Crystal Tiala has a shared appointment as the Chair of the Music Department and a Professor in the Theatre Department.聽 Additionally, she is the Chair of the Boston College Arts Council, an office to promote the arts on campus and produce 黑料社鈥檚 annual Arts Festival.聽 Her courses include scenic design for theater, computer drafting and related stagecraft courses.聽聽
Crystal鈥檚 primary research includes creative artistry in the field of scenic design that combines visual composition, the organization of architectural space and developing the visceral impact for an audience.聽 Additionally, she explores new technologies and their applications for teaching and design.聽 She has received two awards from Boston College for her use of technology in the classroom. 聽
Her second area of research explores the formative impact of a college education in the arts. Her qualitative study explores how learning and participation in the arts develops students academically, socially, spiritually and morally.
As a professional scenic designer and union member of the United Scenic Artist local 829, she has completed over 125 scenic designs in regional and educational theaters on the East Coast and abroad. In addition to designing the stage scenery for the Theatre Department, Crystal has an extensive professional career.聽 These professional credits include designing at regional theaters such as Stoneham Theater, Emerson Cutler Majestic, the Boston Conservatory, StageWest, The SpeakEasy Theater, Merrimack Repertory Theater, and Worcester Foothills Theatre in Massachusetts; Barter Theater of Virginia; Bristol Riverside Theater in Pennsylvania; Two Rivers Theater in New Jersey, The Rybinsk Theater in Rybinsk, Russia; The American Stage Festival in New Hampshire; the Connecticut Repertory Theater, Connecticut Opera, Trinity College, and the University of Hartford in Connecticut.
Various other experiences include interior design, event design, charge scenic artist, and lead construction on the films聽Lincoln,听Pet Semetary, and聽Heart of Dixie.
Crystal has served in previous years as the Chair of The United States Institute of Theater Technology/New England Section, Chair of Design and Technology for Region 1 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and Advisor for the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry of Connecticut.
She has an MFA in Scenic Design from the University of Connecticut, and a BA in Interior Design from the University of Mississippi.
