Behind the scenes with UMKC Theatre

“Form Follows Function” runs through Feb. 24

Though they usually work behind the scenes, UMKC Theatre costume, lighting and scenic design graduate students are the focus of an exhibit titled “Form Follows Function”. The exhibit runs through Feb. 24 at The Box Gallery in the Commerce Bank building at 1000 Walnut St., Kansas City, Mo. Admission is free and open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday.

Below is a link to KCPT’s recent coverage of the exhibit:

“Form Follows Function” is curated by Sarah M. Oliver, assistant professor of Costume Technology and Lindsay W. Davis, associate professor of Costume Design.

“It’s always about the play. And it’s about what the character needs and what the director wants for each character. It isn’t always about making the person look lovely. Sometimes it’s about making them look grotesque, recessive or wild. The design has to serve that,” Oliver told KCPT’s “The Local Show”.

Oliver has created costumes for theatres coast to coast, from the Los Angeles Opera to the New York Opera. She also has worked as a costume designer or seamstress for almost every theatre in the Kansas City area.

Davis joined UMKC after a 30-year career in New York. During those 30 years, he designed for 13 Academy Award-winning actors and designed the Tony Award Best Musical, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”. The former owner and operator of a commercial costume shop, Davis has won design awards in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Florida. He has designed operas in Europe, musicals in Japan and Korea, and several shows in London’s West End.

People view sketches, costumes, fabrics and models created by UMKC Theatre graduate students.

People view sketches, costumes, fabrics and models created by UMKC Theatre graduate students.

About The Box Gallery:

The Box Gallery is 830 square feet of space designed for exhibitions by local artists, collectors, and arts organizations. Its mission is to serve a downtown audience of residents, workers and visitors, with creative cultural art exhibitions that will enliven, enlighten and engage. For more information, visit www.theboxgallery.org.

About UMKC Theatre:

Lindsay W. Davis, associate professor of Costume Design and Sarah M. Oliver, visiting assistant professor of Costume Technology, serve as curators of "Form Follows Function".

Lindsay W. Davis, associate professor of Costume Design and Sarah M. Oliver, visiting assistant professor of Costume Technology, serve as curators of “Form Follows Function”.

Since 1964, UMKC Theatre in the College of Arts and Sciences has trained and developed some of the finest theatre artisans working in the industry today. UMKC Theatre offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines, including acting, costume design, stage management, sound design, technical directing and scenic design. Ranked among the top graduate theatre training programs by U.S. News and World Report, UMKC Theatre presents six or seven full-scale graduate productions each year. UMKC Theatre graduates have gone on to act, design, and stage manage for leading professional theatres, films and television studios across the country.


Tags: , , , , .
  • Recent UMKC News

    $20 Million Scholarship Article in The Kansas City Star

    KC Scholars partnership also in U.S. News and World Report … Read more

    Geosciences Professor’s Research Cited in New York Times

    Fengpeng Sun co-authored study on California wildfire seasons The 2015 … Read more

    Bloch Faculty Interviewed on NBC Nightly News

    Brent Never teaches about Kansas City’s racial dividing line Never … Read more

    More