Featuring: Alexandra Kelly Colburn (Media Design MFA Student)

What drew you to University of Maryland’s MFA design program?

The lure of UMD’s MFA in Design is rooted in the fantastic resources of the tech shops, invaluable knowledge and experience of the faculty (in all facets- design, performance studies, acting, and dance), and the respect between the students and the administration. The classes are demanding and challenging but necessary in creating an intellectual and artistic toolbox to take out into the real world. Our mentors are working professionals and so we have the unique opportunity of assisting and learning from them not just in the classroom but outside of it. Whether it be at various venues in the DC Metropolitan area or on Broadway, we are creating relationships with different companies, and learning the ins and outs of the business before we’re out there on our own. The support of the administration is unparalleled. Whether it be help in registering for classes, questions about health benefits and paychecks, mentorship in strengthening our relationships with the undergrads we teach, connecting us with other resources on campus, there is always someone willing and available to help.

Why did you choose to pursue Media Design?

As an aspiring Projections and Multimedia Designer, there are currently very few opportunities to pursue a higher level of education in this specialty. A lot of our experience comes from assisting and learning from more experienced designers in the field, but there aren’t usually many opportunities to succeed and fail within a classroom environment. The inclusion of Multimedia Design into the MFA speaks volumes to the quality of the program here at UMD. The recognition of this specialty allows us to create a dialectic and a pedagogy to teach and train theater artists to be better collaborators and move the form forward into the 21st century. UMD is responding to the advancements of technology and how this rapid development is affecting the way audiences and artists view the theater. Media design is changing the conversation! Myself and my great friend and colleague, Mark Costello, have the honor of being the inaugural class, and we just welcomed another student into our family! It’s a new program which means there is a lot of fluidity in how we manage and shape it which only inspires conversation, debate, and clarity of intention surrounding the form.
 

What is your favorite production you’ve worked on at UMD?

UMD has an amazing Second Season where students can devise and produce their own work. Jared Mezzocchi (our faculty advisor) introduced Mark Costello and I to an amazing dance duo, Colette Krogol and Matt Reeves (also known as Orange Grove Dance) to co-design a dance-theater adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath called Tom In The Machine. Aside from us gaining new friends and collaborators, it was an opportunity to work in a devised process, to help develop new work! It was fun, exciting, and wildly fulfilling.

What are the best parts of UMD’s campus?

They keep us pretty busy at The Clarice (the performing arts building) but UMD at large has a beautiful campus with a lot of wide open spaces. It’s always a treat to sit out on the mall by the reflecting pool on a beautiful day! Or head down to the main street to grab breakfast at Bagel Place (fresh bagels baked daily! The line is out the door on most mornings). The Performing Arts Library has a lot of great resources (and a lot of great nooks to grab a book and get away from it all) and since UMD is part of the Consortium, you can get your hands on almost any book in print for free! If you’re looking to get off-campus, it’s a 20 minute Metro ride into the heart of D.C. so there are always places to explore!