Yun Enya Huang (M.F.A., themed entertainment design) is, in her own words, an "emotional journey designer." Merging attraction design, themed interior design, and project management, she strives to create "happiness and memories for people individually, as well as with their families and friends." From Foshan, China, Enya's ride is ongoing.

Yun Enya Huang:

I'm in my second year in the themed entertainment design (THED) graduate program at SCAD. Since I began this journey, I have had internship experiences with both Walt Disney Imagineering and Universal Creative, and my appetite for this amazing field continues to grow. While my path towards my goal hasn't been straightforward, my focus on education and networking has been fruitful. It's like a "dark ride" at a theme park. There are unexpected but exciting moments.

At SCAD I've been fortunate to learn from two THED legends: professors George Head and Mike Devine. During an intro class with professor Head, a former Walt Disney Imagineer, I fell in love with guiding audiences through narrative spaces and creating experiences that impact guests not only in theme parks during the experience, but in daily life after the experience. To design and innovate spaces and experiences, how fun!

My class with professor Devine was about designing haunted houses. Before the class, I was scared of horror movies and haunted houses. Once the project kicked off, I started to learn the psychology behind building peak moments and how to design sound, lighting, and special effects to create thrilling experiences.

I'm taking an unusual path in my career preparation, taking several quarters away from SCAD to complete professional internships. I am currently interning with Universal Creative as show set designer for attractions and area development. When I graduate, it will have taken about four years to earn my master's degree, but I'll have over 18 months of valuable work experience.

As a young international professional, collaboration and communication are part of my essential skill. When I join a team that doesn't have a themed entertainment background, I serve as leading designer as well as an "educator" of the THED mindset for both teammates and client. Significant work goes towards coordination and translation across multiple time zones. My goal is to present myself as a professional and communicate confidence.

During this global pandemic, I am learning from the challenges by taking the initiative and being self-reliant. At the same time, the circumstances present me an opportunity for growth, as more and more collaborative projects across time zones and countries are happening.

As my "dark ride" continues, I have written a few suggestions for fellow SCAD students on how to take advantage of the opportunities available to you.

1. Expand your curriculum as much as possible. When I took an elective sound design class, it opened a new world of the aesthetics of sound that I am able to apply to my work in themed entertainment.
2. Work on projects outside of class so your portfolio and resume stand out. One of the projects I am often asked about in interviews is my volunteering for TEDxSavannah doing set design.
3. Craft your story and link it to your portfolio. I consistently consult with my SCAD Career Adviser and visit the Writers' Studio at Jen Library for help with pitching, mock interviews, and honing my portfolio and artist statement.
4. Maximize your resources and cultivate connections. TEA and TEA NextGen are great platforms to meet people in different professions and begin networking in this industry. I try to attend IAAPA Orlando every year; it's the best way to keep track of new trends with the industry, as well as vendors in different areas
5. Be brave! Know that the journey will always move you forward.

See more of Enya's work at her website.

A version of this article first appeared in InPark Magazine.

Photo: Dylan Wilson.

A NYCxDESIGN award winner, architect, and furniture designer, Armando Mora Medina (M.F.A., furniture design) came to SCAD focused on turning ideas into reality. Movement, constant re-examination, and ongoing growth empower him to reach his ultimate goal — overseeing his own studio and design firm. For Armando, standing still is not an option. Design. Redesign. Innovate. Build upon that innovation. Don't hesitate to take risks, especially when you don't know what the limitations are. Always follow your own path — even when the furniture you build is seemingly on a journey of its own.

Armando Mora Medina:

"Walky" was a project I created in the class Furniture Studio: Process and Prototype (FURN 748). Professor Frederic Spector asked us to redesign the traditional café experience and I couldn't stop thinking about the kinetic energy of the space itself. Cafés are busy. They are full of people on the go. They are vibrant in nature. So why was the furniture static?

I just loved the play on movement with "Walky." People are hustling to get coffee and then off to their next meeting. Furniture should mirror that reality. I wanted the chair to be playful but striking, and worked to find the right balance.

