Pictured above: A scene from the UC Santa Barbara Department of Theater and Dance production of “Animal Farm.” Photo by Jeff Liang.
Graduating students joined faculty, staff and an alum recognized for design, directing, choreography and lifetime achievement
Three graduating students in UC Santa Barbara’s Department of Theater and Dance received 2026 Indy Awards for their creative work on campus productions.
Yasmine Castaneda and August Armstrong were honored for costume design and lighting design, respectively, for the department’s production of “Animal Farm.” Diana Mateescu received an award for costume design for Naked Shakes’ production of “The Tempest,” which she co-designed with lecturer Pesha Rudnick. Rudnick also received an Indy Award.
“‘Animal Farm’ felt like a culmination of everything I've learned and worked towards during my years at UCSB,” said Castaneda, who double majored in theater and communication.
Additional awards went to Michael Bernard, a continuing lecturer who directed “POTUS”; Sean O’Shea, the department’s retiring undergraduate adviser, who received the Curtain Call lifetime achievement award; and UC Santa Barbara dance alum Meridith Ventura, recognized for choreographing Out of the Box Theatre Company’s production of “Jagged Little Pill.”
The Indy Awards, established by the Santa Barbara Independent in 1991, recognize achievement in acting, design, directing and other areas of local theater and stagecraft.