illustration & design
About
Dana “Danny” Smooke received a B.A. from Yale University in Theater Studies & Art History and has a passion for new interpretations of classical shows and safety pins. She has been a costume designer, director, makeup artist, hair and wig stylist, and fight captain, among other positions, and has worked on up to sixteen shows during her time at Yale. When she’s not working on a show, she can be found painting, drawing, or designing.
As a double major in theater and art history, her primary focus is the overlap between fashion history and emotion. In other words, how a garment’s pattern, color, and texture can reveal a character’s emotions, personality, and subtext. Some of her costume trademarks include her use of bold colors and simplicity in design. As a director, she likes to explore the use of “substitutions” (Uta Hagen, Respect for Acting) as a means to further connect actors to their characters and the actions of the play. During rehearsals, she encourages her actors to explore different movements that could help them get in touch with their character as well as a means to strip the actors of their personal inhibitions. In addition to her experience at Yale, she has worked at Westport Country Playhouse both as a Wardrobe Assistant and Dresser.
In 2021, she attended the UConn Coding Bootcamp where she received a certificate in Full-Stack Web-Development.