Theatrical & Experimental Designer
CONTACT: 
Kaelen Novak (any & all pronouns acceptable, Mx. honorific)
EMAIL: kaelen.novak@gmail.com
INSTAGRAM: @kaelen.novak
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BIOGRAPHY:
Specializing in theatrical, experimental, and virtual design for live entertainment, Kaelen Novak is a recent Theatre Design MFA graduate from the University of Iowa concentrating in Costume and Scenic Design, along with an additional focus in experimentation with motion capture and emerging technology in live performance.
Interested in finding the overlaps in live performance, interactive art, and emerging technologies, they strive to expand their artistic knowledge and skillset to better enable and collaborate on the unique projects they become a part of. 
They recently have been designer for a variety of projects including Creative Director for ARatorio for the Mis-Remembered (a live virtual reality based theatrical show), Scenic and Projection designer for the US Premiere of  Bronte: The World Without and Costume Designer the operas Tosca and Charlie and the Wolf. They are currently traveling the United States, designing and teaching at various institutions in a variety of disciplines. 
They also recently taught a hands-on workshop at USITT 2024 in Seattle, Washington on Utilizing Unreal Engine and Emerging Technologies in Theatrical and Entertainment Design under the Scenic Commission and are in the process of writing more academic documentation of their research into experimental theatrical practices up until this point and finding funding or research partners for larger scale creative endeavors.  
They continue their research and expand their artistic outreach to help teach and inspire the future of live performance innovators  and artists. ​​​​​​​
UPCOMING PROJECTS:    
“Walking with Angels”  Music Video |  Journeyman | September 2024                                                                                Digital Designer                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Unreal Engine in Live Entertainment  |  University of Idaho | October 2024                                                                            Guest Lecturer | Graduate Level Design Seminar Class                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Motion Capture in Live Performance |  Juilliard | November 2024                                                                                           Guest Lecturer | Undergraduate and Graduate Level  Presentation in Conjunction with Future Stage Festival                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Fashion Technology Class |  City High School, Iowa City, IA | November 2024 - June 2025                                                    CLO3d Masterclass Teacher | In Collaboration with Andre Wright and Robert Schaufbuch
It's a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play |  Riverside Theatre, Iowa City, IA | November 2024                                                Scenic Designer | Director: Juliana Frey-Méndez                                                                                                                                   
A Cure at Troy |  Riverside Theatre, Iowa City, IA | January 2025                                                                                             Scenic Designer | Director: Adam Knight                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Native Gardens |  Riverside Theatre, Iowa City, IA | February 2025                                                                                              Scenic Designer | Director: Kirsten Brooks                                  
Wright House of Fashion Virtual Fashion Show  | Wright House of Fashion, Iowa City, IA  |  Early 2025                       Chief Technical Officer and Scenic Designer  |  Fashion by Andre Wright
Devising Theatrical Shows with Emerging Technologies and Softwares | USITT 2025, Columbus, OH | March 6, 2025    Presenter | Covering the Devising and Prototyping Process of ARatorio for the Mis-Remembered                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Exploring Motion Capture for Live Performance  | USITT 2025, Columbus, OH | March 7, 2025                                           Presenter | Showcasing Multiple Motion Capture Technologies and their uses in Live Performance
Future Stages Festival | Juilliard Center for Creative Technology, New York City, NY | March 2025                             Motion Capture Technologist & Meta-Costume Designer | Various Directors and Choreographers                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ARatorio for the Mis-Remembered  | University  of Iowa, Iowa City, IA  |  Summer 2025                                              Creative Director  |  Director: Mary Beth Easley, Composer: Mark Bruckner, Writer: Sandy Dietrick         
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PRESS:​​​​​​​
"Iowa Theatre Graduate Explores the Frontiers of Digital Fashion" by Josh O'Leary                                                    https://magazine.foriowa.org/story.php?ed=true&storyid=2327
"Dare to Discover: Kaelen Novak" by Leslie Revaux                                                         https://dare.research.uiowa.edu/novak-kaelen/ 
"Exploring Connections Between Converging Fields" by Ander Freiberg   https://grad.uiowa.edu/news/2021/05/exploring-connections-between-converging-fields
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