Academic

Robyn Ayles

Download this CV in PDF format: Here

Educational Background
  • 2015     Master of Fine Arts Drama/Design- University of Alberta
  • 1984    Design Master Class with John Bury – Banff Centre
  • 1982    Bachelor of Fine Arts Drama/Design – University of Alberta
Professional Experience (Education)
  • 2017-Present

Assistant Professor, Theatre Department,

Faculty of Fine Arts and Communication, MacEwan University, Edmonton,

  • 2015-2017

Sessional Instructor, Theatre Department, 
Ambrose University, Calgary, Canada
TH 130 Technical Theatre 1

Sessional Instructor, Department of Drama
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
TDES 172, Drafting

  • 2008- 2015

Associate Professor, Department of Theatre, Speech and Music Performance
Mount Royal University, Calgary, Canada
Production Manager, Instructor (Stagecraft, Drafting, Props, Costumes) Set and Costume Designer

  • 2005-2008

Department Chair, Theatre Speech and Music Performance
Mount Royal College, Calgary, Canada
Production Manager, Instructor (Drafting)
Set and Costume Designer

  • 1998-2005

Tenured Faculty Member, Department of Theatre and Speech and Music Performance
Mount Royal College, Calgary, Canada
Technical Program Co-ordinator , Production Manager, Instructor (Drafting, Stagecraft, Props, Scenic Painting)

  • 1996-1998

Term Certain Faculty Member, Departmentt. of Theatre and Speech and Music Performance 
Mount Royal College, Calgary, Canada
Production Manager, Instructor (Drafting, Stagecraft, Scenic Painting, Lighting)

  • 1991-1996

Sessional Instructor, Department of Theatre and Speech
Mount Royal College, Calgary Canada
Props (’93-96), Stagecraft(’94-’96), Costumes (’95)

  • 1979-1980

Instructor Makeup and Mask, Stockholms Musik Dramatiska Ensemble
Stockholm Sweden

Professional Experience (Theatre and Film)

Positions Held:

  • 2010, 11, 12, 13

Specialty Costume/props construction
The Young Canadians/ Grandstand Show
Calgary Exhibition and Stampede

  • 1990-1993

Head of Props
J.V. Theatre Productions, Calgary Canada
Jointly owned by Theatre Calgary and Alberta Theatre Projects

  • 1985-1987

Resident Designer
Northern Light Theatre. Edmonton, Canada

  • 1985

 Resident Designer
Sunshine Theatre, Kelowna,  Canada

  • 1981-1983

Resident Designer
Sunshine Theatre, Kelowna,  Canada

Art Direction
  • 1996

Assistant Art Director
Seduction in a Small Town, (telefilm, Calgary)
Green/Epstein Productions

  • 1993

Assistant Art Director
One More Mountain (telefilm, Calgary)
Disney/Marian Rees Associates

  • 1988

Art Director
The Party Is Over (Short Film, Edmonton)
Frame 30 Productions

  • 1986,87,88

In-house Art Director (Summer Replacement)
National and Regional commercials, including Irwin Toy, Downey, and IGA
Allarcom- ITV (Edmonton)

  • 1986-1988

Independent Commercials
Including AGT, Edmonton Telephone, MacDonalds
Frame 30 Productions

  • 1987

2nd Assistant Art Director
The Gunfighters (Telefilm, Edmonton)
Alliance Entertainment

  • 1983

Drafter
Lost Satellite Network (TV series, Edmonton)
Allarcom Ltd.

