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FACULTY & STAFF DIRECTORY

Brian Russman

Associate Teaching Professor, Costume Production


Brian Russman comes to the faculty at CMU with 12 years’ professional credit in New York City working as a design assistant and associate designer on such notable Broadway projects as The Pillowman (Scott Pask), Billy Elliot (Nicky Gillibrand), The Wedding Singer (Gregory Gale), Boeing Boeing (Rob Howell), Spamalot (Tim Hatley), Frost/Nixon (Christopher Oram), Annie Get Your Gun (William Ivey Long), Walt Disney’s Aida (Bob Crowley), Mamma Mia! (Mark Thompson), Sweet Smell of Success (Bob Crowley), Amour (Dona Granata) and Tom Sawyer (Anthony Powell).


Russman has also worked at many of the leading New York costume houses including Barbara Matera Ltd, Tricorne, Carelli Costumes and Rodney Gordon Ltd.

Russman’s film and television work include assistant design responsibilities on Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (Dona Granata), The Dark Knight Rises (Lindy Hemming), American Gangster (Janty Yates), Dr. T and The Women (Dona Granata) and War of The Worlds (Joanna Johnston) as well as work on The Next Three Days (Abigail Murray) and Abduction (Ruth Carter).

Russman has worked regionally as an assistant designer or a craftsperson / milliner with The Shakespeare Theatre (DC), PlayMaker’s Repertory Company, Goodspeed Opera, Papermill Playhouse, Arena Stage, New York Theatre Workshop, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, The Utah Shakespeare Festival, Chicago Lyric Opera, Atlanta Ballet, Holland America Cruise Lines, The Alley Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Second Stage Theatre and Geva Theatre.

Russman’s costume design work has been seen on the stages of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (Life of Galileo, The Rivals, The Play’s The Thing, The Little Foxes), Porthouse Theatre (And A Nightingale Sang, Deathtrap), TheDrillingCompaNY (Dealers), Rattlestick Playwright’s Theatre (Boise) and PlayMaker’s Repertory Company (Molly Sweeney).

Russman is a member of USITT, USA 829 and 489.