Making Costume Design History

Victoria Snow makes Weber State costume design history

Theatre arts graduate Victoria “Toria” Snow captured a Weber State first: the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival grand prize for costume design.

Snow was recognized for her creations for the WSU production of The Cripple of Inishmaan, a dark comedy about a young man in the 1930s who dreams of escaping his remote town on the Irish coast when he’s cast in a Hollywood movie filmed on the island.

Snow created intricately designed, traditional clothing worn by the people of Inishmaan, complete with complex stitches and patterns that represented the isle’s different clans. Her originality and authenticity led to a regional first place honor and subsequent trip to the Kennedy Center, where she wowed a panel of national judges with her costume designs and presentation.

“Toria has a unique ability to collect knowledge from those around her and transform it into something new,” said performing arts professor Catherine Zublin, Toria’s faculty mentor. “She uses materials from her study of art and theater to craft both her artwork and theatrical designs. Her costume designs are well researched and conceived and always help the actors create believable characters.”

The prize included a trip to the 2019 Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space, the largest international festival of theater and stage design.

Snow is currently pursuing a master’s degree in costume design at California State University Fullerton.