Travis Grant, a costume designer and theater major at USM, has created many of the wardrobes seen on the Russell Theater stage. It was Grant’s ten designs for last spring’s play, “Last Easter,” that got the attention of a Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) respondent.
For years the USM theater department has paid for a Kennedy Center respondent to critique their shows. This feedback is not only beneficial for the cast and crew, but it also allows students to be recognized for their outstanding work. “The respondent works with the director [of the USM performance] to name Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Audition Nominees, design nominees and stage management nominees,” Grant says. These nominees are then eligible to compete in the KCACTF regional competition for a chance to go to the national competition; Grant was one of these lucky nominees.
The KCACTF is held every year at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and is designed to celebrate and improve collegiate theater. The competition started in 1969 and draws in many students from colleges around the United States with theatrical talents in production, design and acting. Prior to the national competition, eight regional competitions are held. Maine is included in Region I along with New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and north east New York.
While participating in regionals, Grant went through two rounds of response sessions with judges. During these sessions, a trifold display showed Grant’s well thought out design process. Rough sketches, production photos, final design renderings, and a process journal, were just some of the materials Grant had for the judges to view. Grant even had two costume examples to show that not only is he a designer, but a craftsman too.
Aside from all of the great visuals included in the judgement, Grant was required to answers questions. “The lone female judge asked me who my favorite professional designers were to see if I had any knowledge of what was going on in the design world. I told her one of my favorites was William Ivey Long, and she said (and I quote!) ‘William Ivey Long? Forgive me, but he can’t draw for shit. You can. Look into Carrie Robbins and Desmond Heeley, their work will inspire you!’ It was brilliant.”
Grant was surprised when he was then called back for round two. With only ten minutes, Grant had to explain to three judges his design process and his choices made for the show. To add to the pressure, one of the judges was Kip Shawger, KCACTF National Design Chair. “[The judges] kept going back to the lack of energy in my finished plates, and assured me that they were being nitpicky because I’d done good, solid work.” If nothing else, I would have been happy just to hear that! What can any artist or designer hope for but to hear that their work is actually good?”
Grant was soon reassured again that he had “good, solid work” when he was named the Barbizon National Costume Region I winner.
“It still seems very surreal,” says Grant. “I put together a display and presentation, and after two rounds of response sessions with the judges (and a very nerve-wracking award ceremony!) I won!”
As a result, Grant and fellow thespian Kimberly Stone will be travelling to Washington D.C. in April to take part in the KCACTF. While there, they will participate in as yet unknown master classes and workshops as well as compete for some hefty prizes. Among the prizes are an “observership” with Ming Cho Lee (“an incredibly influential professor of design at Yale Drama,” Grant contests) and an internship with a theater company in Korea. Scholarships of various amounts will also be awarded. Until then, Grant’s latest designs can be seen on the Russell Theater stage in USM theater’s production, “Moonchildren.”