MIHAI CIUPE   Set Designer

Originally from Romania, Mihai Ciupe received a double MFA degree in costume and set design from Carnegie Mellon University and his BFA from Art and Design University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

 

During his MFA program he was awarded the George Kimberly Scene Design Award and the Oren Parker Award in Design and Production. Prior to the United States he was resident scenographer at The National Theatre of Cluj, Romania. During his former years he traveled extensively in Europe in tours with the shows that he designed, getting exposure to the various schools of theatre from England, Scotland, Hungary, France and Yugoslavia.

 

 As a designer he worked with some of the greatest Romanian directors: Gabor Tompa, Alexandru Dabija, Iulian Visa, Mihai Manutiu, Victor Ion Frunza.

 

In 1991 he received a scholarship to attend The London International Festival of Theatre. Since 1995 he is a member of The United Association of the Romanian Fine Artists in the scenography section.

 

In 1999 he joined the theatre and dance faculty at University of Florida,  where he was assigned to start  the graduate program in Set Design. By 2013 his graduate students won The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Award  three times: in 2005, 2007 and 2013.

 

In 2005 he was awarded tenure and became  Associate Professor in Scene Design in the School of Theatre and Dance at the University of Florida. He has continued to work professionally at national and international level. During his tenure at UF he has built a strong artistic relationship with The Hippodrome State Theatre, the only professional theatre in North Central Florida, where he has designed the sets for over twentyfive productions .