Meet Stephanie Bahniuk | Theatre Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Bahniuk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
The path to my creative career started way back when I was very young. My parents put me in dance lessons because I was so clumsy and pigeon toed as a kid and I spent many years in ballet and Ukrainian dance. I actually ended up dancing professionally for seven years with the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers through high school and university which really solidified my interest in theatre. I began pursuing costume design in high school and eventually college as it bridged the gap between performance and fine art. I fell in love with the process of costume design as I have always been fascinated with the way people dress and choose to present themselves through their clothes. The collaboration that is required to create a world on stage is so rewarding and I enjoy the new challenges that are presented with each new script and team. The cycle of discovery is truly addictive and the moment when everything clicks and that character appears in front of you is really the reason I do it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am currently in the United States on an O-1 visa which gives me the official title of “Artist with Extraordinary Ability” which is such a bizarre thing to wrap my head around. I think it was in the long hours of preparation for this visa application that really forced me to take a look at my career and how far I have come. While I was very much in the world of theatre during my university studies, it was during my first summer at Williamstown Theatre Festival that I really discovered my career path. The costume shop manager that summer took a big chance on me even though I had almost no experience and no contacts in the New York theatre scene. I got to experience being fully immersed in professional theatre productions with the best in the industry who were all crafting their art and making new work. I went back for two summers following that and was absolutely hooked. Those years were so important in building my confidence as a theatre artist. During my third summer, I had the opportunity to assist legendary costume designer Jane Greenwood who has had a prolific career. I couldn’t even believe that I was in the same room as her never mind getting a front row seat to her creative process. I will never forget the care and attention she put into every decision. She had made thousands of these decisions in her life but she treated this show like it was her first. She was so kind not only to me but to the actors and I watched the pure magic of the relationships she formed with them through her respect and collaboration. There was no detail too small and she was so loyal to the research and the history behind her work that the characters she helped create became so heartbreakingly real up on that stage. I carry those small moments with her through my career now and was so incredibly lucky to continue to witness them as I learned from her at Yale.

While I do love a huge musical, I find the most rewarding work as a designer comes in the small, scrappy shows that really feel like the community has made them happen. When I was as freelance designer in Edmonton, I lived for productions where I could design the set, lighting and costumes and take full responsibility for the world the audience was experiencing. It was also in these productions that I felt the most supported and encouraged by my fellow collaborators. A similar thing happened at the Yale Cabaret when we had four days of tech and $300 to bring a play to life. I learned the most from those high pressure, high passion projects and they were just as valuable as my class work. Whenever someone asks me what kind of shows do I want to design or what is my favorite type of theatre to work on, I always say that it doesn’t matter as long as I love the people I am creating with. A mutual respect, space for everyone’s ideas and a passion to truly create art is what I look for in a project.

I have recently had to pivot my career in a big way in order to make it through the pandemic. I had really high hopes for my future as my last weeks of grad school were wrapping up in March 2020 before it all came crashing down. We were all completely blindsided and at such a loss after dedicating three years of our life to training in an industry that suddenly did not exist. It was even more daunting to set out into a world as an artist on a work visa knowing that I could only work in my industry. I managed to find my way into tv. A world I had never imagined for myself. Since that moment, I have managed to work on some of the most exciting costume projects in the industry. Pose, The Gilded Age, And Just Like That (Sex and the City) were all jobs that showed me an entirely different way to be a costume designer and approach the art. That is one of the most exciting things about this profession. Every project is a completely new challenge and you never stop growing. I am about to start on Season 2 of And Just Like That and this world has given me such a deeper understanding of what it means to costume real, modern people and the business side of that process. I went from being my own shopper, stitcher, crafts person and assistant in theatre to communicating with Fendi and Versace and Tom Ford on a daily basis. I am extremely grateful for the vast expanse of projects my career has already provided.

The most fulfilling work of all is the work I continue to do with Pyretic Productions in Canada. I have been collaborating with this company for over five years and it’s a team that only are collaborators with amazing friends. It is when you find the people that aren’t afraid to tell you that you are wrong so you can create something even better, that you know you have really struck gold. We just opened a really special world premiere show in May called “Alina” which was written by Lianna Makuch and directed by Patrick Lundeen. It was a show that we had the opportunity to workshop for over two years and we had no idea that when it would finally be seen by audiences, there would be a war sweeping Ukraine. The show tells the story of a 19 year old female war veteran who was a volunteer medic on the frontlines during the 2015 invasion of Crimea and during the fall of the Donetsk airport. It was all based on true stories and the timing of it could have not been more surreal. I have never worked on a project that was so closely intertwined with real world events that were happening live every single day. It was such an honor to bring the story to life and such a heartbreaking experience to live in that world everyday.

