Associate Professor of Theatre Kerry Bechtel designed the costumes for The Star Spangled Girl  at Unity Theater in Brenham, TX. This classic Neil Simon comedy required 15 distinct costumes from the late 1960s for the three main characters. Unity Theater is a professional theatre company located in beautiful Washington County, attracting theatre artists and patrons from both the Austin and Houston areas. The Star Spangled Girl  runs through June 30.

Senior Research and Instruction Librarian Katherine Hooker presented a poster at the Texas Library Association’s annual conference on April 17. “Three Ring Library Circus (But in a Good Way): Leaning into the Theme with Creative Instruction for Creative Students” summarized three-part library instruction delivered to students in Associate Professor of Theatre Kerry Bechtel’s “Design Fundamentals” course. Students learned via an online escape game, a collaborative Padlet, and an InfoGuide, all highly customized around the course’s vibrant circus theme.

Associate Professor of Theatre Kerry Bechtel worked as a costume buyer for Amazon Pictures’ new series “Fallout.” Alumnus Jonathan Knipscher ’03 was the Associate Costume Designer on the project. The show premieres on April 11, 2024. The series trailer can be seen here.

Associate Professor and Chair of the Theatre Department Kerry Bechtel has accepted an invitation to serve on The United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) Costume Commission Leadership Board and as the International Organization of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians (OISTAT) representative for a three-year term. OISTAT organizes the Prague Quadrennial and World Stage Design Event and is a collective of theatre creatives working worldwide. The USITT Costume Commission develops and oversees national and regional programming and events for professionals, academics, and students involved in the fields of design and technical theatre.

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre Kerry Bechtel completed the costume design for the mid-century classic musical Godspell by John-Michael Tebelak and Stephen Schwartz. This production runs through June 25, 2023, at Unity Theater, a professional AEA and USA-associated theater company in Brenham, Texas. https://unitybrenham.org/