Crystal Tiala

Biography

Crystal Tiala is a scenic designer, chair of the Boston College Arts Council, and both the creator and administrator for the Prison Arts Outreach program.

In addition to designing scenery at Boston College, her professional credits include designing at theaters throughout Massachusetts, such as Stoneham Theater, Cutler Majestic Theater, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, StageWest, SpeakEasy Theater Company, Merrimack Repertory Theater, and Worcester Foothills. Other credits include work at the Theatre Barter; Theater of Virginia; Bristol Riverside Theater (Pennsylvania); Two Rivers Theater (New Jersey); The Rybinsk Theater (Russia); The American Stage Festival (New Hampshire); and the Connecticut Repertory Theater, Connecticut Opera, Trinity College, and University of Hartford (Connecticut).  

As a professional scenic designer and union member of the United Scenic Artist local 829, Tiala has completed more than 100 scenic designs in regional and educational theaters throughout the East Coast and beyond. Various other experiences include interior design, event design, and charge scenic artistry, as well as lead construction on the films Lincoln, Pet Semetery, and Heart of Dixie.     

Tiala previously served as the New England Section Chair of The United States Institute of Theater Technology, Chair of Design and Technology for Region 1 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and Advisor for the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry of Connecticut.  

Tiala holds an M.F.A. in scenic design from the University of Connecticut, and a B.A. in interior design from the University of Mississippi.