Seeking costumes fellow for KUNG FU ZOMBIES VS SOUTHEAST ASIAN GIRL SCOUTS
SEEKING COSTUMES DESIGN FELLOW
work alongside and under the mentorship of ELEANOR SCHANILEC
Apply by July 27, 2026
art by Aleksandra Gurneau/KNOCK, inc.
About the COSTUME DESIGN Fellowship
Theater Mu is seeking an emerging or early-career costume designer, based in Minnesota, for a hands-on fellowship working alongside costume designer Eleanor Schanilec during the world premiere of Kung Fu Zombies vs Southeast Asian Girl Scouts, written by Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay and directed by artistic director Fran de Leon.
The costume design fellow will be embedded in the full arc of a mainstage production, from early ideation through opening, gaining direct exposure to how a costume designer builds a show's look from the ground up—from research and sketches through fittings, builds, and the run of the show.
Because this production centers Southeast Asian American stories, history, and cultural practices, the costume design fellow will also build cultural awareness that goes beyond craft, gaining insight into how research, community input, and lived experience shape costume choices with this kind of specificity and care.
The costume design fellow will work alongside Eleanor Schanilec, the director, other designers, and production team throughout the process.
SYNOPSIS
Three Southeast Asian Girl Scouts are keeping their Saint Paul, MN, community together during the zombie apocalypse. Between helping their elders, doing food runs, and building campfires, they've probably earned, like, four Gold Awards each. This genre-bending world premiere is the finale of playwright Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay's Kung Fu Zombies trilogy, but all you need to know is that, for some reason, these zombies know kung fu.
Fellowship at a Glance
Positions available: One
Eligibility: Emerging or early-career costume designers based in Minnesota
Stipend: $800
Duration: July 2026 through November 15, 2026
Location: Twin Cities; fittings and builds location TBD; tech and performances at Frey Theater, 2004 Randolph Ave, St. Paul, MN 55105
Additional benefits: complimentary tickets to the production, mentorship meetings, alumni network access
Qualifications
REQUIRED
Knowledge of the tech process and how costumes integrate into it (quick changes, costume plots, running crew coordination).
Ability to take notes and update data-based software (fitting notes, costume tracking sheets) throughout the process.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and interpersonal skills.
Excellent observation, listening, attentiveness, and awareness skills, including comfort conducting fittings with performers.
Experience, ability, and commitment to working with individuals and teams that are mixed across lines of difference such as race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, age, class, and immigrant status.
The ability to work well under pressure and to respond calmly and efficiently to frequent changes during the production and rehearsal process.
Reliability: While hours can be flexible, you must be open to evenings and weekends, reflective of the dynamic schedule of the theater.
Access to personal or public transportation to get to meetings, fittings, rehearsals, etc.
A commitment to Theater Mu's mission and values as an arts organization built upon social justice, exemplary theater, and Asian American stories.
Must be 18 or older to apply.
DESIRED
1+ years of academic, professional, or internship experience in direction, OR 1+ years of academic, professional, or volunteer experience as a theater artist in any area.
What the COSTUME DESIGN Fellow Will Do
Pre-Production and Design (July through mid-September)
The costume design fellow joins Eleanor Schanilec and the broader design team from the earliest stages, learning the design timeline, the ideation process, and key deliverables—from research boards and sketches to fabric selection—while getting a firsthand look at how a costume vision becomes concrete design direction.
Research and Dramaturgy (concurrent with pre-production)
Working with Eleanor Schanilec and the design dramaturg, the costume design fellow helps develop research strategies specific to the world of the play, learning how research gets gathered, distilled, and applied to garment and silhouette decisions, including the cultural context and community knowledge that inform a story like this one.
Builds and Fittings (concurrent with pre-production and rehearsals)
The costume design fellow supports the shop through builds, pulls, and fittings, learning how measurements, alterations, and performer feedback shape a costume from first draft to stage-ready.
Rehearsals (beginning Sept 22, 2026)
The costume design fellow moves into the rehearsal process, observing how costume pieces are integrated with staging and how quick-change and movement needs get identified and solved.
Tech and Previews (Oct 21-30, 2026)
The costume design fellow moves into tech with the production at Frey Theater, watching how Eleanor Schanilec, the director, and production team coordinate as design and staging elements come together on stage, through previews on Oct 29 & 30.
Opening and Run (Oct 31-Nov 15, 2026)
The costume design fellow rounds out the residency by seeing the production through opening night and into its run, including wardrobe maintenance and upkeep, closing the loop on the full journey from first sketch to final performance.
ABOUT THEATER MU
Theater Mu is the largest Asian American theater company in the Midwest, producing bold new work centered on the Asian American experience.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Kung Fu Zombies vs Southeast Asian Girl Scouts, written by Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, is the world premiere finale of her Kung Fu Zombies trilogy. It is directed by Theater Mu artistic director Fran de Leon.
How to Apply
Send a resume and cover letter to info@theatermu.org (subject: KUNG FU ZOMBIES Costume Design Fellow Application). Applicants must submit by July 27, 2026, but eligible candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis.