative casting, the production examines the themes of gender norms and the plight of humanity at the hands of a thoughtless creator.  The new adaptation, developed in 2018 by Southwest Shakespeare Company co-Producing Artistic Director Quinn Mattfeld, more closely follows the original…

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Department of Theatre Announces 2019-2020 Season

The Michigan State University Department of Theatre announces its 2019-2020 Season, which focuses on invention and reinvention, adaptations of classics alongside new works.  “One of the greatest opportunities in theatre is discovering how an old story is newly relevant. In selecting our latest season, we asked ‘What is it about this particular story that has a direct connection with the world we live in today?’ The MSU Department of Theatre thrives by reinventing…

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