The most difficult part of the project was building the chair. "Walky" was a sketch that immediately jumped off the page as the perfect idea, but when I showed it to my classmates and professor Spector, there was some concern. Could the "feet" take the weight? Could the wood be graceful, and strong enough to support the user? How could anyone assemble a chair without right edges or flat surfaces?

Not knowing how hard it was going to be was, in the end, a blessing. I designed the chair initially in CAD, but I'd never shaped wood like this before. Thankfully, professor Spector was there every step of the way. We honed the design to a place we believed was going to work, but there was definitely a moment in the shop where we had to hope the wood would cooperate.

The process of assembling the chair came into focus through hours in the studio. When I had finally finished and my friends and classmates sat on it and started rocking back and forth, Professor Spector suggested I submit it to the annual NYCxDESIGN Awards.

I really loved the design, but I was still shocked when I received the email announcing I was one of the six winners. Hopefully I will get calls for more chairs since I know how to assemble them now.

I met my wife Viviane (M.F.A., industrial design) when we were in enrolled in our undergraduate studies at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Guadalajara, Mexico. We were both studying architecture, but knew we wanted to have our own design business. Knowing we needed more knowledge, hands-on experience, and support, we began thinking about a masters program. We found SCAD, and moved to Savannah. I can't describe how much we have enjoyed our SCAD experience.

This year we will be working on our joint thesis. It will focus on how furniture, design, and art can serve multi-purpose functions in a home. Can a table be more that a table? Can chairs create a sense of tranquility or energy in a space? A lot of these ideas have been sparked by the COVID shelter-at-home order. We believe that our new normal has brought us to an understanding of what a home can and should be in the world tomorrow.

Learn more about SCAD furniture design and industrial design.

Debbie Onyibe (B.F.A., advertising, 2020), SCAD Atlanta 2020 Salutatorian, is Chief Executive Officer of Spirête Inc., an Atlanta-based branding and advertising agency committed to creating “a global ripple effect with groundbreaking, creative ideas.” As a SCAD advertising student, Onyibe created prospective campaigns for brands including Oatly, Goat Story Coffee, The New York Times, and Cadillac. Her work utilizes an integrated advertising skill set including design, art direction, typography, copywriting, and business. As founder of Spirête Inc., Onyibe is dedicated to sharing new stories and tackling creative challenges in a changing world. Congratulations Debbie, and to the SCAD graduating class of 2020.

Art direction, photography, and editing by Debbie Onyibe.

Debbie Onyibe:

I moved from Nigeria to the United States when I was a teenager. I was interested in art, music and writing, and wanted to meet new people and experience new traditions and cultures. I toured SCAD and it spoke to me. I felt inspired when I walked into buildings and saw other students' art work. I could sense the excitement in my classrooms. SCAD felt like the place where I could grow into the person I envisioned becoming.

One of my favorite classes freshman year was in foundation studies. My professor, Chin-Cheng Hung, was there to help us grow. I never felt as though my talents were being judged solely against my classmates. He graded me off of my growth and development, which was different from anything I had experienced before. I felt cared for and seen as an individual. I loved my professors Trina Brown, Christopher Bundy, and Todd Wirth. I could name so many!

People I never imagined meeting were in my dorm, my classes and at my lunch table. I made friends from India, China, Korea, and Milwaukee. We shared stories of our parents, our homes and our love for creating. It didn't take long to realize I made the best decision of my life.

Those conversations with friends in Forsyth Park, or at Arts Café, are when I learned I wanted to study advertising. Advertising is not limited to traditional ideas or cultural norms. Advertising is constantly changing, connecting in a way today that it won't tomorrow.

Understanding what's going on in society and having a diverse look into other perspectives allows us to connect on a more meaningful level. I started to think of advertising as a superpower. When it is done right, it can change the world. I was not only working towards my degree, I was becoming someone who will drive change.

