UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — William Kenyon, associate professor of lighting design in the College of Arts and Architecture’s School of Theatre, has been elected to the Executive Committee of the Organisation Internationale des Scénographesii, Techniciens et Architectes de Théâtre (OISTAT).
OISTAT, formed in 1968 in Prague, serves as a global platform for facilitating international collaborations on performing arts events, celebrating works from different regions around the world, and strengthening professional networks for performance designers, theater architects, theater educators, stage technicians and performance researchers.
OISTAT, now headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, has a global membership including official national centres, affiliate special-interest groups and individual members, representing more than 40 countries and 30,000 members worldwide.
Kenyon has served as the U.S. delegate to OISTAT’s Education Commission since 2010 and was elected chair of that commission in 2016. After serving two terms, he was elected to serve on the executive committee at the quadrennial World Stage Design event, held this year at the Sharjah Performing Arts Academy, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. OISTAT produces the World Stage Design event, which celebrates individual designers from around the world with a weeklong program of theatrical events, workshops, panel discussions and a curated gallery exhibition of the top design work in all areas across the performing arts.
The executive committee includes seven members and works with the president and executive director to guide the organization in all its endeavors. The current committee also includes members from Serbia, Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, Australia, Sweden and Czechia.
“It’s been an incredible honor to serve OISTAT’s mission for the past 15 years, and I’m excited to continue my contributions in this new role,” said Kenyon. “The opportunity to collaborate with theater artists and artisans from around the world continues to inform my worldview and plays an important part in my ongoing work as a theatrical designer.”
Kenyon joined the Penn State faculty in 2004. He also works professionally as a lighting designer, sound designer, scenic/projections designer, stage manager and tour manager. Since joining the faculty, he has designed more than 90 productions across the country, including dance, opera, plays and musicals. He is also the author of “Theatre & Stage Photography,”which is the authoritative reference work on this specialized branch of available-light photography. He holds memberships in the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and United Scenic Artists Local #829, and has held numerous leadership roles with the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), which is also the United States’ representative OISTAT Centre. He holds a bachelor of fine arts degree with honors from the University of Connecticut and master of fine arts from Brandeis University.