BFA Showcases Display Designers and Actors Skills to Industry Insiders
In the middle of the Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre hung what looked like a real deer, suspended upside down after a hunt, its innards spilling out and staining its belly fur. On closer inspection, those innards were made of Twizzlers.
The deer—a prop created by Oscar McQuilken ’26 for a production of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s As You Like It—was one of many striking pieces featured at the annual Performing Arts BFA Design Showcase on May 5.
“The deer actually holds a fake blood pouch in it so the actors could reach into it and then smear blood on their faces,” McQuilken explained. “The fur is faux fur attached with a hot glue gun. We used water-diluted paint to color the fur and to give it that coarse feel of deer fur. We wanted the fur texture to be the star.”
McQuilken created the piece last summer while working as an assistant props designer alongside Emerson Assistant Props Director Lauren Corcuera ’18. The deer, now “living” at Emerson’s prop warehouse, also served as a conversation starter with showcase attendees: props directors, costume designers, and lighting designers.
“I want to make contacts. I would like to be a props designer and technical director,” said McQuilkin.
The annual showcase, along with the BFA Acting and Musical Theatre Showcase at the Semel Theatre on May 7, offers graduating seniors a chance to present their work to industry professionals. Students will also participate in similar showcases in New York City on May 14, for an audience of industry professionals, family, and invited alumni.
Let’s Set the Stage…and Sound…Costumes, and More
At this year’s Design Showcase, 21 students presented their portfolios on bulletin boards featuring work from Emerson Stage productions, theater companies, movies, and other projects. Many have already begun working in the industry as freelancers.
More than 600 guests were invited to the showcases, including props directors, costume designers, and lighting designers, according to Performing Arts Assistant Professor Tristan Raines.
“We want industry professionals to meet the new crop of designers,” said Raines. “We want students to come out from the showcase with at least their next step after graduation. After the showcase we send out all of the students’ portfolios again. Students are also provided the invite list and can follow up as well.”
Among the exhibitors was Georgianne Ten Eyck ’26, who showcased costume construction work, including two dresses—one for cosplay and another for the premiere of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie—as well as retractable wings created for Fan Expo Boston.
“I made the wings out of EVA foam,” said Ten Eyck. “I thrifted the pink dress and reconstructed it to look like Princess Peach.”
Nearby, Nina Turovskiy ’26 emphasized the breadth of her skills.
“I want to exhibit my versatility,” she said. “I’m an illustrator and costume designer. I drape. I’ve done a lot of costumes for dance, both modern and ballet.”
Behind a black curtain, several students presented samples of their sound design and audio engineering work. Lorenzo Sosa Lopez ’26 played a dramatic score they composed for Crime Fiction, a new play debuting this month at Moonbox’s 5th Annual New Works Festival.
“The main character hears pounding at night and thinks there’s a stalker. The play explores paranoia and hyper-paranoia,” said Lopez.
Emery Frost ’26 highlighted her video design work from Emerson Stage productions, Andy’s Summer Playhouse in New Hampshire, and other productions.
“I’m showing different facets of my process,” Frost said. “I’ve gotten into installation, interactivity, and immersive experimental films. I really want to keep exploring and expand on what I learned at Emerson.”
Onto the Performances
At the Semel Theater, Emerson Stage Director of Theater Operations Eric Paris reflected on the culmination of the students’ college careers.
“It’s beautiful to see how the combination of four years of effort can lead to one big, defining moment,” said Paris.
Photos by Luis Gerardo Del Razo Tamayo, MA ’26
In “Act I” of the showcase, Musical Theatre majors performed selections of self-chosen songs that highlighted their individual strengths and talents. “Act II” featured Acting majors performing excerpts from an array of well-known plays.
After agents, producers, and other industry professionals watched the performances, many approached students backstage to congratulate them, offer feedback, and exchange contact information.
Musical Theatre major Zeke Manry ’26 performed “And The Rain Keeps Falling Down” from Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens and “I’m Not That Smart” from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, in which he starred as Leaf Coneybear in an Emerson Stage production last fall.
“I was really happy to see everyone’s friends and family come out to support,” said Manry. “Everybody showed up ready to share the love.”
Hope Kim ’26 delivered powerful performances of “I’m Your Man” from Meet John Doe, and “Saving All My Love for You”, sung famously by Whitney Houston.
“I wanted the audience to feel all the love I put into these songs,” said Kim. “This is the culmination of four years of really hard work, and I hope that this effort came through in my performance.”
Semaj’ Donnell Byrd ’26 sang “Don’t Let Me Go” from Shrek: The Musical, punctuating the performance with a backflip onto the stage. He later performed “Family” from Dreamgirls.
“This entire class went through so many trials and tribulations to get to the point where we are tonight,” said Byrd. “I hope our audience felt the bond and camaraderie we have built through years of working alongside each other.”
After the musical theatre performances, the acting majors took the stage.
Peter Kolodziej ’26 performed a scene from Nocturama alongside Sydney Simenauer ’26, as well as a monologue from The Inheritance.
“I’m relishing in the joy of one last performance in a campus that means so much to me,” said Kolodziej. “I hope that my acting inspires people to avoid boxing themselves into one specific way to be or behave.”
J.J. Moore ’26 and Lulu Royce ’26 brought humor to the stage with a performance from Significant Other by Joshua Harmon and Am I Cait?.
Like seasoned professionals, many students were already looking ahead to their next audition.
“I’m really proud of this performance, and I feel really grateful to Emerson and this program in particular for fostering such a strong creative environment over these last four years,” said Moore. “I’m excited to bring everything I’ve learned to New York.”
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