One of my favorite projects I got to work on was an assignment for The New York Times. A lot of consumers are not taking the time to sort out factual news from opinion pieces. News literacy is lacking in society. Headlines are all people read, and soundbites are what they remember. Our project focused on ways to draw readers deeper into the stories, emphasize facts, and highlight opinion vs. hard news. It changed the way I consume information and allowed me to see how others take in information.

SCAD fosters an environment where students from all around the world collaborate with each other, while learning to stretch ourselves. I made sure to dive fully in the opportunities and resources SCAD offers. One of the things I am most proud of was a campus ministry program I began. My faith is important to me and SCAD allowed me to bring that aspect of my life into the community. At its very core, SCAD is a place where we can all come together to grow, develop our skills and achieve our goals, regardless of discipline, regardless of where we started.

SCAD allowed me to be me, and in turn SCAD changed my life.

See more of Debbie's work here.

In a department that openly advocates sustainable design, fibers student Victoria Wanjuhi's master's thesis, "Cluster," is an ingenious commentary on the global textile and fashion industries. Her work is also wildly enjoyable as abstract art.

Wanjuhi (pronounced Wa-jo-he) received her B.F.A. in fashion design from SCAD Atlanta in 2013, worked in the garment industry as an assistant designer for four years ("I saw how much waste was created with mass-produced clothing"), then came to SCAD Savannah to pursue her fibers M.F.A.

"Cluster" emphasizes the importance of rethinking discarded materials. While Wanjuhi refers to her accompanying thesis paper as "an exhibition catalog," her writing is a rigorously researched analysis of the effects of the first world shipping undesirable fabric to less developed nations. Wanjuhi studied how specific communities in Kenya, India, and Brazil deal with the deluge, inspiring her to create the extraordinary "Cluster."

Victoria Wanjuhi:

When I was a teenager, I used to deconstruct denim; I'd cut it up and sew it back together. I'd heard this term "fashion designer" and googled the best fashion school. SCAD came up. I spoke to a recruiter, and showed her a dress I was making out of boxes. I thought, they won't take me, it's too strange. But SCAD said yes! My SCAD journey, including the years between degrees I spent working, has been a decade of discovery.

Upon entering the graduate program at SCAD, I took a knitting class with professor Liz Sargent. I was reminded how much I loved working in abstract forms. Then I took a printmaking class that allowed me to explore how I could transfer my tactile fiber works into two-dimensional prints. Techniques from different disciplines became essential to my fibers projects. My thesis work explores processes including machine knitting, printmaking, and jacquard weaving. 

I went to visit Kenya in 2018, after 10 years away, with my Mom. It was a good time to go. That was the start of exploring the craft of beading practiced by Maasai women. The result was "Scraps of Denim," a set of four Jacquard woven pieces, using leftover threads from my previous projects, embellished with colorful Maasai glass beads to create color contrast with the blue background. I collaborated with Noonkokua Enole Naingisa, a local artisan based in Maasai Mara. We designed the layout of the beadwork for textiles, while the sequence of beading was based on her artistic decisions.

Kibera, in Nairobi, along with the Brazilian favelas in Rio, and Dharavi in Mumbai, India, are resourceful communities that have taken ownership of their environments. From the outside, these alternative communities appear endless and clustered; when you enter, you realize that there is an underlying organization at play and that the inhabitants are aware of their footprint within their communities.

SCAD taught me that having access to diverse creative fields is a huge advantage. I collaborated with Juanita Holmes (B.F.A., fashion, 2013) to create handcrafted couture shoes from upcycled material, and with Victoria Lake (M.F.A., animation) to create a 3D depiction of the favelas.

By exploring the possibilities and potential of materials, we can give new life to what has been discarded. "Cluster" reflects my world view. I'm proud of my SCAD experience.

www.wanjuhi.com

The SCAD Museum of Art is pleased to premiere new exhibition videos by four artists: Raúl de Nieves, Shoplifter, Igshaan Adams, and Kenturah Davis. These unique walk-through videos provide the opportunity to experience the process and output of these acclaimed international artists. The videos are free to view at www.scadmoa.org.

