SMU Meadows’ Claudia Stephens named to University/Resident Theatre Association Board

Claudia Stephens, an associate professor in the Theatre Division of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, has been appointed to the board of directors of the University/Resident Theatre Association, the URTA has announced.

DALLAS (SMU) - Claudia Stephens, an associate professor in the Theatre Division of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, has been appointed to the board of directors of the University/Resident Theatre Association, the URTA has announced.

Claudia Stephens
Claudia Stephens

Stephens, who joined SMU in 1997, has designed costumes for opera, theater and dance for more than 140 productions in New York City and across the United States, from Broadway and Lincoln Center to the Utah Shakespearean Festival and Portland Opera. Many of her former students are currently working in the costume industry, residing in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Texas, Florida, Idaho and Oklahoma.

Other URTA board appointments recently announced include:

  • Brant Pope, accomplished director and chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas at Austin, was elected president of URTA.
  • Holly Poe Durbin, an award-winning entertainment costume designer and head of the Costume Design program at the University of California, Irvine, won election as vice president.
  • Michael Fry, director, artistic director, and deputy director of the East 15 Acting School, London, UK, also was elected  as a new director.

“URTA’s board reflects the experienced and highly accomplished level of professional artists and educators found at its member institutions, and mirrors new developments in the field,” said Scott Steele, executive director of URTA.

Steele also noted the URTA’s profound appreciation of the schools that support service on the board by providing directors and officers the assistance necessary to attend meetings and conduct business.

URTA is the nation's oldest and largest consortium of professional, graduate (M.F.A.) theatre training programs and partnered professional theatre companies. URTA advances theatre by connecting educational theatre programs with professional theatre and performing arts industries, promoting professional practices and artistic excellence in higher education, and assisting students with their transition into the profession. For more information, visit www.urta.com.

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