“My lifelong goal as a costume designer and creator is to approach everything in my life with empathy and inclusion.”

Rio is a second year at the University of Idaho working towards their BFA in Theatre Technology with a concentration in Costume Design and Technology and a minor in Apparel, Textiles, and Design. Their current professional credits include wardrobe crew and stitcher at the New London Barn Playhouse on the following productions: The Bridges of Madison County, Sister Act, Mary Poppins, Hairspray, and The Cottage. Their most recent costume design credits include assistant costume designer for Love, Liz., Pippin, and Ride the Cyclone at the University of Idaho. They have also served as the wardrobe supervisor on UI projects, including The Addams Family, Pinocchio, and the upcoming Ride the Cyclone. Rio holds the 2023 IHSAA Drama Costume Design State Champion title for their work on The Addams Family Musical at the Canyon Ridge Theatre and the physical construction of The Moon costume from that production.

As a child of immigrants and a member of the queer community, stories that center marginalized voices have been of particular importance to Rio. The Forest Song, a beautiful Ukrainian tale by Lesya Ukrainka, was a work of passion they brought to life in the winter of 2024. As its director, costume designer, and sole stitcher, they invested over 120 hours into the production. They were able to raise over $800 for humanitarian aid to Ukraine, which was distributed directly to schoolchildren and soldiers in need. In addition to this, Rio was able to share the rich culture of their family and show their community that Ukraine always was, and always will be, more than her hardships. To Rio, theatre is the ideal medium for artistic activism and communicating the diversity of the human experience.

When they’re not working on a theatrical production, they serve as the secretary for UI’s chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology. Here, they infuse their love for clothing and art with their passion for environmentalism by teaching clothing sustainability to their chapter’s members. With the SCB, they built an on-campus pollinator garden, allowing native plants and pollinators to exist in harmony. During their rare free time, you can find them ballroom dancing, reading classical literature, or frolicking in your local Michaels crafts store (where they work).