All four exhibitions opened to sensational response at SCAD deFINE ART 2020, the annual signature event featuring exhibitions, lectures, and performances. Held in February, deFINE ART brought all four artists in-person to Savannah for the festivities.

These videos exemplify the mission of SCAD MOA: to expand learning opportunities beyond the classroom, and inspire and challenge SCAD students to push the boundaries of their creative practices. They provide museum members, SCAD students and alumni, and audiences around the world an inside look at these dynamic exhibitions.

The concise videos (each approximately two minutes in duration) include artist and curator interviews, detailed shots of exhibitions, and time-lapse sequences of artists at work. They provide creative joy and public art programming at a time when physical access to the museum is stymied.

"The work derives from a personal story," Raúl de Nieves says, "an understanding of yourself." His exhibition, "Reemerge the Zero Begins Your Life, Eternal is Your Light" utilizes the distinct encasement-like structure of the SCAD MOA Jewel Boxes to position his sculptures as allegories within shrines. Using beading, sequins and textiles, the artist sublimates spiritual energies into agendered representations of characters like The Fool, the tarot's eternal figure of rebirth, and chromatic delineations of the seven chakras.

"When it comes to being a creative person, I think it's very important to find comfort in being uncomfortable," remarks Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, aka Shoplifter, in the video celebrating her exhibition, "Chromo Zone." As a medium, hair represents both the viewer's identity and what Shoplifter calls the "remnant of the beast in us." Her sculptural installation, made from synthetic hair extensions, presents cave-like dwellings whose dynamism translates well to video.

"If I can be deeply honest about my own lived experiences, the work becomes universal," says South African artist Igshaan Adams, exploring materiality, phenomenology, and identity. in his first solo museum exhibition in the U.S. Adams lined the walls and floors of SCAD MOA's Pamela Elaine Poetter Gallery with used linoleum extracted from working-class homes across Cape Town, South Africa. The title of the show "Getuie" is in Afrikaans, Adams' mother tongue, and directly translates as "witness."

"It's all up for grabs," says Kenturah Davis with a knowing smile. "Everything That Cannot Be Known" explores mark-making in relation to the representation of Black bodies and the intangibility of personal and collective identities. Her multilayered process includes different forms of translation: from text to image and reality to representation. Her figures often intersect with words, or appear to be in the act of movement. The video includes insights from Humberto Moro, adjunct curator, SCAD exhibitions.

Videos:

Raúl de Nieves
www.scadmoa.org/exhibitions/2020/reemerge-the-zero-begins-your-life-eternal-is-your-light

Shoplifter
www.scadmoa.org/exhibitions/2020/chromo-zone

Igshaan Adams 
www.scadmoa.org/exhibitions/2020/getuie

Kenturah Davis
www.scadmoa.org/exhibitions/2020/everything-that-cannot-be-known

Thanks to Raúl de Nieves, Shoplifter, Igshaan Adams, and Kenturah Davis.

In much of the country, medical workers on the frontlines are dangerously exposed to COVID-19 as they treat patients and save lives. Personal protection equipment is in short supply. Savannah hospitals are braced for a surge in cases throughout the month and the need for PPE is accelerating.

To champion Savannah's medical community as they treat patients and prepare for a sharp rise in cases, the SCADpro design studio has partnered with the SCAD industrial design to devise and produce face shields for frontline medical workers at Savannah's St. Joseph's/Candler Health System using the university's high tech resources and state-of-the-art 3D printers.

The SCAD shield is engineered to relieve pressure on the ears, minimizing the facial bruising commonly experienced by medical workers as they work long hours to stem the novel coronavirus. SCAD is producing 30 shields a day and has already donated 90 of them to St. Joseph/Candler. At the request of Savannah hospitalists, SCAD has also designed and is 3D printing special straps that help keep the masks medical workers are wearing from rubbing on their ears. So far SCAD has delivered more than 250 straps to Savannah doctors and nurses.

