Victor “Kip” Marsh, associate professor and chair of the Department of Theater, and M.F.A. student Pei-Wen Huang travelled to Shanghai in October to represent Brooklyn College at the biennial Stage Design Exhibition of International Theatre Schools. Students from around the globe attended the weeklong conference, which aims to bring academic institutions together to share expertise on art and stage design. “The works we brought to Shanghai were very energetic,” says Huang, who hails from Taiwan. “All the pictures from the shows really express the range of American theater.” Huang, who is studying theater design, helped Marsh to organize the trip and secured a student travel grant through the college to cover her travel expenses. Her fluency in Mandarin was also a plus. Brooklyn College was the only American school invited to participate in the exhibition, which was hosted by Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) and held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. STA is one of the largest universities for performing arts in the world. “It is safe to say that our students’ stage design work was among the best presented at this exhibition,” says Marsh, who also gave a lecture on American stage design methods. “The event was a way to get people from across the world to analyze stage design from a global, social and political perspective.” This fall, Brooklyn College and STA formed a partnership that will provide exchange opportunities for students and faculty. “The departments of theater, film, and television and radio all represent positions of excellence to Shanghai Theatre Academy,” says Marsh. “Our master’s programs in all areas are quite strong, and our direct access to the New York entertainment community is also attractive.” Marsh joined the Brooklyn College faculty in 2004. He is also a principal lighting and set designer with the acclaimed dance company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, and he has worked on a number of theatrical projects, including Nora Ephron’s “Imaginary Friends” and “The Contract” at the National Ballet of Canada. Huang has received numerous awards for her work in the arts, including the Frances Black prize in drama, Jack Hilton Cunningham Award in Scenery Design, and Friars Club Foundation Scholarship. After she graduates, she plans to pursue a career in set and costume design.
