(Professor Larew donated The Don Larew Theatrical Productions Scenic and Costume Designs Collection to the University Archives, North Dakota State University.  The Collection is maintained and preserved by the University Archives.)

Don Larew, Professor of Theatre Arts, received his B.S. in Applied Arts, interior design emphasis, from Iowa State University in 1963. He took an interior design seminar at the Parsons School of Design, New York City in the summer of 1963. Don was employed as an interior designer at G.Fox and Co., in Hartford, Connecticut, from 1963 - 1966. In 1969 he completed his MFA in Dramatic Arts, with a scenic design and technical direction emphasis from the University of Iowa. He took a Master Class in Scenic Painting in 1976 from the University of Iowa.

Don joined North Dakota State University (NDSU) in 1969 as an instructor, was appointed assistant professor in 1971, received tenure in 1974, associate professor in 1978, and professor in 1986. In addition to his responsibilities as a teacher and student advisor, he is currently the Artistic Director and Designer for the Little Country Theater (LCT). He has also served as Theatre Arts Coordinator, Director of Theatre, Technical Director of LCT, Scenic Designer/Technical Director of the North Dakota Repertory Theatre, as well as the Scenic and Costume Designer/Technical Director of NDSU’s Prairie Stage Touring Company. Don has also been involved in outside theatrical activities, including Free-Lance Designer for the F-M Community Theater, Designer/ Technical Advisor to the Red River Dance and Performing Company, Free-Lance Designer for Fargo Moorhead Civic Opera, Carousel Dance Theatre, and Free-Lance Designer for Sceno-Graphics, New Wilmington, PA.

In 1999 he received the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) Meritorious Achievement Award for his scenic design of Something’s Afoot. The NDSU College of Humanities and Social Science awarded him the Outstanding Research/Creative Award in 1992. He was awarded the American College Theatre Festival Meritorious Achievement Award for his scenic design and painting for Helen of Troy in 1991.

For additional information on Don’s career and his collection, please go to: http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/archives/collections/DonLarew.htm.

For additional information about theatre at NDSU, please go to http://www.ndsu.edu/finearts/theatre/index.shtml

This exhibit presents but a taste of the 100+ productions that Don has been involved in from his days at the University of Iowa until the early 2000s at NDSU. Unless otherwise noted, the plays were Little Country Theatre productions.

NOTE: These are what some of the abbreviations stand for:
FCH = Festival Concert Hall
WST = Walsh Studio Theatre
BRH = Beckwith Recital Hall

* The title of this exhibit comes from the sculpture that Professor Larew donated to NDSU in 2003, Theatre Passion.