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Theatre and Psychology Majors Combine to Offer Creative Approach to Costume Design

Katherin ‘Kat’ Poon, a double major in Theatre Design and Psychology at Michigan State University, has blended her two passions, using her knowledge of human behavior to inform her artistic approach to costume design and her knowledge of costumes and clothing to shape the way she thinks about personality.

A portrait of a woman smiling against a dark background, lit with dramatic lighting in teal and orange. She wears a deep red jacket, black top, and crescent moon necklace, with soft waves in her long dark hair.
Katherin ‘Kat’ Poon

A May 2025 graduating senior, Poon is one of two recipients of this year’s Louis B. Sudler Prize, which recognizes outstanding achievement in the performing and creative arts, including fine arts, music, creative writing, theatre, and electronic/photographic arts. Presented each year by MSU’s College of Arts & Letters, recipients of the Louis B. Sudler Prize must be members of the senior graduating class, demonstrate outstanding achievement in the performing or creative arts, and show promise for future achievement.

Originally from California, Poon came to MSU as a Psychology major, uncertain whether she wanted to continue pursuing her interests in the arts and theatre. This changed when she took an introductory technical theatre course. She excelled in the sewing portion, having sewed her whole life, and soon she was interviewing for a spot in the BFA in Theatre program.

“My interest in costume design and my fascination with people in terms of what they wear and what it says about them influences my outlook on psychology.”

As she worked her way through both majors, rather than seeing her two disciplines as separate, Poon sees costume design, and her fascination with what you can glean about a person by looking at their clothing, as the lens through which she understands psychology.

“I have always had a fascination with clothing, the stories it tells, how it helps me perceive people, and even how it shapes what I feel personally when I dress myself in the morning,” Poon said. “My interest in costume design and my fascination with people in terms of what they wear and what it says about them influences my outlook on psychology.”

Character Psychology

Poon’s studies in personality psychology and gender expression also influence her approach to costume design, helping her make design choices that reflect characters’ internal and external identities. Poon’s creative approach to costume design is deeply rooted in character psychology.

In this video, produced by Arts MSU/Anthony Valli, Katherin Poon discusses the psychology she applies to costume design and her work with MSU’s Summer Circle Theatre.

“Costumes are the first impression an audience gets before an actor even speaks,” she said. “Clothing affects the way that you stand, the way that your hair is put up affects the way that you show your face and how you hold yourself. That’s one of the primary things that I look at: how the costume makes the audience perceives this character.”

Her creative process begins with collecting evocative imagery drawn from art, photography, and nature. She compares different fabrics, textures, and colors and the feelings they might create in the audience’s mind. She then transitions into historical research and period aesthetics, eventually merging this research with the imagery and components that fit the costume.

“Costumes are the first impression an audience gets before an actor even speaks…That’s one of the primary things that I look at: how the costume makes the audience perceives this character.”

Poon considers everything from social class to personality traits when designing a character’s look.

“Maybe you have a show where everybody is wearing school uniforms,” she said. “It’s easy to put everybody in school uniforms, but if you should be looking at characters asking, does this character come from a rich or poor background, how worn in is their costume, do they prefer to wear pants or a skirt, what shoes are they wearing, did they have time to get dressed in the morning and brush their hair, do they care about brushing their hair? These are the things that circulate through my mind when I’m costuming people.”

A performer in a glamorous gown and a long blue wig poses next to a performer wearing a denim vest and tie-dye skirt. A cameraman in a flannel shirt films the scene, set against a blue and purple backdrop.
Actors perform a living room scene in a cozy, rustic set. The backdrop shows a painted lake view through tall windows.
A whimsical puppet scene on stage features actors interacting with colorful, oversized puppets.
Scenes from the MSU Department of Theatre production of “Stevie and the Real World” for which Katherin Poon designed some of the costumes.

Beyond aesthetics, Poon also ensures that costumes support actors’ comfort and identity. In “Stevie and the Real World,” a play written for MSU’s MFA in Acting program, she designed a costume that incorporated an actor’s real-life drag persona into the production. She also adjusted her designs to accommodate a hijab-wearing performer’s needs during quick changes. Poon also strives to create costumes to help actors shed both the character and costume at the end of the day.

A student stands smiling in front of a colorful, vertical display board titled “Stevie and the Real World.” The board features character sketches, costume renderings, and photos from a theatrical production. She is wearing a white skirt, embroidered black vest, and brown boots, with a name badge around her neck.
Katherin Poon at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival where she presented her designs from “Stevie and the Real World.”

“As much as possible, I like to have actors be able to put on their costumes. They’re comfortable. They can do their jobs but don’t have to take the character home with them,” she said. “It’s like putting on your scrubs as a doctor. When your scrubs come off, you’re not in doctor mode anymore.”

In January 2025, Poon presented her designs from “Stevie and the Real World” at the Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival held in Wisconsin and was a finalist. She also received special recognition for Costuming for Devised Work as well as the RED (representation, equity, and diversity) Award for Costume Design. In addition, Poon participated in Design Storm, a competition where students are teamed up to create the production of their dreams in a timed collaborative event. The competition gives participants the opportunity to approach a classic or contemporary text in a way that is unlike all previous productions. Poon was the director for her team.

