In the second episode of this season of Podcast@SDA, Associate Dean Oliver Mayer sits down with Professor Elizabeth Harper, a lighting designer whose work spans Broadway stages and theatres nationwide, bringing both artistic excellence and her characteristic honesty to the conversation.
Harper’s journey to becoming one of the few women in professional lighting design reveals an artist shaped by fierce competition and an insatiable curiosity. Speaking candidly about the brutal conservatory training that could have broken her, Harper instead discusses how those experiences inform her commitment to creating a more generous theatrical culture for her students.
Throughout the conversation, Harper demonstrates the multihyphenate artistry that defines SDA’s approach: research-driven design work, literary exploration, and teaching philosophy rooted in intentionality. Harper embodies the collaborative, boundary-pushing spirit of an artist committed to both craft and humanity.
Listen to the entire episode.