fbpx Design | HowlRound Theatre Commons

Design

In this section, you’ll find content that relates to theatrical design—including lighting, sound, projections, costumes, properties, set, makeup and hair, intimacy design, and stage combat. There is a huge range of topics covered here, but a great place to start is the series Design (in a Time of Reckoning), which uplifts the work of the design community and asks, What would it mean to have a culture of justice in theatrical design?

The Latest

Essay
How to Embrace the Dramaturgy of Creative Caption Design
by McClain Leong
14 April 2026
Video
A Conversation with Clint Ramos
TORCHES: 30+ Years of Downtown Performance
Monday 9 February 2026
New York City
Essay
Theatre Design Students Need to See Themselves in the Work
by Bryan Stanton
28 July 2025
A man in blue suit is speaking in a large conference room. Next to him is a woman in a green blouse and behind them is a woman in black suit ASL interpreting. They are all in front of a curtain which is lit in blues and yellows.
Essay

Innovation, Creativity, and Inclusion in Professional Theatre

26 May 2019

Talleri A. McRae and Mickey Rowe, co-founders of the National Disability Theatre, introduce their series “The Future of Theatre is Accessible,” talk about some key takeaways from the upcoming articles, and discuss how language is a barrier to inclusion.

an actor onstage
Essay
22 May 2019

D.R. Baker examines some of the realities of artists working in the American theatre and explores how empathy can be harnessed to make the industry a more positive place to work.

audience in darkness, except for flashlights
Essay
22 January 2019

Daniel Jackson talks about creating an interactive DIY lighting system—that the audience partially controlled—for a recent production that took place almost entirely in the dark.

a woman looks at two paintings
Essay
15 January 2019

Gaven Trinidad examines the recent exhibition Dance We Must: Treasures from Jacob’s Pillow and wrestles with cultural appropriation vs. cultural appreciation when it comes to costume design throughout history.

Essay

Phase Four: Part 4

28 November 2018

Porsche McGovern wraps up Phase Four of her research on the gender of LORT theatre designers.

graph of Who Designs in LORT Theatres by Gender: Categories
Essay

Phase Four: Part 3

26 November 2018

Porsche McGovern shares phase four of her research on the gender of LORT theatre designers.

Six graphs with the title "Who Designs in LORT Theatres by Gender: Regions"
Essay

Phase Four: Part 2

21 November 2018

For the fourth year, Porsche McGovern shares her research on the gender of LORT theatre designers. In this second installment of this essay, Porsche focuses on region.

graph of twelve pie charts with a title that says "Who Designs in LORT Theatres by Gender: Positions & People"
Essay

Phase Four: Part 1

19 November 2018

For the fourth year, Porsche McGovern shares her research on the gender of LORT theatre designers. 

Essay

Lessons on Inspiration, Appropriation, and Design

1 November 2018

Costume designer Valerie St. Pierre Smith explores the major issue of cultural appropriation in costume and fashion design, touching on every aspect of the production process, from research to execution.

an actor onstage
Essay
14 August 2018

Katherine Swimm discusses New Rep Theatre’s Boston production of Ripe Frenzy, and the innovative collaboration between playwright Jennifer Barclay and projection designer Jared Mezzocchi.

a group of people on stage
Essay
6 August 2018

Regan Postma-Montaño reports on the 2018 Latinx Theatre Commons' Carnaval of New Latinx Work, which took place on 19-21 July in Chicago, Illinois.

Essay
8 March 2018

Artistic Director Kristin Marting discusses how developmental programs can better meet the needs of artists and shares best practices from HERE’s multi-year artist residency program in New York City.

Video
Sunday and Monday 3-4 December 2017.
Minneapolis, MN, United States

Ten Thousand Things presented the Ten Thousand Theaters Conference livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Sunday and Monday 3-4 December 2017.

Essay

Expanding Meanings and Breaking Boundaries with Deb Sivigny

9 October 2017

DC based playwright Annalisa Dias interviews fellow The Welders collective member Deb Sivigny on the world premiere of her new play, Hello My Name Is....

Essay

The Conference of the Birds

28 July 2017

In this installment, Tom Block explores the work of Sufi poet Farid un-Din Attar.

Essay

The Cost of Discipleship

20 July 2017

In his latest installment, Tom Block explores how Dietrich Bonhoeffer's work could impact theatre. 

Essay
18 July 2017

Fight director Michael Jerome Johnson lays out how and when to hire a fight director.

Essay

Phase Three

7 July 2017

Porsche McGovern discusses the third phase of her study on LORT theatre designers.

Podcast

Exploring the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’s New Jo Mielziner Acquisitions with Annemarie van Roessel

15 May 2017

Michael Lueger talks with curator Annemarie van Roessel about scenic designer Jo Mielziner’s work.

Essay

Mysticism of the Absurd

11 May 2017

Tom Block writes about how Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu's ideas can provide inspiration for theatre artists.

Essay

Jesse Portillo

29 March 2017

In this installment, Lighting Designer Jesse Portillo discusses his background, design process, and work with a couple Utah theatre companies.

Essay

Considering Design Choices

18 February 2017

Professor James Ogden explores what it means to put a chair on stage, considering how design informs character choices.

Essay
17 February 2017

Em Piro images what a Paleo theatre practice would involve.

Essay

Pay Attention to the Men Behind the Curtain

17 January 2017

Amelia Parenteau deconstructs the use of technology in The Builders Association’s production of Elements of Oz, an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, presented at 3LD in New York City.

Essay
13 January 2017

In this installment, Daniel Fine discusses the intersections of sound and media design departments, offering a template for productive workflow.

Subscribe to HowlRound

Sign up for our daily, weekly, or quarterly emails so you never miss the latest theatre conversations.

Sign me up

Support HowlRound

We fundraise to keep all our programs free and open and to pay our contributors. Thank you to all who make our work possible!

Donate today