Many Opportunities at MSU

In addition to her work on “Stevie and the Real Word,” Poon also served as the Associate Director for “A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of Great Lakes,” Assistant Director for “Spring Awakening,” a cross-departmental collaboration with Communication Arts and Sciences that used a live video feed (similar to Spartan Vision for MSU Athletics), and Weapons SFX Design for “Clue.” She also served as an Assistant Scenic Designer alongside Kirk Domer, Professor of Scenic Design, for the show “Every Brilliant Thing” performed by A.D. Players in Houston.

“Within the Theatre Department, if you put your best foot forward and if you network well and get to know your professors, there are a lot of opportunities,” Poon said.

On a stage with red and green lighting, actors in formal clothing push desks together. Above them, a mirrored projection of the same scene is displayed on a suspended screen.
A group of actors dressed in period-style clothing perform a scene under vibrant blue and magenta lighting.
The MSU Department of Theartre production of “Spring Awakening,” for which Katherin Poon served as Assistant Director.

Last summer, Poon studied aboard in London through a five-week course offered by MSU’s Department of Theatre.

“The course was packed with workshops, classes, and shows. We had the special opportunity to see venues such as the National Theatre and The Globe, diving into the history of British Theatre. The West End was filled with the newest technology, and I discussed the facets of modern theatre passionately with my peers,” Poon said. “When not doing classwork, I was exploring the local fashion scene, touring vintage hubs such as Brick Lane. My perspective on theatre and life is much broader because of this trip.”

Poon recently won the IAH Writing Award for the paper she wrote on her study abroad experience in London. The study abroad was led by Karen Kangas Preston, Senior Academic Specialist in the Department of Theatre, who nominated Poon for the award.

“Within the Theatre Department, if you put your best foot forward and if you network well and get to know your professors, there are a lot of opportunities.”

Poon currently serves as President of Second Stage Productions, a student-run theatre company that provides opportunities for emerging artists to produce their own work. She considers her involvement in Second Stage Productions as one of the highlights of her MSU experience.

Poon’s proudest achievement was co-designing the “The Rocky Horror Show,” during her sophomore year through Second Stage Productions.”It was all student-run, and it was really fun because everybody was so involved in the process, and everybody was really interested and dedicated to making this show happen,” Poon said. “Sometimes I feel like you lose a little bit of that spark, but that show reminded me we’re artists, and this is why we’re doing it because we love to collaborate, work together, and present something amazing in front of an audience.”

An intense stage scene shows an actor wielding a large prop weapon as a group of performers around her move in dynamic, blurred motion. The lighting is warm, with orange and red hues creating a chaotic energy.
A group of performers, dressed in edgy, punk-inspired costumes, strike expressive poses on stage. The lighting casts a dramatic glow in red and purple tones, enhancing the theatrical atmosphere.
Two actors, a man in a blue sweater and a woman in a pink top, hold hands and gaze at each other center stage. Behind them, several performers in red and black costumes move under pink stage lighting.
Second Stage Productions’ “The Rocky Horror Show,” for which Katherin Poon co-designed the show.

Poon also participated in MSU’s 2025 Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) and is excited by UURAF’s support of arts-based research, which allows more students to showcase their creative scholarship.

“People sometimes forget that theatre design is research,” she said. “We research historical dress, architecture, art movements, all the things. I think cross-campus collaboration is something that the Theatre Department and hopefully MSU in general is striving towards.”

Poon currently is co-directing “The Grown-Ups” with Rob Roznowski, Professor in the Department of Theatre. The play will be performed April 26-28, 2025, at MSU’s Corey Marsh Ecological Research Center as a fundraiser for undergraduate research there.

Looking Forward

After graduation, Poon will begin her professional career as a First Hand at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. After that, she plans to move to Chicago before eventually making her way to New York.

Her goal is to one day work on a production that helps her explore her Chinese American heritage.

Katherin Poon serves as President of Second Stage Productions, a student-run theatre company that provides opportunities for emerging artists to produce their own work.

“I feel far removed from my culture at times,” she said. “I really want to have the opportunity to work in a show that celebrates and portrays my culture through an avenue that allows me to look at it and understand it from a perspective that makes a lot of sense and is already meaningful to me.”

Poon appreciates the opportunities she has found within MSU’s Department of Theatre. She credits the department’s mentorship, hands-on production experience, and access to resources for helping her grow as both a designer and an artist.

“I’m doing my dream. I get to create art. I get to play with clothes and hair and tell stories through them. Whenever I lose sight of that, I remind myself this is a really fun thing that I’m able to do and not to take it for granted.”

“Overall, being in the Theatre Department here is huge. The mentorship that we have and how fortunate we are to have money to do shows are amazing. Working in the costume shop is amazing,” Poon said. “I’m doing my dream. I get to create art. I get to play with clothes and hair and tell stories through them. Whenever I lose sight of that, I remind myself this is a really fun thing that I’m able to do and not to take it for granted.”

The other 2025 Louis B. Sudler Prize recipient is Rebeccah Hosler, who will graduate in Fall 2025. A story of Hosler and her achievements will be published in the fall.

By Austin Curtis and Kim Popiolek

Categories: Student