Kathryn Rohe
Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance and Costume Designer and Teacher
Kathryn Rohe began designing as a guest artist for Ball State in 2004 with Philadelphia Story. She designed an additional eight productions over the next 14 years before joining the department as Associate Professor of Costume Design in 2018.
Prior to joining Ball State, Kathryn lived and worked in New York City, designing primarily for the award-winning Off-Broadway company, Transport Group. Four of the 18 productions she designed for TG were recorded by the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. She also designed eight world premieres, including Terrence McNally's And Away We Go (Pearl Theatre, 2013) and Michael John LaChuisa's Queen of the Mist (TG, 2011). While in NYC, she supported herself by working backstage on Broadway shows, most notably as a dresser for The Lion King, and a wardrobe day-worker on Mamma Mia!. She was a proud member of the Theatrical Wardrobe Union for 14 years, and is a member of United Scenic Artists still.
Kathryn has also worked regionally throughout her career, with theatre companies such as the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Two River Theater, the Clarence Brown Theatre, Drury Lane in Chicago, Chatauqua Conservatory Theatre Company, the Hippodrome Theatre. While teaching at the University of Virginia from 1992-2002, she also designed for Operafestival di Roma, a student opera program that performed in Rome.
She enjoys sharing these experiences with students, hoping to inspire a similar passion for dramatic storytelling and design. With her fellow artists—whether professional or aspiring--she loves dissecting complicated plots, collecting and creating powerful imagery, developing powerful costumes, and rendering characters of all types.
Education
Kathryn holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin, and a BA from the University of Tennessee.
Prior Employment
Transport Group, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, New York Film Academy, University of Virginia, Denison University