Design for the Stage

Selected  Designs (complete theatrical design chronology and portfolio available upon request)

Studio Theatre U Alberta- Tribes, production design(2015); Threepenny Opera, costumes (2015); Blavatsky’s Tower (2014) set, lights, and projections (2014)

The Shakespeare Company/MRU- The Winter’s Tale, set (2014)

Mount Royal University– Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, costumes (2011) ; The Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Monkey King, set and costumes (2011); Uncommon Women, set and costumes (2010); One Snowy Night, props and costumes (2010); Brighton Beach Memoirs, set and costumes (2010), Lumps, set and costumes (2009);  You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, set (2009); A Prairie Boy’s Winter, set and costumes (2008+ 2012); Jenny’s Story, set,(2007); Dreaming and Duelling, set and costumes (2006);Les Belles Soeurs, set and lighting (1992)

Northern Light Theatre (Edmonton)- A Prairie Boy’s Winter, set and costumes (1988); Jaques Brel is Alive and Well…,production design (1987); Filthy Rich, set and costumes (1986); Private Lives, set and lighting (1985);The Prairie Church of Buster Galloway, set and lighting (1985 + 1982) The Maids, set and lighting (1984); True West, production design (1982)

Theatre Network (Edmonton)- Gravel Run, lighting design (1989); The Third Ascent, lighting design (1988 + 1986); Eternally Yours, production design (1981)

Sunshine Theatre (Kelowna)-Waiting For the Parade, set design (1985); Talley’s Folly, set design (1985); Noises Off set design (1985), The Black Bonspiel of Wullie MacCrimmon, set design (1983); The Mousetrap, set design (1983); A Thousand Clowns, set design (1982), 18 Wheels, set design (1982),The Odd Couple, set design (1981); On Golden Pond, set design (1981)

Workshop West Theatre (Edmonton)- O.D. on Paradise, production design (1984); Alice Through the Looking Glass, production design (1983)

Grant MacEwan College (Edmonton)- I Can Get It For You Wholesale, production design (1988); March of the Falsettos,  set and lighting design (1983)

Citadel Theatre (Edmonton)- The Promise, set and costume design (1985), The Glass Menagerie, set  and costume design (1985); The Party, set design(1984)

Chinook Theatre (Edmonton, touring)- All Over the Map, production design (1990); The Bittersweet Kid, production design (1989); Wheelie, production design (1988); Step Sister Blood Brother, production design (1987)

Membership in Professional Organizations
  • Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology – Vice Chair South, Alberta Section
  • Associated Designers of Canada
  • International Alliance of Stage and Theatrical Employees (IATSE) 212- Education Committee Co-Chair
Examples of Recent Service on Academic Committees
  • Committee Memberships – Dept or Program 
    • Member: Scholarship Selection
    • Member: Theatre Season Selection
    • Chair: Intake Selection (Theatre tech stream)
  • Committee Memberships – Faculty 
    • Member: Communications Faculty Council
    • (2010) Member: Curriculum Sub-committee (Conservatory Faculty Council)
    •  (2010) Member: Internal PD Allocation Committee
    • Member: Communications Faculty Tenure and Promotion Committee
  • Committee Memberships – MRU Wide 
    • (2010) Conservatory Representative: Institutional Faculty Tenure and Promotion Committee
    • (2011-2012) Communications Faculty Alternate Representative: Institutional Faculty Tenure and Promotion Committee
    • (2010) Theatre Representative: Admissions
    • (2008 – 2010) Conservatory Representative: Faculty of Teaching and Learning Faculty Council
  • Selection of Colleagues 
    • ( 2008) Chair Tenure Track Hiring Committee
    • (2010, 2013) Member: Part-time Hiring Committee (Dept.)
  • Other Committees
    • (2009 – 2010) Member: MRFA Ethics Committee

Additional Interests:

I have been exploring LED technology in costume props using Arduino open platform programming. I created light up costumes for the Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show, worked with designer Angela Dale to create the “Chameleon dress” featured at Make Fashion 2013, (http://www.makefashion.ca/gallery/)and subsequently shown at Calgary’s Comic Expo, the San Francisco Makers Faire and the 2014 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. I presented my Costume Arduino work with Angela Dale at Protospace, Alberta CITT, and the CITT National Convention in 2013.