Name
Sarah E Martin
About
Sarah is a multi-disciplinary designer and researcher working across several fields including scenic design, devised theatre, and theatre architecture. As a designer she is primarily interested in how design and the experience of space can more fully connect people to their human experience. Inspired by her research and experience with collaborative creation (devised theatre) and process, she is curious about how theatrical modalities can be employed beyond a traditional theatre to foster a sense of creativity, collaboration, and community.
With over 15 years of experience as a teacher and theatrical designer, Sarah has developed a range of tools to support and encourage collaboration and creativity. Working with students of varying interests and skill levels, she translated theatrical process into accessible parts and guided students toward the development of cohesive, original design ideas. As a devising designer, Sarah enjoys challenging her own knowledge of design and story-telling to better understand the discomfort of creative risk outside the traditional design process comfort zone.
As a theatre consultant Sarah’s love of creative problem-solving, communication, and collaboration and her highly-developed project management skills served her clients well. She worked with companies and architects all over the country across a variety of sectors, helping them develop buildings that will serve their needs and support the creative communities at play inside of them. She used her years of experience as an artist and theatre practitioner to inform collaborators how theatres practically function for the work being done inside, and to anticipate and translate client needs throughout every step of the design process.
Throughout her design career, Sarah has presented scholarly work on various topics related to design process, collaboration, and the use of media in performance at various conferences including the Entertainment Innovation Conference, Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) and the Kennedy Center-American College Theatre Festival (KC-ACTF, Regions 1 & 2). Most recently she presented on a panel discussion about Master Planning at the Theatre Communications Group conference.
In her current work as a creativity and embodiment coach, Sarah helps individuals, teams and organizations cultivate emotional literacy using tools of creativity, embodiment and collaboration. She is passionate about helping clients get to the heart of what stands in their way, working through transparencies and shifting the observer they are to take action and create transformational results. Sarah is an Associated Certified Embodied Yoga Principles practitioner and is in the process of completing the ontological coach training program with The Newfield Network. For more information on her coaching and facilitation practice, please visit www.HomeBodyCreative.org.
Experience
Owner, Coach and Facilitator
Home|Body Creative, Austin, TX
As a Creativity and Embodiment Coach, I help clients cultivate emotional literacy through the tools of creativity, embodiment and collaboraiton.
Consultant
Stages Consultants, Highland Park, NJ (from Austin, TX)
Theatre Consultant responsible for Design, Project Management, and Drafting of venues for live performance. Stages' portfolio of projects ranges from large commercial venues to outdoor amphitheatres to educational facilities.
Resident Scenic Designer
F*It Club, New York, NY
Scenic Design and co-scenic design for the annual Spring Fling new play development series. F*It Club commissions 6 playwrights to create new 10-minute plays based on a theme and then fully produces them off-off broadway. This year will be the final installment of the Spring Fling, marking 10 years with 10 playwrights. Production opens at the IRT Theatre in New York City, May 2020.
Assistant Professor / Resident Scenic Designer
Trinity University, San Antonio, TX
Design:
- Responsible for four scenic designs for departmental productions per academic year.
- Preparation and presentation of design development and final design documentation for directors and shops for fabrication.
- Collaboration with faculty and guest directors from conceptual design inception through opening night of the production.
- Planning and execution of Properties Design and Scenic Painting of all scenic elements, including analysis of materials and methods, organization and acquisition, budgeting, and scheduling.
- Mentorship of student designers and technicians.
- Communication with faculty, staff, and student collaborators regarding planning, adjustments, and scheduling.
Teaching:
- Teach 2-3 courses per semester: Intro to Design, Scenic Design, Properties Design, Intro to Theatre, Scenic Painting
- Mentor student designers and technicians
Assistant Professor / Resident Scenic Designer
Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
Adjunct Faculty
Professional Performing Arts School, New York, NY
Carpenter
The Public Theatre / New York Shakepeare Festival, New York, NY
Consultant
Charles Cosler Theatre Design, New York, NY
Education
M.F.A. Stage Design (Scenic and Lighting Design)
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
B.A. Design (Architecture)
Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Specialties
- Project Management
- Scenic Design
- Devising
- Creativity Coaching
- Embodiment Coaching
Skills
- Project Management
- AutoCAD (2D
- drawing (hand)
- basic Photoshop
- Excel
- Word
- model building