Joan Larkins Mather

Joan Larkins Mather received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in Drama with an emphasis in Technical Theatre and Design and then earned a Certificate of Achievement in Apparel Design from Diablo Valley College. Her terminal degree, a Master of Fine Arts, was earned at California State University, Fullerton in Theatre: Costume Design. Before coming to Truman State University in 1992, Joan worked for companies such as the American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Kern Shakespeare Festival, Santa Barbara Repertory Theatre and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. She has designed for The Western Stage, Good Company Players, Maples Repertory Theatre, Cabaret Repertory Theatre, the Central California Ballet, College of the Sequoias, Diablo Valley College and Cerritos College.

Joan teaches Basic Costuming, Costume Design, Stage Makeup, Senior Theatre Seminar and a Junior Interdisciplinary Seminar entitled Dress and Self Image. Under the Advanced Studies and Projects heading, she has taught Rendering, History of Costume, Flat Pattern Drafting, Draping, Advanced Costume Design, and Three-Dimensional Makeup. In addition to designing, Joan has directed several shows such as An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, Arcadia, A Delicate Balance, Fortinbras, and Unity (1918). She is a member of the United State Institute for Theatre technology, the American Association of University Professors and Alpha Psi Omega. In 1999 she received the William O'Donnell Lee Award for Academic Advising Excellence.