I think in all of the various experiences and projects I have been a part of over my career, I have just felt so grateful that everyday I get to help bring so many important and impactful characters to life. I will never get tired of the process of figuring out who someone is on a page and dissecting their motivations and taste and choices to create something that is alive and breathing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have been dwelling on what would make the perfect nyc weekend lately as Covid restrictions are lifting and I look forward to having more visitors. My family and friends from Canada have not been able to visit since I moved here so I am beyond excited to show them the city.

Friday night would definitely start with a stroll through Central Park ending at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They are doing these “date nights” on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer where there is live music and drinks and the museum is open late. I would definitely recommend starting with a cocktail on the roof which overlooks the park. Once you have a nice buzz, it’s fun to just wander through the museum with no plan. It’s way too big to do all at once so just following your curiosity for a late night stroll is the best way to go. There are also two different costume exhibits right now that are fantastic. It’s fun to end the evening at a nearby diner for some grilled cheese and fries.

I would definitely spend Saturday in Fort Greene and begin the day with brunch at Miss Ada. I truly believe this is one of the best restaurants in nyc. After brunch, I would wander Fort Greene Park and the farmer’s market and maybe go get a manicure and do a little shopping in some of the local shops. The evening would definitely have to involve dinner and a show. I am regularly entering the lotteries for everything on Broadway but since we are already in Brooklyn, I think catching a show at BAM is best. I recently saw two shows there that changed my life. The first was Cyrano de Bergerac from The Jamie Lloyd Company and the second was this insane adaption of Giselle from The English National Ballet. You can usually get $35 tickets for pretty good seats. Dinner before would be at Place des Fetes in Clinton Hill but you can almost never get in. Late night post show drinks would probably be at Doris on my way home to Bed Stuy.

Sunday would definitely involve a yoga class in Williamsburg followed by brunch at Rule of Thirds in Greenpoint. The afternoon could either involve a trip to Jacob Riis Park to catch some sun on the beach or a sunset ride on the East River Ferry. It only costs $2.75 and there is a bar on board!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wish I could give a shoutout to every single collaborator I have ever had because each and every one of their visions and voices has contributed to everything that I have created.

I have a really supportive and wonderful community of designers and friends who helped me get through my time at the Yale School of Drama and continue to inspire me every single day. These people include Alicia Austin, Evan Anderson, Lily Guerin, Erin Sullivan, Alex McCargar and Elsa Ride.

I have to give a huge shout out to Pyretic Productions in Canada lead by Patrick Lundeen and Lianna Makuch. I have been collaborating with these brilliant artists and storytellers for years and I am honored to be an Artistic Associate of their company. They never say no to any of my crazy ideas and continually challenge me as an artist. I am grateful for the stories they are presenting and that I get to create the worlds where those stories live.

My Mother and my Grandmother definitely deserve a shout out for always supporting my artistic pursuits from ballet classes at the age of three to a move across the continent to attend grad school. They were the first people to take me to the theatre and help me discover all of its magic.

Website: www.stephaniebahniuk.com

Instagram: @stephaniebahniukdesign

Image Credits
Sbahniuk1 – The Swallow and the Tomcat at Verano Summer Cabaret, Photo by ELSA RINDE Sbahniuk2 – Yell at the Carlotta Festival of New Plays, Photo by T. CHARLES ERICKSON Sbahniuk3 – Barvinok with Pyretic Productions, Photo by MARC J CHALIFOUX Sbahniuk4 – Tech for Alina with Pyretic Productions, no credit Sbahniuk5 – Alina with Pyretic Productions, Photo by BB COLLECTIVE Sbahniuk6 – Michael Mysterious with Pyretic Productions, Photo by BB COLLECTIVE Sbahniuk7 – Trouble in Mind at Yale School of Drama, Photo by T. CHARLES ERICKSON Sbahniuk8 – Manahatta at Yale Repertory Theatre, Photo by ELSA RINDE