BU Today feature: Susan Mickey Brings a Designer’s Eye to the School of Theatre
This article was originally published in BU Today on February 20, 2020. By Joel Brown
…Before arriving at BU last July, Mickey was senior associate chair of the University of Texas at Austin department of theater and dance. Unlike many theater school administrators, Mickey is neither an actor nor a director, but a well-known costume designer who has worked with many of the nation’s major regional theaters, among them the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, and Boston’s Huntington Theatre Company. Her numerous accolades include three Joseph Jefferson Awards, Chicago’s top theater award, and in film and television she has worked on HBO’s Emmy-winning Miss Evers Boys and Mama Flora’s Family for CBS.
Mickey, who took over as School of Theatre director from Jim Petosa, a CFA professor of directing and dramatic criticism, spent the fall semester meeting with faculty and staff and seeing virtually every School of Theatre production—more than 20 shows. “I loved The Europeans, I loved Exonerated. I love the passion and fearless courage of our writers and our students to make their own work, too, and how devoted they are to seeing each other’s work. I went to performances on Sunday mornings at 10 am that were packed with students. That’s pretty impressive.”