Tesia Benson

Tesia Benson is an associate professor of costume design at Baldwin Wallace and the program coordinator for BW’s theatre design and technical program.

Selected costume design credits include “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” for Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Great Lakes Theatre, “Land of Oz,” “Life Sucks,” Grounded,” and “Peter and the Star Catcher” for Dobama Theatre, “The Sound Of Music” for The Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom, “La Voix Humaine” for Opera Cleveland, “Ragtime,” “Memphis,” and “Toxic Avenger” for Cain Park, “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” and “Ancestra” for Cleveland Public Theatre, and “Bent” and “Night Mother” for Beck Center.

Selected scenic design credits include “Egress” for Cleveland Play House as well as “Grounded” and “Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again” for Dobama Theatre. Other credits include designs for Apollo’s Fire, Lakeland Civic Theatre, Near West Theatre and Keystone Repertory Theater.

Benson has served as resident costume designer for Dobama Theatre (SPT) since 2015. Her designs for Dobama's “Marie Antionette” were featured in American Theatre magazine in May 2016.

She is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 (USA 829), the labor union and professional association representing designers, artists, craftspeople and department coordinators working in film, theatre, opera, ballet, television, industrial shows, commercials and exhibitions. She is also a member of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), a non-profit organization which aims to advance the skills and knowledge of theatre, entertainment and performing arts professionals involved in the areas of design, production, and technology.

Benson holds a Bachelor of Arts in theater from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Fine Arts in costume design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.