Melanie Watnick

Adjunct Professor of Theatre Costume Designer

Melanie Watnick has been working as a professional costume designer for theatre and dance for over 12 years. Prior to her arrival at Pepperdine, Ms. Watnick had been a faculty member at University of California Irvine where she designed, mentored and lectured on costume design for dance for 6 years.   Ms. Watnick also has had the pleasure of serving as a guest lecturer in costume design at the University of California San Diego and Hartnell College. She is committed to education and theatre equally and finds inspiration in both fields. Ms. Watnick's teaching philosophy is energized by her belief that theatre is a collaborative art form that can and should be relevant and current in relation to our social and economical climate.

Melanie Watnick's costume designs for dance have been seen in both national and international tours with such companies as; ABTII, Ballet X, Company C, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, Malashock Dance and Backhaus Dance. Her theatre deigns have included work with companies as; Julliard, Seattle Repertory, San Diego Repertory Theatre, The Barter, Great Lakes Theater Festival, South Coast Repertory Theatre, The Open Fist and Rouge Machine. Ms. Melanie Watnick received her MFA from University of California San Diego and a BA with an emphasis in design from the University of California Santa Barbara.