Theatre professors announce retirement

5/2/2024

Two theatre professors have recently announced their retirement from Auburn University.

Associate professor of costumes Tracy Oleinick is retiring after 28 years with the Department of Theatre and Dance. Oleinick arrived at Auburn in 1996 and has worked on designing costumes for more than 150 productions during her tenure at Auburn University.

Costumes designed and executed for productions ranged in period from classic Greek costumes for “Lysistrata” and “The Trojan Women” to a futuristic Star Trek version of Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors”. Period costumes spanned eras in between, including a Roman “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” 17th century “Tartuffe” and “La Bete,” 18th century “Our Country’s Good” and “The Belle’s Stratagem “19th century “Civil War Christmas “and “Hedda Gabbler” to modern day “Nickel and Dimed.”

In between, Oleinick worked on and earned a PhD in history from Auburn University.

Professor Fereshteh Rostampour, resident scenic and lighting designer for the Department of Theatre and Dance, is retiring after 14 years at Auburn University.

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to spend the last fourteen years of my career working with a team of outstanding artists and scholars who have inspired new perspectives to advance my work,” Rostampour said. “I learned a great deal from everyone and my teaching and designing skills grew significantly during my time here. It was a pleasure to be a part of the Department of Theatre and Dance team and work with every one of you to create magic on stage.”

Rostampour will continue her freelance work as a scenographer after her retirement.

Tags: Theatre and Dance