University leadership and faculty are diligently working on the initiative, led by SCAD Chief Operating Officer Glenn Wallace. "We rolled up our sleeves, fired up the printers, and started prototyping immediately," said Wallace. "I'm proud that our SCAD community is contributing to Savannah's wellbeing, as we have done for years, but now in a new way. SCAD is poised to make a serious contribution to the medical community, and our design has already improved the day-to-day of many healthcare professionals."

SCAD has also acquired and delivered more than 1,000 N95 masks to St. Joseph's/Candler and Memorial hospitals, and the university is investigating new opportunities, including a project to produce a reusable, easily disinfected mask with SCAD community partners that would offer a superior alternative to the N95 masks in short supply. SCAD is employing the innovative technology of its Gulfstream Center for Design, as well as Fahm Hall, home of SCADlab and the university's jewelry degree program.

SCAD is honored to support its community and the nation during these challenging times, and always. The university will continue to provide innovative design solutions as the city rises together to stem this crisis.

About SCADpro: SCADpro is a design and innovation studio that generates business solutions, products, and services for the world's most influential brands. Recognized as the premier university partner in higher education and among design agencies worldwide, SCADpro infuses fresh thinking into faster, smarter, and better results for a client list of global giants, including Google and NASA.

Learn more about SCADpro here.

Through the award-winning SCAD eLearning platform, SCAD launched its virtual spring quarter Monday, March 30, 2020 for more than 15,000 students around the globe. 
 
A pioneer in online creative education, SCAD has made significant enhancements to strengthen digital resources for this historic transition to virtual learning. These new online resources include Zoom-enabled masterclasses, conversations, and demonstrations with industry leaders like artist Marilyn Minter, creative director Donald Robertson, costume designer Ane Crabtree, actor Tommy Dewey, tastemaker Carson Kressley, and many other friends of SCAD.
 
In addition to offering an expansive electronic library archive, the university has arranged for students to have access to more than 35 software programs utilized in the professions SCAD graduates will soon be entering. From anywhere in the world, SCAD students can create captivating graphics and storyboards using Toon Boom, the same software used by leading animation producers. Students have the capability to create 2D and 3D games and immersive environments with Unreal Engine and Unity and develop superior graphics using Cinema 4D and ZBrush. They also have access to a full music-production suite with Ableton Live, the same program used by digital music impresarios like Diplo, David Guetta, and Deadmau5. 
 
"SCAD's virtual resources meet and often exceed what our graduates will be using in the workplace in their future professions," said Dr. Gokhan Ozaysin, SCAD chief academic officer. "These resources are available to students regardless of location. We've crafted a curriculum for students to get comfortable with distance learning, as so many creative fields call for flexibility and remote work environments."
 
SCAD is the first creative university to earn the Instructional Technology Council's award for Outstanding Distance Education and the rank of Excellence in Institution-wide Online Teaching and Learning from the Online Learning Consortium. 
 
Of SCAD seniors, 63% have already taken an online class and are well positioned to excel during remote learning. SCAD eLearning students are taught by the same experienced faculty members who teach students at SCAD locations across the globe. 
 
"These are unsettling times affecting all of us, and the need to move to virtual classes is understandably disconcerting to many, especially those who've never taken an online course," said Dr. Audra Pittman, vice president, SCAD Atlanta.
 
"SCAD has been a world leader in online education for over a decade. We already offered 27 degree programs entirely online, the online world is not new to SCAD," said John Buckovich, vice president, SCAD Savannah. "We realize, for many of our students, virtual learning is not necessarily what they envisioned for our spring quarter, but change and the unexpected are part of everyday life. Our students and parents can have confidence in SCAD's ability to provide seriously substantive instruction every quarter, pandemic or no." 
 
To further assist students and faculty, SCAD also announces:
 

• Any student completing a course this spring and who is not satisfied will be offered a free retake of the same course. 
• No late fees will be charged for the spring quarter. 
• Fees for setting up a payment plan for the spring quarter will be waived. 
• All students will be allowed to register for Fall 2020, regardless of account balances that would normally prevent registration. 
• Students who chose to move out of SCAD residence halls are having their spring quarter housing and meal plan charges refunded in full, and will be able to keep the university housing portion of their scholarships for the spring quarter.
• Students who choose to defer enrollment until SCAD on-ground classes reopen will not lose their scholarships.

