CONTACT:
Kaelen Novak (any & all pronouns acceptable, Mx. honorific)
EMAIL: kaelen.novak@gmail.com
INSTAGRAM: @kaelen.novak
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:
Herein Lies the Truth | Riverside Theatre, Iowa City, IA | April 2024
Scenic and Projection Designer | Director: Johanna Kasimow
Scenic and Projection Designer | Director: Johanna Kasimow
Razor Creek | UIowa New Play Festival, Iowa City, IA | May 2024
Costume Coordinator and Props Artisan | Director: Michael Flores
Costume Coordinator and Props Artisan | Director: Michael Flores
Guest Lecturer | Drexel University Westphal College of Media Arts & Design | May 2024
Wright House of Fashion Virtual Fashion Show | Wright House of Fashion, Iowa City, IA | May 2024 Chief Technical Officer and Scenic Designer | Fashion by Andre Wright
Merrily We Roll Along | The Western Stage, Salinas, CA | May 2024 Costume Designer | Director: Jon Selover
The Mountaintop | The Western Stage, Salinas, CA | June 2024 Costume Designer | Director: Rebecca Clark
ARatorio for the Mis-Remembered | University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA | TBD, currently grant writing 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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