Ms. April Beiswenger

Education

• B.A., Saint Francis College
• M.A., Villanova University

Biography

April Beiswenger is a graduate of Saint Francis University (then College) with a BA in English. She went on to earn a MA from Villanova University in Theatre and an MFA from West Virginia University in Theatrical Design/Technology specializing in Scenic Design. Before joining the SFU community, she taught at St. Norbert College in the Theatre Studies major and was the departmental Scenographer. Some of her favorite designs were Importance of Being Earnest, Mary Poppins, Pride and Prejudice, Silent Sky, She Kills Monsters, and many others. April also wrote a modern adaptation Alice in Wonderland for St Norbert that premiered in fall of 2024. April taught such classes as Visual Storytelling, Design for Performance, History of Clothing and Fashion, Introduction to Creativity, and mentored the Senior Capstone.

She has worked professionally for a variety of theatre companies, including Evergreen Theatre, Peninsula Players, Mountain Playhouse, and South Park Theatre. She is the Associate Artistic Director of Theatre Z, Green Bay’s premier experimental theatre company, producing such shows as Angels in America, Other Desert Cities, The Father, Heroes of the Fourth Turning, The Children, and others.

April’s scholarly interests include exploring the intersection between theatre and art, the art of craft, the pedagogy of care, alternative theatrical methods, emergent technology, and theatrical design/technology.

Website:  https://theaprildesigns.wordpress.com/

Courses Taught

• THTR 311 Acting
• THTR 113 Perform and Production