 
For more information on SCAD eLearning, visit scad.edu/elearning.
For more information on SCAD's robust response to COVID-19, visit scad.edu/coronavirus.

The small screen returns to the big time. It's aTVfest 2020, Atlanta's only festival dedicated to television. Now in its eighth year, the university's annual signature event celebrating the television industry will be held at SCADshow, February 27-29, 2020. Entertainment Weekly (EW) returns for the second year as Official Media Partner, SCAD aTVfest, for an exciting showcase of programs from ABC, CBS, Comedy Central, The CW, FOX, Freeform, NBC, Netflix, OWN, Paramount Network, Starz and more.

“This promises to be a fantastic aTVFest 2020 in Atlanta," said Christina Routhier, Executive Director, SCAD aTVfest. “We are excited to have Entertainment Weekly return as our official media partner. We appreciate the amazing support from networks and studios that bring top shows, talent, and below the line artists to our festival. aTVFest is dedicated to showcasing the best industry artists working in television today, from showrunners, directors and writers to costume designers, production designers and casting agents. Once again, we are thrilled to continue to highlight female talent in front of and behind the camera."

Producer/actress Kim Cattrall (FOX's Filthy Rich) will receive the Icon Award; Eric McCormack (NBC's Will & Grace) will receive the Impact Award; Tom Payne (FOX's Prodigal Son) will receive the Discovery Award, Actor; Hunter Schafer (HBO's Euphoria) will receive the Discovery Award, Actress; and the cast of NBC's Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist will receive the Rising Star Cast Award. Honorees are scheduled to attend screenings and participate in conversations regarding their work.  The festival's In Conversation Series includes talks with Eric McCormack, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Hunter Schafer, Miss J Alexander and Grown-ish costume designer Michelle Cole and actress Yara Shahidi.

As the Official Media Partner for SCAD aTVfest, EW co-curated this year's programming and will have staff on-site to moderate select talent panels. EW will also host a photo and video studio for talent. Galleries will be available exclusively on EW.com and its social platforms. Shows and representatives attending this year's festival include the following (subject to change):

• 68 Whiskey (Paramount Network) with actors Sam Keeley, Jeremy Tardy, Gage Golightly, Cristina Rodlo, Beth Reisgraf and Executive Producer/Director Michael Lehman.
• Animation Domination (FOX) with Executive Producers Julie Scully, Mike Scully, Danny Smith and character artist Mike Cassidy.
• Awkwafina is Nora from Queens (Comedy Central) with actor BD Wong.
• The Baker and the Beauty (ABC) with actors Victor Rasuk, Nathalie Kelley, Carlos Gómez, Dan Bucatinsky, Lisa Vidal, David Del Rio, Belissa Escobedo and Michelle Veintimilla.
• Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) with actors Alano Miller, Xosha Roquemore and Director Blitz Bazawule.
• Council of Dads (NBC) with actors Sarah Wayne Callies, Michael O'Neill, J August Richards, Clive Standen, Michelle Weaver and Co-creators/Showrunners Anthony “Tony" Phelan and Joan Rater.
• Deputy (FOX) with actors Brian Van Holt, Danielle Moné Truitt, annd Executive Producer Kimberly Ann Harrison.
• Filthy Rich (FOX) with actors Kim Cattrall, Melia Kreiling, Aubrey Dollar, Corey Cott, Benjamin Levy Aguilar, Mark L. Young, Olivia Macklin, and executive producers Tate Taylor and Abe Sylvia.
• For Life (ABC) with actors Joy Bryant, Nicholas Pinnock, and Executive Producers Doug Robinson, Hank Steinberg, Isaac Wright Jr.
• Legacies (The CW) with actors Jenny Boyd, Kaylee Bryant, Matthew Davis, Quincy Fouse, Chris Lee, Danielle Rose Russell, Aria Shahghasemi and Peyton Alex Smith.
• Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (NBC) with actors Russell Hornsby, Arielle Kebbel, Michael Imperioli and Showrunner/Writer/Executive Producer Barry O'Brien.
• Mixed-ish (ABC) with actors Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tika Sumpter, Arica Himmel and Executive Producer/Co-Creator Peter Saji.
• New Amsterdam (NBC) with actor Tyler Labine and showrunner David Schulner.
• October Faction (Netflix) with actors Tamara Taylor, J.C. MacKenzie, and Maxim Roy.
• Prodigal Son (FOX) with actors Tom Payne, Keiko Agena, Frank Harts, Aurora Perrineau, and Halston Sage.
• Roswell, New Mexico (The CW) with actors Heather Hemmens, Jeanine Mason, Michael Trevino, Nathan Dean and Executive Producer/creator Carina Adly MacKenzie.
• Strike Back (Cinemax) with actor Warren Brown, director Bill Eagles, military technical advisor Paul Biddiss and writer/showrunner/Executive Producer Jack Lothian.
• VIDA (STARZ) with actors Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda and Roberta Colindrez.
• Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (NBC) with actors Jane Levy, Skylar Astin, Alex Newell, John Clarence Stewart and Producer/Choreographer Mandy Moore.

