Stephanie Ferenc Henderson graduated from Michigan State University with a MFA in Production Design fulfilling a life-long dream of becoming a costume designer. She earned a BA in English from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. During her time as a graduate student, Stephanie has taught at Michigan State as well as Central Michigan University.
Her involvement in theatre spans 30 years, from acting and directing to designing and teaching. With students of all ages, Stephanie has used creative drama as a tool to assist students with learning disabilities to teenagers in residential treatment centers. As Managing Director of the Academy of Performing Arts in Orleans, MA, she instituted a New Works Weekend, showcasing the original work of community playwrights. While living in Virginia, she created the Ha’Penney stage, a theatre program for students in the Richmond area. She has worked with professional artists from the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre and the Academy of Performing Arts on Cape Cod.
Stephanie is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Albion College in Michigan where she teaches Theatre History, Costume Design, Stage Make-Up, Introduction to Theatre and designs for the theatre department's productions. She served as Lecturer and Costume Designer for the Theatre and Speech Department at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga. Her responsibilities included designing and building costumes for all theatre productions, mentoring students in the costume shop as well as teaching classes including Make-up Design, Costume Design and Intro Theatre.
Other professional credits include her successful funding of grants from amounts ranging from $10, 000 to $900,000 in order to support the development and advancement of afterschool programs, emergency assistance programs for families in need, support of the arts as well as scholarships for needy students.
Stephanie worked as Festival Wardrobe Supervisor for Opera Saratoga during the summer of 2017. She spent two years as an intern and then four years as costume designer/coordinator for La Musica Lirica. The company auditions young vocal talent from all over the country for an opportunity to spend five weeks in the beautiful Emilia-Romagna region of Italy singing opera. She is thrilled to be returning to Italy this coming summer to work with them once again. For more information on La Musica Lirica, please view their webpage at http://www.lamusicalirica.com
