As part of the Spring 2024 Plays for Our Planet initiative, UMBC Theatre presents a Student Design Workshop with Lauren Gaston and Sandra Goldmark.

Led by the authors of the Sustainable Production Toolkit, this session will give students an opportunity to dig deeper into sustainable design and production practices and resources. Working as a team, students will develop concrete action items based on one or two goals generated in the afternoon session.

This session will be preceded by an Introduction to the Sustainable Production Toolkit with Lauren Gaston and Sandra Goldmark at 3:30 p.m.

Lauren Gaston is a costume designer, illustrator, entrepreneur, and climate advocate. Gaston develops the visual identity for companies around the world. Over the last decade, Lauren has designed 50+ productions across North & South America, Europe, and Asia. Her design work has been featured by The Juilliard School in NYC, The A.A. Bakruhshin State Theatre Museum in Russia and Time Lapse Dance in NYC. While Gaston currently calls New York City base camp, she is a woman at home in the world.

Sandra Goldmark is a designer and professor whose work focuses on the circular economy and interdisciplinary climate strategies. Goldmark is the Director of Sustainability and Climate Action and an Associate Professor of Professional Practice at Barnard College, and Senior Assistant Dean for Interdisciplinary Engagement at the Columbia Climate School. Goldmark teaches courses in sustainable design, circularity, and climate. Goldmark is a co-creator of the Sustainable Production Toolkit, a free climate action and sustainability resource for performing arts organizations, and serves on the Board of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, the BBC, The Sunday Times of London, The Daily News, Salon.com, and many more. A graduate of Harvard College and Yale University, Goldmark is the author of Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet.

Admission is free. Please contact [email protected] for additional information.

The Black Box Theatre is easy to visit, with plenty of free parking. Please visit here for directions and parking information.