For more information and a full schedule of events, visit atvfest.com.

Clare Tassinari and Sarah Smeltzer Wright met a year and a half ago while refining dramatic monologues in a bathroom in Hamilton Hall. This week they return to that spot (the hall, if not the specific bathroom) to deliver their M.F.A. performing arts thesis: a production of the scabrous, sensational Patrick Marber play "Closer."

Tassinari plays Anna, a photographer, and Smeltzer Wright a stripper called Alice. They enter into an insensible, years-long romantic roundelay with two men, Dan (Gaines Semler, B.F.A., performing arts) and Larry (played by William Wright, Sarah's real-life spouse).

Sitting in a sunny café on Broughton Street during the final week of "Closer" rehearsal, Smeltzer Wright and Tassinari spoke with enjambed intensity, not unlike the patter of their characters, Sarah's ebullience complemented by Clare's more composed, gamine grace.

"Clare and I realized through critiquing work in class that we had a compatible approach to acting," Smeltzer Wright said.

"We've both done a lot of script analysis," Tassinari added, "and we have similar taste which can't be accounted for by anything else."

Smeltzer Wright reached for the frayed paperback of "Closer" in front of her: "We'll take a chance on each other's ideas, and if it doesn't work, we'll be willing to go in another direction."

The pair first collaborated in fall quarter 2019, co-directing "Gruesome Playground Injuries" by Rajiv Joseph. Tassinari suggested following up with a production of "Closer." They then considered Chekkov's "Three Sisters." Instinct drew them back to "Closer."

"Marber's writing is incredible," says Smeltzer Wright. "All the mirror points and flashback moments present complex challenges."

The play is not light sledding, as anyone who's seen the acclaimed 2004 film adaptation starring Natalie Portman and Jude Law knows. (Smeltzer Wright: "Never seen it"; Tassinari: "I saw it when I was 15.")

The pair pitched their thesis plan to SCAD performing arts professors Craig Anton, Jay Jaski and Julie Hunicutt. "Our initial concept was acting and directing 'Closer' together," Smelzter Wright recalled. "They said, 'No, focus on the acting and find a director.' So, we approached Owen Engesser to direct."

Engesser, a performing arts undergrad (Clare: "wise beyond his years") who played the male lead in "Gruesome Playground Injuries," accepted.

(Owen Engesser, via email: "'Closer' is a challenging play that I knew would test us all. We've made it a point to make sure choices work for the entire ensemble, and we've never held back during the rehearsal process. With such a strong group of actors, they understand not to push for emotion, but to truly experience the reality of the circumstances within the play.")

"During rehearsal we would do Meisner exercises to try to create that necessary back-and-forth gut reaction," explained Smeltzer Wright. "One of our favorite scenes is when the women talk for the first time, in the museum. You see them going at each other, then come to a resolve and talk about men and everything they expect in a relationship. That conversation really gets both of us every night."

