Valerie St. Pierre Smith
Costume Designer, Crafts Artisan, Educator
After receiving my M.F.A from San Diego State University, I have worked as a costume designer and crafts artisan for clients that include Warner Brothers Studios; Universal Studios, Hollywood; The Old Globe Theatre and Sea World, San Diego. I have also received several awards and recognition for innovative design work. My design work spans a range from classics like Tartuffe and A Doll's House through Guys and Dolls and The Boyfriend all the way to the abstract world of Caryl Churchill's The Skriker.
My resume is displayed below, and a few samples of my design work, and production photos, may be found through the links to the left, or by following any highlighted titles. Styling & Makeup Photos include a few samples of fashion styling and photographic make-up work; Textile Art highlights my latest series of silk paintings.
Design Credits*
- For the Love of Goldfish, Kennedy Center/VSA arts, Paul Douglas Michnewicz
- The Conversion of Ka'ahumanu, Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, Vincent Scott
- Antebellum, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Chay Yew
- Threepenny Opera, GWU, Leslie Jacobson
- The Other Room, Kennedy Center/VSA arts, Paul Douglas Michnewicz
- The Love of the Nightingale, GWU, Jodi Kanter
- Bulletins from Fatland, Horizons Theatre, George Grant
- Friends.Net (dance), Imagination Stage, Veronika Farkas
- Danceworks!, GWU, Dana Tai Soon Burgess and others
- The Body Project, Horizons Theatre, Leslie Jacobson and Vanessa Thomas
- One, Riverside Theatre, Peter Bennett
- Tartuffe, McKenna Productions, Frank Kraat
- A Doll's House, McKenna Productions, Bev Brumm
- Waiting (dance), McKenna Productions, Yoav Kaddar
- Guys and Dolls, McKenna Productions, Franks Trezza
- The Tempest, SDSU, Nick Reid
- Terrors of the Deep; Sea World, San Diego
- The Skriker, SDSU, Peter Larlham
- The Clearing, Lamb's Players, Jeff Miller
Education
M.F.A. Theatre Arts: Costume Design and Technology; San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
B.F.A. Theatre Arts; Stephens College, Columbia, MO
Related Credits*
Costume Crafts Artisan credits include:
- La Jolla Playhouse, La Jolla, California
- The Old Globe Theatre, San Diego, California
- Warner Bros. Studios, Los Angeles, California
- San Diego Opera, San Diego, California
Styling and Make-up credits include:
- REALM magazine, New York City, New York
- Ken Thurlbeck, New York City, New York
- SVA, New York City, New York
- Eleanor Antin, San Diego, California
Publications include:
- E-Style: Teaching Costume Design and History Within an Online Learning Environment. USITT Costume Poster Session, 2008.
- The Development of an Aesthetic: Costume Design Concept and Approach for Shakespeare's The Tempest
- Creature Feature; TD&T vol. 37 no. 3, summer 2001; USITT Tech Expo Catalog, 2001
- The Mask of Quick Change, USITT Tech Expo Catalog, 1999
Awards include:
- Ming Cho Lee’s Clambake Invited Exhibitor - 2001
- United States Institute of Theatre Technology Young Designer's Forum- 2001
- United States Institute of Theatre Technology Tech Expo Exhibiter Award- "Creature Feature”- 2001
- KPBS Pate Award for Outstanding Costume Design- 2000
Professional Affiliations:
- United States Institute of Theatre Technology- member
- Costume Society of America- member
*full list of credits available upon request
References
Ralph Funicello, Scene Designer
Yoav Kaddar, Choreographer/Director
Jodi Kanter, Director