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Kate Edmunds

Professor, Theater Arts
Set design for theater, dance, opera, and film, Drawing for the designer. Model-making and color theory. Drafting. Broadway Musicals.

Set design for theater, dance, opera, and film, Drawing for the designer. Model-making and color theory. Drafting. Broadway Musicals. Students interested in pursuing architecture and installation design are also welcome.

Education and Training: 
1978 Yale School of Drama/MFA in Design
1974 Wayne State University/BFA in Printmaking, Drawing, Painting. Art History Minor.
Selected Performances: 

Selected Designs Organized by Producing Theater:

American Conservatory Theater/San Francisco:

THE GAMESTER, THE CONSTANT WIFE, LIAISONS DANGEREUSES, THE DIFFICULTY OF CROSSING A FIELD, THE MISANTHROPE, THE HOUSE OF MIRTH, LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK, OLD TIMES. HECUBA (twice), THE ROSE TATTOO, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, THE TEMPEST, OLEANNA, ARCADIA, OTHELLO, ROSENCRANTZ … ARE DEAD, UNCLE VANYA, ANGELS IN AMERICA pts. 1 and 2, ANTIGONE, PECONG, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, FULL MOON, HAMLET

Arena Stage, Washington, D.C.:

THE GREAT SOCIETY, ALL THE WAY, AH, WILDERNESS!, SHE LOVES ME, BORN YESTERDAY, THE PIANO LESSON, CAMELOT, SOUTH PACIFIC, A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN, OTHER DESERT CITIES

Berkeley Repertory Theater:

BLUE DOOR, HOMEBODY/KABUL, HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE, THE HEIRESS, HEARTBREAK HOUSE, SLAVS!, SIGHT UNSEEN, THE LADY FROM THE SEA (also at the Huntington, Boston), ENDGAME/ACT WITHOUT WORDS, PRIVATE LIVES, DREAM OF A COMMON LANGUAGE, THE CONVICT’S RETURN, MAJOR BARBARA, FUENTE OVEJUNA ,WAITING FOR GODOT, RECKLESS, THE ROAD TO MECCA, THE VIRGIN MOLLY, THE WINTER’S TALE, THE MISANTHROPE, THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, THE REVENGER, TWELFTH NIGHT

California Shakespeare Theater:

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, THE WINTER’S TALE, LOVE’S LABOURS LOST

CenterStage, Baltimore:

DON JUAN (Moliere), A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN, THE MISANTHROPE, TINTYPES, THE SLEEP OF REASON

Ford’s Theater, Washington, D.C.:

STATE OF THE UNION

The Goodman Theater, Chicago:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE THREE MOSCOWTEERS (with the Flying Karamazov Brothers)

The Guthrie:

THE RAINMAKER

The Huntington, Boston:

THE WAY OF THE WORLD, ARISTOCRATS, UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, HYDE PARK, THE WINTER’S TALE

The Jewel Theater:

           COMPLICATIONS FROM A FALL, WHAT THE BUTLER SAW, THE BOOK CLUB PLAY, GUYS AND DOLLS

The Magic Theater:

FAMILY BUTHCHERS, TRIPTYCH

Manhattan Theatre Club:

TRANSLATIONS (American premier), THE RESURRECTION OF LADY LESTER, THE PHILANTHROPIST, SKIRMISHES, ALLIGATOR TALES, ELBA

Milwaukee Repertory Theater:

THE REVENGER’S TRAGEDY, DON JUAN ON TRIAL, THE GREATER GOOD

The Old Globe:

GROUNDSWELL, OPUS

San Jose Repertory:

ARMS AND THE MAN, HARVEY, WALLFLOWERING, THE SISTERS MATSUMOTO, THREE DAYS OF RAIN, RABBIT HOLE

Seattle Repertory Theater:

JAR THE FLOOR, AS YOU LIKE IT, A DOLL’S HOUSE, GUYS AND DOLLS

Shakespeare Santa Cruz:

A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, ENGAGED, THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW/THE TAMER TAMED

Theatreworks:

WHEELHOUSE, [title of show], THE CLEAN HOUSE, M. BUTTERFLY

Other Selected designs for Theater:

EYEPIECE written by Rinde Eckert, PENELOPE written and performed by Ellen McLaughlin, DAVID COPPERFIELD at Steppenwolf Theater, JUNO’S SWANS and THE CUSTOM OF THE COUNTRY at Second Stage, NYC, FIGARO’S MARRIAGE, RUNDOWN and TRUE WEST at American Repertory Theater, Cambridge MA, ANON(ymous) at Children’s Theater of Minneapolis, SMASH at Asolo, WOODY GUTHRIE’S AMERICAN SONG at Syracuse Stage, A BRIGHT ROOM CALLED DAY, ROOSTERS and A NARROW BED at the Eureka Theater, MERCENARIES at The Women’s Project. NYC, VISITATIONS: 2 new operas - scores by Jonathan Berger, libretti by Dan O'Brien, DETROIT '67 at Actor's Theatre of Louisville.

Designer in Residence at the O’Neill Playwrights’ Conference for three years

Broadway: CHARLIE AND ALGERNON, score by Charles Strouse

Museum Design:

WE’RE STILL HERE Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz​

TECHNOLOGY BENEFITTING HUMANITY Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose

Film:

  • Production Designer: LIFE TASTES GOOD, written and directed by Philip Gotanda
  • Assistant Art Director: FLETCH RETURNS, THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN
Honors and Awards: 
  • 5 Bay Area Critics’ Circle Awards: THE HEIRESS, THE ROSE TATTOO, HEARTBREAK HOUSE, PRIVATE LIVES THE LADY FROM THE SEA
  • 2 Dean Goodman Awards: LIAISONS DANGERUOUS, JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK
  • 2 DramaLogue Awards: THE HEIRESS, RECKLESS
  • 2 SF Chronicle’s Outstanding Achievement Awards in Theater: A NARROW BED, TWELFTH NIGHT
  • Backstage West Garland Award: LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT
  • SF Bay Guardian Upstage/Downstage Award: :  "Kate Edmunds, for everything”
  • Arizoni: THE HEIRESS

Professional Affiliations:

  • 1998 – 2000 Associate Artist, American Conservatory Theater/SF
  • 1984 –1986 Associate Artist, Berkeley Repertory Theater
  • 1981 - present, Member, United Scenic Artists/ USA 829
Phone: 
Office: 831-459-3110
Office: 
A207, Theater Arts Center, A Building (Academic Office)
Office Hours: 

Please see the current Faculty Office Hours and contact sheet here, or contact the department office at theater@ucsc.edu.