Tassinari: "We worked a lot on moment-to-moment wants in the play, and on finding the moments when those wants shift. When you're in places of chaos and frenetic energy, you can cry on a dime, or start laughing."

Smeltzer Wright laughed. "We're doing our job if we're exhausted by the end."

"Closer" by Patrick Marber, Thursday Feb. 20-Sunday Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m., Hamilton Hall, Studio B, SCAD Savannah. Free admission. First come, first seated.

Alice: Sarah Smeltzer Wright
Dan: Gaines Semler
Larry: William Wright
Anna: Clare Tassinari

Director: Owen Engesser
Stage Manager: Tegan Zoephel

Learn more about SCAD performing arts.

All senses will be stimulated, Feb. 18-20, at deFINE ART 2020. SCAD celebrates the eleventh annual edition of deFINE with a unique program of exhibitions, commissions, lectures and performances uniting an international group of emerging and established artists and creative visionaries. The signature event will take place at SCAD Savannah and SCAD Atlanta locations, highlighting the university's dedication to art programming, exhibitions, and community engagement.

This year's renowned deFINE ART honoree is artist Marilyn Minter. For over five decades, Minter has radically redefined the nature of feminist art. From early black-and-white photographs to her recent photorealist paintings, Minter has rebelled against male-appointed dictates of female representation in consumer culture. For deFINE, Minter opens an exhibition titled "Nasty Woman" at SCAD Museum of Art. "Nasty Woman" is a selective survey, highlighting the prescience of Minter's early practice, while immersing viewers in an array of the artist's most acclaimed work. Minter will deliver the deFINE ART keynote lecture in Savannah, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6 p.m. at the historic Trustees Theater.

deFINE ART 2020 features an extraordinary roster of internationally acclaimed artists from nine countries across multiple continents, presenting solo exhibitions throughout the award-winning SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah and Atlanta. Exhibitions include a large-scale survey of Igshaan Adams (South Africa), a commissioned project engaging the SCAD Museum of Art permanent collection by Charlie Billingham (United Kingdom), the first large institutional exhibition of Kenturah Davis (USA), a specially commissioned group of works by Rodrigo Hernández (Portugal), a retrospective spanning five decades by Anna Maria Maiolino (Brazil), a site-specific presentation by Raúl de Nieves (USA), a video installation by Wong Ping (Hong Kong), the first US museum exhibition of SCAD alumni Xavier Robles de Medina (B.F.A., painting 2012) (Suriname), and an immersive installation by Shoplifter (Iceland).

Atlanta presentations will include a lecture by video and performance artist Janet Biggs (USA), an exhibition by Derrick Adams (USA), new work created with SCAD sculpture students led by Cynthia Gutiérrez (Mexico), an M.F.A. thesis exhibition by painting student Rhett Scott (USA). and a lecture by renowned theater director and visual artists Robert Wilson.

Other SCAD Savannah presentation include group exhibition "Hypothetical Function" featuring SCAD alumni, students, and non-affiliated artists at Gutstein Gallery. At Alexander Hall, an exhibition of dynamic photography by SCAD students and recent alumni titled "Aura and Invention: Alternative Processes in Photography" will be on display following a run at the Trois Gallery at SCAD Atlanta. 

"SCAD deFINE ART hosts creative leaders revolutionizing contemporary art and culture, giving SCAD students and the public intimate access to diverse practices," states Kari Herrin, Executive Director, SCAD museums and exhibitions. "Exhibiting artists infuse the museum with unconventional perspectives and help cultivate the next generation of cultural innovators here at SCAD."

Top ranked degree programs including sculpture, painting, film and television, fibers, and performing arts are represented through the signature event's exhibitions and programming. SCAD students and community members will have the opportunity to interact with artists during the three-day event, through gallery talks, masterclasses, installation collaborations, public art programming, and performances.

Visit scad.edu/defineart2020.