Faculty Profile
Sherry Harper-McCombs
Professor of Theatre (1999)
Contact Information
on sabbatical Fall 2024
Montgomery House
717-245-1624
Bio
Sherry has worked as a costume designer for several professional theatre companies including Theatre IV in Richmond, VA, Georgia Mountain Theatre and the Academy Theatre in Atlanta, GA and most recently at Greenbrier Valley Theatre in Lewisburg, WV. She has worked as an artisan in venues that include the Utah Shakespearean Festival, the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, and even a brief stint on the set of the movie "Forrest Gump". Her teaching interests include costume and scenic design as well as crafts/properties and costume technology. Particular areas of interest are mask-making, fabric painting, and puppetry.
Education
- B.A., Averett College, 1986
- M.F.A., Virginia Commonwealth University, 1992
2024-2025 Academic Year
Spring 2025
THDA 132 Costume & Soft-Goods Construct
A hands-on course in the machine and hand stitching skills required for building costumes and other fabric items for stage, this is a project based course. Students will work on individual projects to build the skills needed to work on projects for stage in the department’s production program. Carries .5 academic credit. Two .5 academic credits of THDA 131-133 can be used to satisfy the Arts distribution requirement.
THDA 190 Production and Performance
A laboratory experience in the creation and performance of theatre production. Under the guidance of faculty, students will explore the interpretive processes by which theatre productions are rehearsed, built and presented. Carries .5 academic credit. Credit/no credit. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor based on an open audition process for performance or application process for production. Two .5 academic credits of this course can be used to satisfy the Arts distribution requirement.
THDA 234 Object Lessons
Masks and puppets have had ritual and performative meaning in human tradition since before the written word was able to record their significance. This course is both a historical and cultural look at the creation and use of masks and puppets in a variety of cultures across the world, introducing students to many traditions of performance objects through both study and through creation and performance. There will be a strong focus on both natural, traditional materials for mask and puppetry as well as repurposed materials for construction. Although not required, previous experience in Craft Construction or co-enrollment in Craft Construction is both welcomed and encouraged.
THDA 235 Costume Design
Studio time TBD.