Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Mustillo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emily, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Some of the most meaningful projects that I have worked on were with NxtGeneration Theatrics, where I have spent the past four years as their Scenic Designer.

NxtGeneration Theatrics was started in 2019 by the amazing Lana Schwartz, who wanted to give teen artists the opportunity to produce all aspects of a theatrical production. The company began in 2019, where I originally was the Lighting Designer for “Next to Normal” before the pandemic put the production on pause. When “Next to Normal” was revived in 2022, I switched to Scenic Designer, which was my first time designing without any guidance from mentors! I learned what to do (and what not to do) very quickly – making design choices on the fly, learning how to manage a crew, and how to communicate with other departments. I remember being very nervous, but I was so grateful to have a team that trusted and supported me every step of the way.

“Violet” was my second show with the company the following year, and I was grateful to learn how to expand my visions of a show’s world. “Violet” took this idea of expansion quite literally and we had a timeline of magazine cutouts that represented the beauty standards of 1900-1964 from the stage to the last row of audience seating. I learned a lot about mixing mediums and creating a fluid world that was seen through the titular character’s eyes.

“Fun Home” was our most recent production, where we created an abandoned home that was brought to life by memories through picking up objects, most packed away in moving boxes. The design process of “Fun Home” was one of my favorites, as it was originally going to be set in a bookstore. While the bookstore idea was scrapped, finding the meaning behind those ideas had a great influence on where the final design ended up.

I’m not allowed to say the show that we are currently working on for next year, but I can say that each team member has grown so much professionally and creatively since our first show in 2022. Being a part of a team that both challenges each other and trusts each other has been the most meaningful part of my time at NxtGeneration Theatrics and I am so excited for all that we will do next.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Scenic Designer from Brooklyn!

Prior to college, I was studying Illustration and hoping to become an Art Teacher. While I was touring colleges, I realized that I would be so much happier doing some type of Theatre – I grew up seeing many Broadway shows, so it felt right to combine the technical skills of Fine Arts with the ever-developing world of Broadway. After a very emotional realization in Harry’s Bar & Burger at RISD, I got started on a portfolio that featured costume, set, and lighting design concepts and was accepted into SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Theatre Arts, where I just graduated earlier this summer.

My time at school taught me everything about what is expected of a designer and gave me vital design experience with advisement from my professors. The design processes I had at school combined with some outside work helped shape the vision of the worlds I want an audience to step into and experience.

Currently, I am in the process of designing three shows and working as an Art Production Assistant for Nickelodeon, so it is very exciting to be involved with design on both a television and theatrical level.

I also really like pigeons.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is to have an audience connect with a piece of theater on all levels. One of the ways I tend to develop a scenic design is by thinking about how the characters in a piece are engaging with their world and how I can replicate that feeling for an audience that is on the opposite side of the room.

“Socrates” is a show that I designed at SUNY Purchase that follows the life and trial of Socrates. It was important for me that the audience felt the guilt of Athens at the end of the play when Socrates is sentenced to death, so I wanted the theater to feel as much like a courtroom (where the audience was the dikastai) as possible. The audience sat in 3/4 thrust with a stand for the Archon placed within the first rows of seating, and at intermission, the audience could get up and cast their vote onstage in an urn.

I think that being able to play with ideas of interaction on “Socrates” made me realize how much I enjoyed designing opportunities for an audience to participate and create a meaningful relationship with the story. As I am designing shows now, I try to find as many opportunities as possible for the audience to become one with the piece.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have had to unlearn the idea that everything will go according to plan, and have learned to devote time towards prioritizing what is most important to a production. I have worked on multiple shows where large changes have occurred during the build process and set modifications had to be made – mostly with pieces of scenery being cut. Being able to go back to the initial design concept and figure out what is most important to include in the final project has been eye-opening and sometimes will lead to a better product! Less scenery can be more impactful towards the storytelling goal, so it is great to be able to pick out the most important ideas and support them most distinctly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://emilymustillodesign.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: @emilymustillodesign
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-mustillo-72290219b

Image Credits

Ava Tucker
American Theatre Wing
Zoë Markwalter