Ms. Roark is a freelance costume designer, maker, and teaching artist with a decade of professional experience spanning four continents, including Europe, Asia, and South America. What she has learned from her endeavors is threefold: the necessary duality of design and costume technology, the importance of utilizing digital technology in design, and the value of embracing a broader global perspective.

 

After teaching at colleges and universities around the country, Lauren now makes her home at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She serves as the head of graduate costume design and a resident costume designer for the Clarence Brown Theatre (LORT), where she is excited to be training the next generation of theatre artists.

 

Lauren received her MFA in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a BA in Theatre-Design and Production from Illinois State University. Ms. Roark is a proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.