Carthage College
Kimberly Instenes
Kim Instenes holds an M.F.A. in Costume Design and Technology from Ohio University and a B.A. in Theatre from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Her faculty credits include University of Wisconsin-Parkside, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Lawrence University. In addition to teaching at these schools, she has designed costumes and makeup for a number of productions including “Imaginary Invalid,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Trojan War,” “Sweeney Todd,” and “Translations.”
She continues to work as a freelance costume and makeup designer in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. Professional design credits include “A Year with Frog and Toad,” “The Giver,” and “The Snow at First Stage Milwaukee; Jeeves Intervenes,” and most recently “Sherlock Holmes ‘and the Case of the Jersey Lily” at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre; “Romeo and Juliet at Milwaukee Shakespeare, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Renaissance Theatre Works, Utah Shakespearean Festival, and the Racine Theatre Guild.
Ten years at Carthage have brought opportunities for creative work designing department productions, many student success stories, and continued collaboration with talented colleagues and guest artists. Professor Instenes is also active with the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, travelling to the festival with Carthage award winning productions and students. As well as, receiving personal accolades for costumes designed for “Lysistrata,” “Ghost Bike,” and “Into the Woods.” She is excited to be a part of the Theatre Department here at Carthage as it strengthens and strives to create theatre artists of the highest quality. She enjoys the thrill of watching a student understand what a costume does for their character and watch that character come to life as a result. She would also like to thank her family — husband, Doug, and children, Lauren and Dalen — for their continued support of her creative endeavors.
Brief Bio
Professor Kim Instenes teaches courses in theatre and costuming at Carthage and oversees Carthage’s costume shop. She works as a freelance costume and makeup designer in the Milwaukee/Chicago area.
Title
Associate Professor of Theatre, Costume Designer
Email Address
Phone Number
Office Location
Education
- M.F.A. — Costume Design and Technology, Ohio University
- B.A. — Theatre from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Courses
- THR 0020 Applied Tech. Production
- THR 1150 Introduction to Theatre
- THR 2920 Play Production II: Costuming and Makeup
- THR 2950 Advanced Makeup Techniques
- THR 2960 Draping and Pattern Making
- THR 3610 History of Clothing; Ancient Egypt to Modern
- THR 4610 Costume Design
Grants and Awards
- SURE grant for research for Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily production at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre with student Veronica Vickas
- Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Award for Outstanding Costume Design for Lysistrata, Ghost Bike, and Into the Woods
