Professional Bio: An Alabama Native, Rachel Dozier-Ezell is an NYC-based freelance costume designer. In addition to costume design her skills include costume shop management, hair & make-up design, crafts artistry, draping, distressing/dyeing, and teaching costume technology, costume design, and costume crafts at the undergraduate and graduate level. Rachel has a BFA in costume design and technology from The University of Montevallo and an MFA in Costume Design from The University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign.
Since 2021 she has been the Costume Shop Supervisor for Columbia University's SOA Graduate Theatre program. She was the Costume Director at The New School for Performing Arts from 2010-2020. Rachel has taught at The University of Illinois, The University of South Dakota, The New School, Pace University, and Marymount Manhattan College. She has over 20 years of theatrical design experience and 15 years costume management and teaching experience in the area of costumes.
Companies and Institutions where she has collaborated include: Birmingham Children’s Theatre, The Classical Theatre of Harlem, Columbia University, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Paper Mill Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Harlem Stage, Mystic Aquarium, National Black Theater, Manhattan Theatre Works, Carnegie Hall, AMDA, The New School, Theatre for a New Audience, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Lake Placid Center for the Performing Arts, The University of Montevallo, Hunter College Elementary School, The Flea, The University of Illinois @ Urbana-Champaign, The National Gallery, Joe's Pub @ The Public, The Apollo, The Black Hills Playhouse, The University of South Dakota, American Players Theatre, The American Shakespeare Center, and Emerge125.
She’s also the owner of MsPinkyCrafts.com where she offers sewing machine lessons for all ages, meditation through needlearts, family art sessions, and after school classes for grades K-6 in clay/sculpture, fiber arts, and mixed media arts and crafts.
Rachel is always looking to connect with other companies and artists with similar goals and passions. Rachel is also a baby ARTivist with goals to have her art make an impact.
I am doing this art while working with new playwrights, directors, and designers at Columbia University and at Emerge125 as their resident designer
Getting Personal: “My design passion is for new work for theater, dance, and performance that is always socially and/or politically engaging. Call me an idealist, but I love working on art that dares to challenge the norm or ask the question why. I feel it is important that theater fuels knowledge and promotes change and awareness of the world around us. Whether it asks a question that challenges given systems, lifts up silenced voices, or creates beauty and laughter that allows a person to continue being an active member in her world and community. I also strongly believe in participating in art that reaches all socio and economical levels and looks to bridge the gaps in accessible art. I am always looking to connect with other companies and artists that share these goals and passions. I am doing this art while working with new playwrights, directors, and designers at Columbia University and at Emerge125 as their resident costume designer. I am in constant search to learn something new and enjoy teaching and sharing information. I learn so much from teaching and working with other artists. I am also passionate about social activism and being an active member of my community. In my ‘free time,’ I enjoy dancing in the rain with my son and husband, riding my motorcyle, getting inked, teaching art to kids, and doing mini embroidery and weaving projects."