Rate My Professor Tory Depew

Tory Depew is an Associate Professor in the David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts at Western Carolina University, serving as Director of the School of Stage and Screen and Program Director for initiatives including Theatre and Entertainment Design & Technology. A costume and scenic designer with ten years of teaching experience, she specializes in costume design and technology, costume crafts, and period styles within performing arts. Depew's research interests encompass designing costumes for opera and Shakespeare productions, where she reinterprets historical fashion in innovative ways to captivate modern audiences. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes practical skills development, preparing students for professional theatre environments through rigorous coursework and hands-on projects.

Depew holds an MFA in Theatrical Costume and Scenic Design from Rutgers State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, earned in 2009, and a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of the South. Her professional portfolio includes costume designs crafted in New York City and across the country for esteemed organizations such as the Berkshire Theatre Group and the American Shakespeare Center. Since assuming the directorship two years ago, Depew has guided the School of Stage and Screen to the 2024 NCTC College/University Award, recognizing artistic, professional, and educational excellence in theatre. This marks the second such accolade for the program, the first in 2006, and celebrates its experiential learning model, diverse degree offerings like the B.A. in Stage and Screen and B.F.A. in Entertainment Design & Technology, active production season, and contributions of faculty and alumni to the professional theatre community. Depew credits this achievement to her faculty's creativity and the distinctive opportunities at Western Carolina University, enhancing its standing among North Carolina theatre programs.