WHAT I'M ABOUT
DANAE IRIS MCQUEEN is a tv/film and theatrical costume designer living in Los Angeles. This past year she designed WITCH at GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at PASADENA PLAYHOUSE - and was thrilled to win a LOS ANGELES CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD for the former.
Her designs for the latter were featured on THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN when Mj Rodriguez and George Salazar performed their incredible rendition of SUDDENLY SEYMOUR. In the summer of 2018 she designed the costumes for ANNIE at the HOLLYWOOD BOWL featuring Lea Salonga, Ana Gasteyer, David Alan Grier, Megan Hilty, Steven Weber, and Roger Bart, among others. Danae was honored to be nominated for an LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Award for her first theatrical design in Los Angeles - THE PRIDE directed by Michael Arden at THE WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER. She designed costumes for the short film YOUR OLD MAN, directed by YouTuber and filmmaker Tim Hautekiet, which screened at LA SHORTS FEST and BUFFER FESTIVAL. Danae started her career working as an assistant to prolific costume designer Carrie Robbins in NYC. She then moved on to be a resident design assistant and crafts artisan at DELAWARE REP for two seasons, working with many notable costume designers including Martha Hally, Fabio Toblini, and Laura Crow. Danae spent five summers at the CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL, starting as a stitcher and working her way to assistant costume shop manager. CATF was where she found her passion for new work, and where she designed her first professional production - Kyle Bradstreet's FROM PRAGUE. The following year, her costumes for CATF's world premiere production of Johnna Adams' GIDION'S KNOT were published in AMERICAN THEATRE MAGAZINE and are also featured as the cover art for the anthology PLAYS BY WOMEN FROM THE CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN THEATER FESTIVAL. After working as a freelance costume designer on the east coast, Danae decided to head west for her MFA in costume design from the University of California, San Diego, studying under Judith Dolan. She has worked for several studios, including work as lead fabricator for stylist & costume designer Marina Toybina - selected projects include MAGIC MIKE LIVE (Las Vegas/London/Berlin), the P!NK BEAUTIFUL TRAUMA tour, CARRIE UNDERWOOD CRY PRETTY 360 tour, and FOX's Emmy nominated THE MASKED SINGER. She has formerly worked with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Old Globe Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Alley Theatre, Great Lakes Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, and the Cincinnati Ballet, among others. |
She has an eye for what matters — always aware of the telling detail that helps make the actors’ performances vibrant and real.” |