Stage Directions: With a resume of recent costume design credits including American Son and Children of a Lesser God on Broadway, Fireflies at Atlantic Theatre Company, Slave Play at New York Theatre Workshop and School Girls, or The African Mean Girls Play for MCC Theater, it’s slightly surprising to learn a few facts about Dede Ayite’s education and training. “I double majored in theater and behavioral neuroscience,” says Ayite, a graduate of Lehigh University. As for her graduate work at Yale School of Drama? “Scene design,” she explains.
2 comments:
I was somewhat struck by Dede Ayite’s comment about designers of color working on shows about or by other people of color. I agree with her that you cannot relegate people of color to work on shows about people of color because essentially, under guise of respect you are segregating the design community. You are also stripping oher shows that might be about a strictly white family or something along those lines of the vital and unique input of not only a different perspective but a talented designer. However, there seemed to be conflict in her statement as she said she also does want to be that person. She wants to work on shows about people of color and breathe life and power into their stories. I wish that one would not have to feel like they are limiting themselves by working on what they want to work on. It really should be your talented and ideas that speak for themselves.
It was really interesting reading this article because I felt like i would resonate with everything the author was saying. I understood what it meant to be in her shoes. In my major we do everything thing lights and sound design to management and costume design. It was cool to the the journey and career process for her as she went through the different forms of art that we do everyday. I think this article also proves that just because you finish college for one thing, doesn;t mean that you are married to it for all of your life. Just because she finished scenic design and studies, doesn’t mean that all she's capable of or all she passionate about. I think this stands true for everyone, what you graduate with doesn’t not limit what you can do and a lot of people, including me, tend to forget that and then struggle to branch out of their comfort zone.
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